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Great Day in Harlem (by Art Kane for Esquire)

Sixty years ago this month, Esquire Magazine released its issue featuring what would become an iconic photo: 58 legendary jazz musicians gathered in front of a Harlem townhouse. Now, a new book reveals the story behind the historic image called “A Great Day In Harlem.”

Benny Golson is one of the great tenor sax players, a composer of jazz standards like “Killer Joe.” Golson was also a member of the elite group of musicians who gathered on that Harlem doorstep in 1958.

“I remember it like it was 24 hours ago,” Golson said about that day. “I remember everything about it.”

Golson, who’ll be 90 next week, had just moved to New York City to join Dizzy Gillespie’s band when he was invited to a photo shoot at 17 East 126th St. He didn’t know what he was in for. He was stunned.

“All my heroes and then I say to myself, ‘What am I doing here?'” Golson said. “Nobody knew who the heck Benny Golson was.”

Fifty-eight musicians showed up and the big picture would capture the giants of jazz: Count Basie sitting on the curb, and Dizzy Gillespie with Roy Eldridge, Thelonius Monk, Charles Mingus, Gerry Mulligan, Gene Krupa, Coleman Hawkins and Sonny Rollins.

Golson described the group as “the cream of the crop.” He is one of two surviving musicians from the photograph and the only one still performing.

Jonathan Kane’s father, Art Kane, was a hotshot young art director in 1958. He pitched the idea of the picture to Esquire Magazine for its “Golden Age of Jazz” issue.

Go here to read the whole story:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/a-great-day-in-harlem-remembering-the-iconic-1958-photograph-of-legendary-musicians/

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