Blue Note : Jazz Photography of Francis Wolff

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Summary: Phantastic photography!
Review: Even if you haven't heard the name Francis Wolff before you have probably seen many of his photos already. They can be found on many Blue Note albums. Some of them also became classics on their own. Francis Wolff is the co-founder of the Blue Note record label. Before becoming a full-time producer by the end of the Sixties, he spent a lot of his time taking photos of the artists while they were recording. All these photos are taken with a sort of simple equipment (just a camera and one flash) without posing. The photos were taken while the musicians were playing or composing of resting. There is an enormous depth and clarity in the pictures and you can nearly sense the personalities of the musicians. This collection of Wolff's photography is a must for every fan of classical photography and, of course, it's a must for die-hard Blue Note fans.

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Summary: The All Seeing Eye of Blue Note Records
Review: This is the finest collection of Jazz Photography ever assembled! If you're a fan of jazz, or Blue Note Records, you must own this book. As a co-owner of Blue Note, Francis Wolff had the opportunity to arrest time with his lens while the titans of jazz created quintessential music. All the faces you would expect are here, Thelonious Monk, Miles, Coltrane, etc. Yet so are others whose names have been unfairly excluded from the roster of jazz immortals, men like Hank Mobley, Sonny Clark, Lee Morgan and many more. This collection is tastefully assembled, carefully balancing a trove of color and black & white prints with aesthetic perfection. Its 176 pages are bursting with images that inebriate the eyes; many are published here for the first time. Along the way, written snapshots built on the visual perspective. You can hear the music pouring from these images. You can feel the excitement of it's genesis. The musicians were comfortable with Wolff and his lens. He captured their essence in a way that no other could. Pick this up before it goes out of print.