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William Claxton. Jazzlife
100
Take a jazz trip like no other with William Claxton and Joachim E. Berendt's legendary photographic journey across the concert halls, side streets, and big bands of 1960s America. From coast to coast, this tribute is a living, breathing, beating picture of the genre that enraptured America across social, economic, and racial lines.
Hardcover, 9.4 x 13.2 in., 8.27 lb, 600 pages
“Even in its new incarnation, Jazzlife remains a book unique in the jazz literature, and not only for its physical dimensions. Pore over its pages, and you're seeing jazz — and related music — practically everyone who mattered turns up in these pages.”

William Claxton. Jazzlife
100The sights and sounds of American jazz
Tracking jazz across the USA in the '60s
In 1960, photographer William Claxton and noted musicologist Joachim E. Berendt traveled the United States hot on the trail of jazz. Through music halls and marching bands, side streets and subways, they sought to document this living, breathing, beating musical phenomenon that enraptured America across social, economic, and racial lines.
The result of Claxton and Berendt’s collaboration was Jazzlife, much sought after by collectors and now revived in this fresh TASCHEN volume. From coast to coast, from unknown street performers to legends of the genre, this defining jazz journey explores just what made up this most original of American art forms. In New Orleans and New York, in St. Louis, Biloxi, Jackson, and beyond, Claxton’s rapturous yet tender images and accompanying texts examine jazz’s regional diversity as much as its pervasive vitality and soul. They show the music makers and the many spaces and people this music touched, from funeral parades to concert stages, from an elderly trumpet player to kids who hung from windows to catch a glimpse of a passing band.
With portraits of Charlie Parker, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Muddy Waters, Gabor Szabo, Dave Brubeck, Stan Getz, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, and many more, this is as much a compelling slice of history as it is a loving personal tribute.
The result of Claxton and Berendt’s collaboration was Jazzlife, much sought after by collectors and now revived in this fresh TASCHEN volume. From coast to coast, from unknown street performers to legends of the genre, this defining jazz journey explores just what made up this most original of American art forms. In New Orleans and New York, in St. Louis, Biloxi, Jackson, and beyond, Claxton’s rapturous yet tender images and accompanying texts examine jazz’s regional diversity as much as its pervasive vitality and soul. They show the music makers and the many spaces and people this music touched, from funeral parades to concert stages, from an elderly trumpet player to kids who hung from windows to catch a glimpse of a passing band.
With portraits of Charlie Parker, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Muddy Waters, Gabor Szabo, Dave Brubeck, Stan Getz, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, and many more, this is as much a compelling slice of history as it is a loving personal tribute.
The photographer
William Claxton (1927–2008) began his career shooting jazz record cover art and made his name with images of such leading musicians as Chet Baker, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, and Billie Holiday. His work was featured in Life, Paris Match, and Vogue and in galleries around the world.
The author
Joachim E. Berendt (1922–2000) was a journalist, author, founding member of South West German Radio (Südwestfunk), and a producer of more than 250 music records. His 1953 book Das Jazzbuch became the most successful history book on jazz worldwide. His vast collection of records, books, and jazz documents form the basis of the Jazzinstitut Darmstadt.
William Claxton. Jazzlife
Hardcover, 24 x 33.6 cm, 3.75 kg, 600 pagesISBN 978-3-8365-4293-7
Edition: Multilingual (English, French, German)Download product images here
5
Um monumento incontornável sobre o Jazz
February 2, 2022
Este é o livro que todos os amantes de Jazz vão querer ter. Verdadeiro monumento bibliográfico sobre o período clássico do Jazz, além do enorme valor documental, é uma perdição infindável para qualquer entusiasta, dos curiosos aos entendidos.Jazz Life
January 29, 2022
El libro es una joya para los lectores amantes del jazz, no solo por las fotografías, que de por sí son un documento etnográfico y sociológico del máximo interés, sino también por los textos que acompañan a las imágenes, esclarecedores del viaje al interior del mundo del jazz que narra este libro.Fantástico
November 3, 2021
Una colección de fotografías únicas que te hacen envidiar a su creador, por haber estado tan inmerso en el maravilloso mundo del jazz. Si te gusta el jazz, este es tu libro, su contenido por escrito también está a la altura.Jazzliebe
October 29, 2021
Auf jeden Fall ein Buch für Kenner und Liebhaber des Jazz. Ein Klassiker, der im Musikzimmer nicht fehlen darf.Gran colección de fotos de Jazz
October 29, 2021
El libro tiene una gran calidad de impresión y presenta excelentes fotografías de artistas conocidos y no tan conocidos de la edad dorada del Jazz. Muy recomendable.My favourite TASCHEN book so far!
October 28, 2021
This book make you travel in time and rediscover the history of Jazz through some of the most beautiful pictures I've seen from that time.