A true measure of success in life is possessing the knowledge that our presence has made a positive impact on the world, that our efforts have touched others, and that our work will continue to influence
and inspire future generations. One gentleman who has undoubtedly over achieved in all of these categories is William Gottlieb, a man labeled by Modern Photography as "the great jazz photographer."The photographs seen on these pages showcasing some of the greatest jazz artists of all time, in candid, thoughtful, and revealing shots, are the result of the inspiration and hard work of Gottlieb, whose work certainly stands as perhaps the greatest view of one of the brightest periods in American musical history and culture. Gottlieb was one of the first jazz photographers of his era to stray from rigidly posed portraiture and to shoot the musicians in action. The result is a stunning body of photographic work that not only provides us a visual of these important artists but also offers us a glimpse into who they were and what they were feeling.
The story of Gottlieb's work and success, is a testament to the values of hard work, determination, passion, and creative genius. Gottlieb photographed the jazz scene from 1939 to 1948, while working as a jazz critic for The Washington Post, and later for Down Beat magazine. Gottlieb became interested in jazz at the age of 19, when he was laid up in bed for an entire summer suffering from trichinosis poisoning from a badly cooked piece of pork served at his fraternity house. During his time recovering, Gottlieb's high-school chum, Doc Bartle, turned Gottlieb onto jazz by coming over every afternoon and playing jazz records for him from Bartle's own collection. It didn't take Gottlieb long to become a fan and by the time he recovered from his illness, he was hooked.
After his graduation from college in 1939, Gottlieb found work selling advertising for The Washington Post for $25 a week. While most young grads would be ecstatic to get their feet in the door at a major newspaper, Gottlieb was not satisfied with merely selling ads, and soon figured out a way to get more writing experience by "spreading the gospel of jazz." He convinced the editor to give him a weekly jazz column in the paper, for which he was paid an additional $10 a week.
At first, a staff photographer was assigned to accompany Gottlieb to the jazz clubs, but it was not long before the editor pulled the plug on the photographer, telling Gottlieb "kid, it's too expensive." Exhibiting his exuberance and dedication to get the job done right, Gottlieb, using his own money, purchased a Speed Graphic camera, the cumbersome cameras favored by photojournalists in those days. Gottlieb quickly taught himself how to use the clumsy camera, and was soon hauling it along with him on his assignments, snapping pictures of the greatest jazz performers as well as writing about them.
Because Gottlieb paid for the expensive film and flashbulbs out of his pocket, and was not paid extra for the photos he used, he was forced to shoot as few exposures per assignment as he could. Gottlieb calls all of this "a blessing" as the obstacles he faced helped him to learn quickly and enabled him to develop his style. "I knew the music, I knew the musicians, I knew in advance when the right moment would arrive. It was purposeful shooting," states Gottlieb. "My main goal was to take photos that would convey what I couldn't put into words," he adds.
Gottlieb's collection of Jazz Photos have been purchased by the US Library of Congress, to preserve this fine collection for posterity.
Visit the online collection of William P. Gottlieb for more great samples of his jazz photography and a preview of his book, The Golden age of Jazz at:
www.jazzphotos.com
