Jazz loft project book

Sam stephenson, author of the new book the jazz loft project and the man who uncovered the tapes in the smith archive, notes that there was some deception involved. Eugene smith s jazz loft project has been legendary in the worlds of art, photography, and music for more than forty years, but until the publication of the jazz loft project, no one had seen smith s extraordinary photographs or read any of the firsthand accounts of those who were there and lived to tell the tales. The jazz loft project by sam stephenson overdrive rakuten. Sam stephensons previous book, the jazz loft project, is a truly wonderful and fascinating story about eminent photographer w.

Eugene smith s jazz loft project has been legendary in the worlds of art, photography, and music for more than forty years, but until the publication of the jazz loft project, no one had seen smiths extraordinary photographs or read any of the firsthand accounts of those who were there and lived to tell the tales. Harold feinstein photographer the jazz loft, the limelight. The jazz loft project npr coverage of the jazz loft project. Eugene smiths pittsburgh project, a book published by w. Eugene smith in new york 19571965, a book by the jazz loft projects director, sam stephenson, documents in photographs and text the legendary afterhours jazz jam sessions and other occurrences that took place at 821 sixth avenue from 1957 to 1965. Loved the vignettes and the photos and the memorabilia stephenson used in his project.

The jazz loft project center for documentary studies at. Dec 18, 2009 a few of those lyrical images are on these pages. Eugene smith from 821 sixth avenue, 19571965 1 by sam stephenson, w. Sights and sounds december 5, 2009 in 1957, photographer w. The film, a followup to fishkos jazz loft radio series, as well as author sam stephensons book, the jazz loft project, brings hundreds of photographs by acclaimed life magazine photographer w. Oct 14, 2011 the jazz loft project ron free drummer and his trio played at the jazz loft presentation and book signing by author sam stephenson at the at literary bookpost in salisbury, nc on 10.

Dec, 2015 fishko had already produced a celebrated 10 part radio series, for which harold was also interviewed, based on stephensons epic research on smith and the jazz loft. Jazz music of the mid20th century returns to the spotlight on thursday, dec. Eugene smith from 821 sixth avenue, 19571965 includes transcriptions of rehearsal tapes made by photographer w. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that. As his epic pittsburgh project broke down, smith found solace in the chaotic, somnambulistic world of the loft and its artists. In 1957, eugene smith walked out of his comfortable settled worldhis longtime wellpaying job at life and the home he shared with his wife and childrento move into a dilapidated, fivestory loft building in new york citys wholesale flower district. Eugene smith took thousands of photographs and recorded thousands of hours of audio in his loft building, capturing the legendary musicians of the day. Like the american renaissance of emerson, hawthorne, dickinson. Smith was trying to complete the most ambitious project of his life, a massive photoessay on the city of pittsburgh. More details on the jazz loft project can be found at.

Sam stephenson discovered smiths jazz loft photographs and tapes and spent seven years cataloging, archiving, selecting and editing smiths material for this book, as well as writing its introduction and the text interwoven throughout. The jazz loft project ron free drummer and his trio played at the jazz loft presentation and book signing by author sam stephenson at. Eugene smith estate, is devoted to preserving and cataloging smiths tapes, researching the photographs, and obtaining oral history interviews with a. The jazz loft project, organized by the center for documentary studies in cooperation with ccp and the smith estate, is devoted to preserving and cataloging smiths tapes, researching the photographs, and obtaining oral history interviews with all surviving loft participants. Eugene smiths jazz loft project has been legendary in the worlds of art, photography, and music for more than forty years, but until the publication of the jazz loft project, no one had seen smiths extraordinary photographs or read any of the firsthand accounts of those who were there and lived to tell the talesmore. One of only thirteen books in 2009 to make each year end lists of publishers. The jazz loft project radio series podcast on demand w. Guide to the jazz loft project records, 19502012 and undated. Jul 15, 2010 the book the jazz loft project is an outgrowth of the larger project at the center for documentary studies to organise and present the 4,000 hours of tape recordings and some 40,000 pictures that smith made at 821 from 1957 to 1965 although smith occupied the loft on and off until 1971.

Book spotlight the jazz loft project photographs and tapes of w. The exhibition features neverbeforedisplayed vintage black and white. Oct 03, 20 the new york times dwight garner called this book chaotic and soulful and an elegiac stew of sight and sound, and a singularly weird, vital and thrumming american document. His research was eventually consolidated into the jazz loft project book and website. Cds books at the center for documentary studies are works of creative exploration by writers and photographers who convey new ways of seeing and understanding human experience in all its diversity books that tell stories, challenge our assumptions, awaken our social conscience, and connect life, learning, and art. New york, ny the story of a little known fivestory loft building in new york citys wholesale flower district that was a popular latenight haunt for some of the biggest names in 1950s and 60s jazz is told in the jazz loft project, a new multimedia exhibition opening february 17, 2010, at the new york public library for the performing arts. Sam stephenson is a writer, instructor, and director of the jazz loft project at the center for documentary studies at duke university. Jazz loft project director sam stephenson has been studying the life and work of smith since 1997. The jazz loft project the leonard lopate show wnyc.

Led by sam stephenson of dukes center for documentary studies, the project uncovers the stories and sounds of 821 sixth avenue, a loft building in manhattans wholesale flower district where major jazz musicians. Sam stephenson the jazz loft project knopf doubleday. The building was a latenight haunt of musicians, including some of the biggest names in jazzcharles mingus, zoot sims, bill evans, and thelonious monk among themand countless fascinating, underground characters. Eugene smith, the brilliant photographer who shot thousands of pictures and recorded thousands of hours of music and talk at his midtown apartment and studio, which served as an opendoor meeting place and jam session site for hundreds of musicians and artists. The jazz loft project radio series listen to podcasts on. The book the jazz loft project is an outgrowth of the larger project at the center for documentary studies to organise and present the 4,000 hours of tape recordings and some 40,000 pictures that smith made at 821 from 1957 to 1965 although smith occupied the loft.

