Jazz Day
The Making of a Famous Photograph
Age 8+
Picture Books
“A memorable ode to a time and place, a celebration of music that was both hot and cool, and an endearing snapshot of the men and women who wrote, played, and sang jazz.” — Booklist (starred review)
What happens when you invite as many jazz musicians as you can to pose for a photo in 1950s Harlem? In a captivating collection of poems, Roxane Orgill steps into the frame of Harlem 1958, bringing to life the musicians’ mischief and quirks, their memorable style, and the vivacious atmosphere of a Harlem block full of kids on a hot summer’s day. Francis Vallejo’s vibrant, detailed, and wonderfully expressive paintings do loving justice to the larger-than-life quality of jazz musicians of the era. Includes bios of several of the fifty-seven musicians, an author’s note, source notes, a bibliography, and a foldout of Art Kane’s famous photograph.
Creators
Roxane Orgill is an award-winning writer on music and the author of Skit-Scat Raggedy Cat: Ella Fitzgerald and Footwork: The Story of Fred and Adele Astaire. She lives in Dobbs Ferry, New York.
Francis Vallejo is an assistant professor of illustration at the College for Creative Studies. This is his first book. He lives in Detroit.
