New york city circa 1958, for the jazz aficionado, was the place to be. A must or should see for jazz fans, this film received an academy award nomination for best documentary feature. Bach discusses the background behind the documentary and some insights about the photo. Castle hill productions capital citiesabc video publishing image entertainment firm. A great day in harlem is a 1994 american documentary film directed by jean bach about the photograph of the same name. With dizzy gillespie, milt hinton, marian mcpartland, art blakey. The greatest jazz photo in history is probably the one titled a great day in harlem showing 57 notable jazz musicians in 1958 on the steps of 17 east 126th street in harlem, photographed by art kane. The film shows how jazz is a musical language that a network of artists developed together.
The documentary compiles interviews of many of the musicians in the photograph to talk about the day of the. A great day in harlem movie information cinema clock. It was nominated for an academy award for best documentary feature director jean bach acquired an original home movie showing the 1958 photo shoot from musician milt hinton. The picture was taken by freelance photographer art kane for esquire magazine on august 12, 1958. A great day in harlem an original photo given to the jazz musicians of that period. A great day in harlem harlem 58 the photograph part 7. Move your cursor over the photograph to identify each musician then.
Rent a great day in harlem the spitball story 1998 on. In august of 1958, in front of a harlem brownstone, firsttime photographer art kane assembled 57 of the greatest jazz stars of all time and snapped a picture that would live forever. It was nominated for an academy award for best documentary feature. Possibly no other artifact can confirm this statement with more clarity than photographer art kanes landmark portrait a great day in harlem. Includes home movie footage of that day of the musicians arriving and greeting each other the morning of. Director jean bach acquired an original home movie showing the 1958 photo shoot from musician milt hinton. In 1996, gordon parks photographed survivors who were still alive showing where they were in 1958 for a great day in harlem. Jean bach, a radio producer of new york, recounted the story behind the photograph in her 1994 documentary film, a great day in harlem. Aug 12, 2016 nor did she realize that the photo had gotten another closeup only five years earlier in an oscarnominated documentary, a great day in harlem. So i couldnt wait until i had the opportunity to purchase it again. When she finally found the perfect place a brownstone, in decent shape, at 17 e. Memorializing a footnote to jazz history, the documentary a great day in harlem recalls the events and personalities surrounding a 1958 photo shoot for esquire magazine that gathered many of the.
Through remarkable interviews with nearly 30 jazz greats including dizzy gillespie, sonny rollins and art blakey, home movies shot by milt and mona hinton, and rare, archival performance footage, a great day in harlem tells the story behind a legendary photograph that is still alive and kicking and jammin. A recurring series on iconic scenes from the citys storied culture. A great day in harleman original photo given to the jazz musicians of that period. Summer reading winter sand august 1986 by gay talese. Survivors of a great day in harlem by chung wong findery.
Fear nothulu just reupped their streaming offerings with great new shows and movies. Dizzy was interviewed as were many others but the film is by jean bach. This dvd contains nearly 30 interviews by jazz greats. A fair portion of the film is devoted to that which lead up to the photograph. Just about every jazz musician at the time showed up for the photo shoot which took place in front of a brownstone near the 125th street station. In the 60minute film a great day in harlem, art kane, who was working at esquire magazine and was assigned to take a photograph for a cover story on jazz, tells the story of. Art kanes first photo assignment for esquire magazine in 1958 must have been his own personal everest. Theres no place better to conclude black history month than in the black mecca harlem, n. Even when the photograph in question involves some of the greatest jazz musicians. One day on a whim i tried amazon which i have never used in my 52 years. The story behind the iconic a great day in harlem photo.
This photo was taken by the late art kane and has had multiple documentaries. Jean bachs 1994 film, a great day in harlem is one of the best documentaries about jazz music. The story and sounds behind the most famous photo in the history of jazz. The golden age of jazz the golden agefour giants january, 1959. A great day in harlem 1994 not rated 1h documentary, music 24 february 1995 usa art kane, now deceased, coordinated a group photograph of all the top jazz musicians in nyc in the year 1958, for a piece in esquire magazine. Oct 20, 2017 this is a radio interview i conducted in 1995 with jean bach who directed the 1994 film, a great day in harlem, nominated in 1995 for an academy award for documentary feature.
Yes, the once mostly africanamerican section of the city has gentrified a whole foods is currently being constructed but there are still historical and. Kanes first assignment was the photo shoot that became the basis for a great day in harlem. I wanted to find out who each person on the photo is, which was what prompted me to create this interactive version. Pictured essays jeanne moreau february, 1960 by art. Click on the musicians in the photo to see who is who. Even when the photograph in question involves some of the greatest jazz musicians who ever lived, building a film around a static subject like a photograph is not an easy task. The documentary compiles interviews of all the top jazz musicians in nyc in the year 1958, for a piece in esquire magazine. The whole audacious idea was conceived by a man who none of the musicians knew, 33yearold art kane, who had made a name for himself as a magazine art director but whose passion was photography.
