Art Exhibits

The Photographs of Giovanni Piesco: Art Farmer and Benny Golson

Beginning in 1990, the noted photographer Giovanni Piesco began taking backstage photographs of many of the great musicians who played in Amsterdam’s Bimhuis, that city’s main jazz venue which is considered one of the finest in the world. Jerry Jazz Musician will occasionally publish portraits of jazz musicians that Giovanni has taken over the years. This edition features the May 10, 1996 photos of the tenor saxophonist, composer and arranger Benny Golson, and the February 13, 1997 photos of trumpet and flugelhorn player Art Farmer.

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June 6th, 2025

The Photographs of Giovanni Piesco: Joe Lovano

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March 19th, 2025

The Photographs of Giovanni Piesco: Reggie Workman, Steve Swallow, and Joseph Jarman

Beginning in 1990, the noted photographer Giovanni Piesco began taking backstage photographs of many of the great musicians who played in Amsterdam’s Bimhuis, that city’s main jazz venue which is considered one of the finest in the world. Jerry Jazz Musician will occasionally publish portraits of jazz musicians that Giovanni has taken over the years. This edition features 1999 photographs of the bassists Reggie Workman and Steve Swallow, and the multi-instrumentalist Joseph Jarman.

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January 22nd, 2025

The Photographs of Giovanni Piesco: Johnny Griffin and Von Freeman

Beginning in 1990, the noted photographer Giovanni Piesco began taking backstage photographs of many of the great musicians who played in Amsterdam’s Bimhuis, that city’s main jazz venue which is considered one of the finest in the world. Jerry Jazz Musician will occasionally publish portraits of jazz musicians that Giovanni has taken over the years. This edition is of saxophonists Johnny Griffin and Von Freeman, who appeared together at the at Bimhuis on June 25/26, 1999.

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November 7th, 2024

The Photographs of Giovanni Piesco: Leroy Jenkins

Beginning in 1990, the noted photographer Giovanni Piesco began taking backstage photographs of many of the great musicians who played in Amsterdam’s Bimhuis, that city’s main jazz venue which is considered one of the finest in the world. Jerry Jazz Musician will occasionally publish portraits of jazz musicians that Giovanni has taken over the years. This edition is of the eminent free jazz violinist Leroy Jenkins, taken at Bimhuis in 1999.

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August 13th, 2024

The Photographs of Giovanni Piesco: Archie Shepp

Beginning in 1990, the noted photographer Giovanni Piesco began taking backstage photographs of many of the great musicians who played in Amsterdam’s Bimhuis, that city’s main jazz venue which is considered one of the finest in the world. Jerry Jazz Musician will occasionally publish portraits of jazz musicians that Giovanni has taken over the years. This edition is of the saxophonist Archie Shepp, taken at Bimhuis in 2001.

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May 30th, 2024

The Photographs of Giovanni Piesco: Arthur Blythe

Beginning in 1990, the noted photographer Giovanni Piesco began taking backstage photographs of many of the great musicians who played in Amsterdam’s Bimhuis, that city’s main jazz venue which is considered one of the finest in the world. Jerry Jazz Musician will occasionally publish portraits of jazz musicians that Giovanni has taken over the years. This edition is of the saxophonist Arthur Blythe and his trio, taken on the evening of June 24, 1999.

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October 6th, 2023

Veryl Oakland’s “Jazz in Available Light” — photos (and stories) of John McLaughlin and Carlos Santana

In this edition, the jazz photographer Veryl Oakland’s photographs and stories feature John McLaughlin and Carlos Santana

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June 10th, 2022

Veryl Oakland’s “Jazz in Available Light” — photos (and stories) of Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Quincy Jones and ‘Toots’ Thielemans

Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Quincy Jones and Toots Thielemans are featured in this edition of photographs and stories from Veryl Oakland’s book

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February 26th, 2022

Veryl Oakland’s “Jazz in Available Light” — photos (and stories) of Sarah Vaughan and Betty Carter

In this edition, Veryl Oakland’s photographs and stories feature the singers Sarah Vaughan and Betty Carter

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November 29th, 2021

Veryl Oakland’s “Jazz in Available Light” — “Keeping Jazz Alive in the Desert”…Monk Montgomery and the jazz musicians of Las Vegas

In this edition, “Keeping Jazz Alive in the Desert,” Mr. Oakland’s photographs and stories focus on Monk Montgomery’s efforts to bring jazz to Las Vegas, and the notable jazz musicians who played in that city

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August 12th, 2021

Veryl Oakland’s “Jazz in Available Light” — photos (and stories) of drummers Buddy Rich, Louie Bellson/Tony Williams, and Shelly Manne

In this edition, Mr. Oakland’s photographs and stories feature drummers Jo Buddy Rich, Louie Bellson/Tony Williams and Shelly Manne in “A Succession of Battery Mates, Part 2”

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April 19th, 2021

Veryl Oakland’s “Jazz in Available Light” — photos (and stories) of drummers Jo Jones, Art Blakey and Elvin Jones

In this edition, Mr. Oakland’s photographs and stories feature drummers Jo Jones, Art Blakey and Elvin Jones.

