Home » Jazz Articles » Book Review » The Ghosts of Harlem (Sessions with Jazz Legends)

321

The Ghosts of Harlem (Sessions with Jazz Legends)

By

Sign in to view read count
The Ghosts of Harlem (Sessions with Jazz Legends)
Hank O'Neal
Paperback; 496 pages
ISBN: 0826516270
Vanderbilt University Press
2009

Hank O'Neal is a jazz renaissance man—an author, photographer, concert promoter, label owner and record producer. Best known for his role as the owner/operator of Chiaroscuro Records, O'Neal's appreciation of the "older pioneers of traditional jazz" has long been recognized. His considerable abilities as a photographer, while not as well known in jazz circles, demonstrate a similar empathy towards these artists. In The Ghosts of Harlem he combines his myriad talents to produce a volume that shows and tells the tale of a bygone age in a series of conversational interviews and large format photographic portraits with more than 40 musicians—some famous, many forgotten—who began their careers during the Swing Era and spent at least some time plying their trade in Harlem.

Over 20 years in the making, the book was inspired by a 1985 visit uptown to Harlem with John Hammond to hear Al Cobb's C & J Orchestra's then regular Monday night gig at Small's Paradise (at that time one of the only jazz shows still happening in the neighborhood) that left O'Neal with the nagging question of "how the vibrant musical scene that permeated pre-World War II Harlem could vanish in less than two decades." Deciding to explore the issue as the subject of a book that would help preserve the memories of important participants of those early days of jazz, he devised a series of questions that would hopefully illuminate the subject, beginning with "When did you first work in Harlem?" and ending with "Do you think that the music will ever come back?"

The interviews with artists from Andy Kirk, Erskine Hawkins, Benny Carter and Cab Calloway to Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Wess, Clark Terry and Billy Taylor shed much light on venues like the Apollo Theater and Savoy Ballroom and the roads from other cities that brought players to the musical mecca that was Harlem. Photos by O'Neal and those culled from the historic Frank Driggs Collection, along with reproductions of many 78 labels, bring the stories to life. The accompanying CD of selected tracks of the interviewees from the Chiaroscuro catalogue makes for companionable listening.

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.
View events near New York City
Jazz Near New York City
Events Guide | Venue Guide | Local Businesses | More...

More

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.