The 168-page hardback volume Art Kane: Harlem 1958 marks the 60th anniversary of one of the most celebrated images in pop culture.
The photograph, A Great Day in Harlem taken by renowned photographer Art Kane, depicts 57 jazz musicians gathered outside a typical brownstone building in New York. The now iconic image was Kane’s first assignment as a professional photographer for Esquire magazine and has since become a key object in the study of jazz history. Esquire published the photo in its January 1959 Golden Age of Jazz special issue, along with a series of Art Kane portraits of other jazz greats including Aretha Franklin.
The book provides a visual history of the image including previously unreleased pictures from the shoot that took place that day. It also includes original text by Art Kane, forewords by Quincy Jones, saxophonist Benny Golson (who appears in the photo) and an introduction by Kane’s son, musician and photographer Jonathan Kane.
The launch of the book will be accompanied by a series of events and exhibitions early next year in New York, Los Angeles, London and Italy.
Art Kane: Harlem 1958 will be released in November 2018 by Wall of Sound Editions