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February 12th, 2021

Gift Idea: Veryl Oakland’s Jazz in Available Light — a special offer to readers of Jerry Jazz Musician

Gift offer on Veryl Oakland’s book Jazz in Available Light, one of the most impressive jazz photography books to be published in a long time.

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December 8th, 2020

Veryl Oakland’s “Jazz in Available Light” — photos (and stories) of Mal Waldron, Jackie McLean and Joe Henderson

In this edition, Mr. Oakland’s photographs and stories feature Mal Waldron, Jackie McLean and Joe Henderson

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November 18th, 2019

Veryl Oakland’s “Jazz in Available Light” — photos (and stories) of Art Pepper, Joe Williams, and Pat Martino

Jerry Jazz Musician regularly publishes a series of posts featuring excerpts of the photography and stories/captions found in Jazz in Available Light by Veryl Oakland. In this edition, Mr. Oakland’s photographs and stories feature Art Pepper, Pat Martino and Joe Williams.

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July 6th, 2019

Veryl Oakland’s “Jazz in Available Light” — photos (and stories) of Stan Getz, Sun Ra, and Carla Bley

Jerry Jazz Musician regularly publishes a series of posts featuring excerpts of the photography and stories/captions found in Jazz in Available Light by Veryl Oakland. In this edition, Mr. Oakland’s photographs and stories feature Stan Getz, Sun Ra, and Carla Bley.

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May 5th, 2019

“Cover Stories with Paul Morris,” Vol. 24

In this edition, Paul writes about jazz album covers that offer glimpses into intriguing corners of the 1950’s culture

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February 20th, 2019

“Cover Stories with Paul Morris,” Vol. 23

In this edition, Paul writes about the album art of classical label Westminster Records

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January 31st, 2019

“Cover Stories with Paul Morris,” Vol. 22

Paul Morris is a graphic designer and writer who collects album art of the 1940’s and 1950’s. He finds his examples of influential mid-century design in the used record stores of Portland, Oregon.

In this edition, Paul features album covers of his favorite pop singers of the 1950’s

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July 29th, 2017

“Cover Stories with Paul Morris,” Vol. 21

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In this edition, Paul features samples of Alex Steinweiss album covers, created during the early 1940’s, at the beginning of his career

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April 26th, 2017

“Cover Stories with Paul Morris,” Vol. 20

In this edition, Paul features examples of vintage kitsch on several themes

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September 6th, 2016

Cover Stories with Paul Morris, Vol. 19

In this edition, Paul features choice selections from Decca Records

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August 9th, 2016

Cover Stories with Paul Morris, Vol. 18

Paul Morris is a graphic designer and writer who collects album art of the 1940’s and 1950’s. He finds his examples of influential mid-century design in the used record stores of Portland, Oregon. In this edition, Paul writes about album covers picturing designer furniture

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July 8th, 2016

Cover Stories with Paul Morris, Vol. 17

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May 21st, 2016

Cover Stories with Paul Morris, Vol. 16

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February 26th, 2016

Cover Stories with Paul Morris, Vol. 15

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December 29th, 2015

Cover Stories with Paul Morris, Vol. 14

August 20th, 2015

Cover Stories with Paul Morris, Vol. 13

May 9th, 2015

Cover Stories with Paul Morris, Vol. 12

April 1st, 2015

Shopping for vinyl in Northeast Portland

“Cover Stories with Paul Morris” is a popular feature found on Jerry Jazz Musician that looks at the serious art – and serious comedy – of vintage album cover art. Paul is a dear friend of mine and fellow Portland resident who happens to be a music scholar and album cover collector. In most cases, it is not the music he seeks, it is the work of the artist who created the design.

Yesterday was a pretty typical late March Portland day – cool, gray and drizzly with an occasional dose of sunshine. It was “jacket weather” but no umbrella was necessary. It was a great day to hit a few record stores, of which there are many in this amazing town. Portland has more record stores (predominantly selling vinyl) than any other

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March 26th, 2015

Cover Stories with Paul Morris, Vol. 11

February 11th, 2015

Cover Stories with Paul Morris, Vol. 10

December 18th, 2014

Cover Stories with Paul Morris, Vol. 9

This edition features a selection of RCA Victor album covers from Paul’s collection

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November 1st, 2014

Cover Stories with Paul Morris, Vol. 8

Paul Morris is a graphic designer and writer who collects album art of the 1940’s and 1950’s. He finds his examples of influential mid-century design in the used record stores of Portland, Oregon. This humorous edition features a “disturbing” and fascinating trend in 1950’s album art — Records on the Floor!

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August 20th, 2014

The Negro League baseball photographs of Charles “Teenie” Harris — A Photo Exhibit

In 2004, I had the privilege of interviewing Neil Lanctot, whose history of baseball’s Negro Leagues entitled Negro League Baseball: The Rise and Ruin of a Black Institution had just been published.