The academy of motion picture arts and sciences has had its share of problems relating to documentaries in the past few years, which makes its recent decision to scrap the documentaryshort categorycausing more films to compete for fewer nominationsall the more ponderous. A great day in harlem jean bach, the oscarnominated maker of a great day in harlem, passed away last may at the age of 94. Dec 07, 2011 new york city circa 1958, for the jazz aficionado, was the place to be. A great day in harlem 1994 a great day in harlem 1994.
Jazz docu a great day in harlem art kane 1958 full youtube. Art kane, now deceased, coordinated a group photograph of all the top jazz musicians in nyc in the year 1958, for a piece in esquire magazine. Narrated by quincy jones, a great day in harlem masterfully recalls what was most likely the reatest assembly of jazz musicians ever at one place. It is filled with anecdotes, history and clips of classic performances. In the 1960s and 70s, kane became known for his compelling photographic portraits of rock musicians, including bob dylan, janis joplin, jefferson airplane, and the. The documentary compiles interviews of all the top jazz musicians in nyc in the. Sep 10, 2010 nominated for a 1995 academy award, jean bachs a great day in harlem documented the gathering of 57 jazz greats on a harlem front stoop for an esquire magazine shoot in 1959. This is a radio interview i conducted in 1995 with jean bach who directed the 1994 film, a great day in harlem, nominated in 1995 for an academy award for documentary feature. Heaven for hep cats was that day in 1958 when young esquire magazine shutterbug art kane put out the word that he wanted all the great jazz performers in manhattan for a morning group portrait outside the west 125th street ny central railroad station. A builder has problems with his local council in getting supplies vital to complete his housing estate.
Nyc clubs boasted nightly performances by a collection of the greatest players in jazz history and that, combined with plans for esquire magazines 1959read more. The film was nominated in 1995 for an academy award for documentary feature. He was standing behind marian mcpartland in 1958 but not in 1996. Rent a great day in harlem the spitball story 1998 starring quincy jones and dizzy gillespie on dvd and bluray. Bach described how, upon the films release, a number of similar photographs employed the a great day in. A great day in harlem 1958 is a 1958 black and white group portrait of 57 jazz. Possibly no other artifact can confirm this statement with more clarity than photographer art kanes landmark portrait a great day in harlem nyc clubs boasted nightly performances by a collection of the greatest players in jazz history and that, combined with plans for esquire magazines 1959 annual jazz issue gave. May 11, 2020 in the 60minute film a great day in harlem, art kane, who was working at esquire magazine and was assigned to take a photograph for a cover story on jazz, tells the story of that amazing day. The film was nominated in 1995 for an academy award for. Harlem, new york city, around ten oclock in the morning, august 12 1958, on 126th street, between fifth and madison avenues photo. A great day in harlem cleveland international film.
The session itself is also detailed as jazz greats count basie, thelonious monk, charlie mingus, dizzy gillespie. Ever since i came across this photo in a bar somewhere, ive been fascinated by a great day in harlem, both in terms of the story behind it as well as the composition of the photo itself. The musicians in the photo represented the full spectrum of. This oscar nominated documentary chronicles a single event amongst jazz musicians. Esquire published the photo in its january 1959 issue. Jan 30, 2010 jean bach, a radio producer of new york, recounted the story behind it in her 1994 documentary film, a great day in harlem. The year was 1999, and noella cotto was just looking for a place in harlem to call her own. Jean bach does the seemingly impossible with a great day in harlem. A great day in harlem or harlem 1958 is a blackandwhite photograph of 57 jazz musicians in harlem, new york city. The musicians were gathered at 17 east 126th street between fifth and madison avenue. Nominated for a 1995 academy award, jean bachs a great day in harlem documented the gathering of 57 jazz greats on a harlem front stoop for an esquire magazine shoot in 1959.
It also contains home movies and rare archival performance footage. A great day in harlem a great day in harlem 1994 film. A great day in harlem is a wonderful documentary about a seemingly hohum subject the taking of a photograph. A great day in harlem 1995 on a summer morning in 1958, photographer art kane assembled a remarkable array of leading jazz musicians in new york citys harlem neighborhood for a group picture. Just about every jazz musician at the time showed up for the photo shoot which took place in front of a brownstone near the 125th street. Pictured essays jeanne moreau february, 1960 by art kane. She used hintons home video as the basis for her hourlong documentary. Its a great day is a 1955 british comedy film directed by john warrington. A spinoff of the popular soap the grove family, the film stars ruth dunning as gladys grove, edward evans as bob grove, and sid james as harry mason. A documentary about a photograph taken in 1958 by art kane of the jazz greats of the period. Rent a great day in harlem the spitball story 1998 on dvd. Feb 25, 2014 a great day in harlem is a wonderful documentary about a seemingly hohum subject the taking of a photograph. Aug 25, 2011 narrated by quincy jones, a great day in harlem masterfully recalls what was most likely the reatest assembly of jazz musicians ever at one place. Move your cursor over the photograph to identify each musician then click for bio.
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