Eugene smith from 821 sixth avenue, 19571965 sam stephenson on. Loft jazz provides the first book length study of this period, tracing its history amid a series of overlapping discourses surrounding collectivism, urban renewal, experimentalist aesthetics, underground archives, and the radical politics of selfdetermination. In 1957, eugene smith, a thirtyeightyearold magazine photo. Identification of item, jazz loft project records, david m. Chronicles the jazz scene from unknowns to wellknowns as they passed through eugenes smith jazz loft located on the at 821 sixth avenue, nyc. Eugene smith, a 38yearold magazine photographer, left his comfortable world to move into a dilapidated loft building at 821 sixth avenue in new york city. The jazz loft project, devoted to preserving and cataloging the works of smith, is directed by sam stephenson at the center for documentary studies at duke university in cooperation with center for creative photography ccp, part of the university of arizona and the smith estate. The book, a compilation of behindthescenes images and impressions from a bygone era, is the result of. Eugene smiths jazz loft project has been legendary in the worlds of. In 2010 the jazz loft project radio series premiered, in collaboration with wnyc.

Every obsessive deserves his own obsessive boswell, and w. Rarely is history documented in such a way as to allow the reader to get a tangible taste of the surroundings of an era let alone an era as magical as the 50s and 60s new york and its jazz scene. The jazz loft project is the brainchild of sam stephenson, a duke university instructor and researcher who has been studying the life and work of w. Eugene smith recorded 4000 hours of audio tape and took 40,000 photographs in the jazz loft between 1957 and 1965. Eugene smith and the fourth floor loft he and others occupied from roughly 1955 to 1970 in manhattans flower district. Sam stephensons book the jazz loft project documents w. The book, a compilation of behindthescenes images and impressions from a bygone era, is the result of stephensons extensive original research, which began with the w. The jazz loft project a new multimedia exhibition featuring rarely seen and heard audio and photograph materials by w. Eugene smith from 821 sixth avenue, 19571965 by sam stephenson. Eugene smith, whose beguiling life and legacy are explored in stephensons new book, gene smi. Books center for documentary studies at duke university. The series will begin its national broadcast on dec. Eugene smith from 821 sixth avenue, 19571965 sam stephenson, author, w.

Eugene smiths infatuated vision new york magazine nymag every obsessive deserves his own obsessive boswell, and w. Hall overton was thelonious monks arranger for several big band concerts including the thelonious monk orchestra at town hall. Sam stephenson born 1966 is a writer who grew up in washington, north carolina. In 1998, sam stephenson discovered smiths jazz loft photographs and tapes, which had remained unseen for 40 years, and spent the following seven years cataloging, archiving, selecting, and editing smiths materials for a brilliantly ambitious book, the jazz loft project. Now, in the jazz loft project, we have a rare and remarkable window into that moment. Harold was interviewed for the project in 2007, part of which can be heard here. The series coordinates with the jazz loft project book by sam stephenson of the center for documentary studies. Eugene smith to the screen for the first time, as well as some of the 4,000 hours of audio he recorded, the film features commentary by musicians steve reich, carla bley, jason moran, ronnie free, and many. The jazz loft project center for documentary studies at duke. Sam stephenson, the jazz loft project director at the center for.

Paolo fresu devil quartet, laila biali, shinya fukumori trio, julian lage, andy sheppard, joachim kuhn, sarah buechi, snowpoet, steve dangelo, slowly rolling camera, gleb kolyadin, thompson egboegbo, indra riosmoore, nik bartschs ronin, johannes bigge trio and more. Eugene smith phaidon 55, 2001, and curated a traveling exhibition of smiths work organized by the carnegie museum of art. Young of 821 6th avenue, new york city, in the late 1950s and early 1960s. There is no photographer more comprehensive then w. Eugene smith moved into a lower manhattan loft which served as a latenight hangout for jazz musicians. In his jazz loft project, smith seems to capture and preserve in amber the transitory happenings both significant and insignificant, sublime and mundane from half a century ago. Nov 24, 2009 but the book is so much more than a book of photography. The prc library, which is currently in storage, includes a copy of this book. More details on the jazz loft project can be found at jazzloftproject.

The exhibition evokes the jazz loft through more than 200 images, several hours of audio, and 16mm film footage of smith working in the loft. Eugene smith and the jazz loft project the new york times. I know that jesse is a big time jazz fan, so this work really stands out. Feb 05, 2010 the jazz loft project a new multimedia exhibition featuring rarely seen and heard audio and photograph materials by w. Eugene smiths jazz loft project has been legendary in the worlds of art. The jazz loft project records consist of the research and administrative records of author sam stephensons jazz loft project, which documented the events and inhabitants including w. Eugene smith from 821 sixth avenue, 19571965 hardcover november 24, 2009. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. About the author sam stephenson is a writer, instructor, and director of the jazz loft project at the center for documentary studies at duke university. Nov 25, 2009 in 1998, sam stephenson discovered smiths jazz loft photographs and tapes, which had remained unseen for 40 years, and spent the following seven years cataloging, archiving, selecting, and editing smiths materials for a brilliantly ambitious book, the jazz loft project. Nov 16, 2009 led by sam stephenson of dukes center for documentary studies, the project tells the stories and sounds of 821 sixth avenue, a loft building in manhattans wholesale flower district where major jazz musicians of the day including thelonious monk, alice coltrane, sonny rollins and charles mingus gathered and played their music. The jazz loft project, organized by the center for documentary studies in cooperation with ccp and the w.