While preparing for the interview, the work of the noted Pittsburgh Courier photographer Charles “Teenie” Harris came to my attention. Among his many contributions to America’s archives are his photographs of the Negro Leagues, taken during the League’s pre-war and wartime era, mostly in Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field, where the Pittsburgh Crawfords played many of their games.

With baseball’s All Star Game scheduled for Tuesday evening in Minneapolis, it feels like a good time to revisit some baseball (and American) history, and there is no better way than to view some of Harris’ amazing work.

With grateful appreciation to Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Museum of Art — who granted us permission to use these historic images — we present a photo gallery of rarely seen Harris photos,

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July 13th, 2014

Cover Stories with Paul Morris, Vol. 7

This edition features Alex Steinweiss album covers from his prime period — the late 1940’s and early 1950’s.

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July 6th, 2014

Jazz: Through the Life and Lens of Milt Hinton — A Photo Exhibit

As a jazz musician for seven decades, and as a chronicler of its intellectual and spiritual development through his fascinating, award-winning photography, Milt Hinton acts as an essential connecting point for the music and its associated culture. Hinton played bass alongside iconic figures like Cab Calloway, Dizzy Gillespie, and Louis Armstrong, and, as a photographer, brought these men and a host of others into focus as musicians, artists, and vital contributors to twentieth-century American life.

With the generous consent of David G. Berger and Holly Maxson, who along with Milt Hinton co-authored Playing the Changes: Milt Hinton’s Life in Stories and Photographs, Jerry Jazz Musician presents a photo exhibit, “Jazz: Through the Life and Lens of Milt Hinton.”

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May 9th, 2014

Cover Stories with Paul Morris, Vol. 6

This edition features teenagers of the 1950’s enjoying their music!

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April 9th, 2014

Cover Stories with Paul Morris, Vol. 5

In this edition, Paul returns to the work of Alex Steinweiss, when he used the pseudonym “Piedra Blanca.”

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March 6th, 2014

Cover Stories with Paul Morris, Vol. 4

In this edition, Paul invites readers to revisit the 1950s with images of fans holding and enjoying their albums.

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January 24th, 2014

Cover Stories with Paul Morris, Vol. 3

In this edition, Paul features jazz illustrations from the early years of the record album

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December 22nd, 2013

Cover Stories with Paul Morris, Vol. 2

In this edition, Paul focuses on the art of Columbia

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November 11th, 2013

Cover Stories with Paul Morris, Vol. 1

Album covers: to those who grew up in the vinyl era, the images printed on the sleeves of LPs were closely linked in our imaginations with the music they represented. The iconic covers of the ’60s – Sgt. Pepper, The Band at Big Pink, Cheap Thrills drawn by R. Crumb – put an enduring visual stamp on the pop culture of the time.

This art form has a relatively short history – only in the ’40s were 78 rpm album covers routinely decorated with art.

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October 8th, 2013

Coming Soon: Cover Stories with Paul Morris

Fans of album cover art are in for a unique and entertaining experience — “Cover Story with Paul Morris” will debut on Jerry Jazz Musician on Tuesday, October 8. Morris is an avid Portland, Oregon collector who, in his words, will “share his enthusiasm for the artists who created album covers in the ‘40s and ‘50s.”

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October 6th, 2013

Kansas City Jazz: A Pictorial Tour

In cooperation with Frank Driggs and Chuck Haddix, authors of Kansas City Jazz: From Ragtime to Bebop — a look at the fascinating historyof Kansas City’s golden age through book excerpts, photos and music

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April 15th, 2013

Paul Desmond: A Life Told in Pictures, Music and Memories

Doug Ramsey’s biography of saxophonist Paul Desmond is a lavish, detailedwork of art, filled with photographs, letters, and memories of a complexand frequently inspiring life. “Paul Desmond: A Life Told in Pictures,Music and Memories,” a Jerry Jazz Musician production published in cooperation with Ramsey and Parkside Publications, features photographs and excerpts from the book, as well as sound samples of Desmond’s music.

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April 6th, 2013

Historic Harlem Tour

Although it only encompasses about six square miles, the New York City neighborhood of Harlem has played a central role in the development of American culture. Originally rural farmland, then an affluent suburb, since 1911 Harlemhas been predominantly an African American community. Its residents havehad a disproportionately large impact on all aspects of American culture,leaving their mark on literature, art, comedy, dance, theater, music, sports, religion and politics.

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March 18th, 2013

The Art of Romare Bearden

Romare Bearden (1911 – 1988) was one of America’s great artistic innovators,blazing his own trail in a time of turbulent cultural change. Whilehis work offers an invaluable view of mid-twentieth-century African-Americanexperience, it has also come to occupy a significant place in the wider historyof American art and speaks to the universal concerns of artists everywhere.

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February 10th, 2013