Jazz – Best Of The Apollo, Village Vanguard And Riverside Sessions

The book emerges from a vast, previously unreleased archive belonging to the late Steve Schapiro, who passed away in 2022 at the age of 87. While Schapiro would later gain international acclaim for his documentation of the American Civil Rights Movement and his work as a set photographer for cinematic masterpieces such as The Godfather and Taxi Driver, his early career was deeply rooted in the smoky, high-stakes environment of Manhattan’s jazz clubs and recording studios. This collection brings together 300 meticulously curated black-and-white photographs, many of which have remained unseen by the public for over six decades.

The Archival Discovery and Editorial Process

The genesis of this publication lies in the meticulous efforts of Schapiro’s estate following his death. His wife, Maura Smith, initiated the daunting task of sifting through thousands of negatives to identify the most culturally and artistically significant frames. This process eventually involved Richard Scheinen, a noted jazz historian and critic, who provided the necessary context to transform a collection of images into a structured historical narrative.

The editorial team faced the challenge of narrowing down an initial selection of over 1,000 images to the 300 that appear in the final volume. This selection was guided not only by the aesthetic quality of the photographs but also by their ability to convey the "behind-the-scenes" reality of the jazz world. The resulting book includes a foreword by the legendary saxophonist Sonny Rollins, who participated in the project’s final stages shortly before its completion. Rollins’ involvement lends the book an air of firsthand authenticity, as he was one of the primary subjects of Schapiro’s lens during the sessions documented.

Chronology of an Era: Jazz in the Early 1960s

The photographs contained within the volume primarily cover the years 1961 through 1964, a period of immense transition for jazz. This was a time when the hard bop of the 1950s was giving way to more experimental forms, and the recording industry was reaching a technical peak in high-fidelity monaural and early stereo sound.

The book focuses on three primary "nodes" of jazz activity:

The Apollo Theater: Representing the pinnacle of performance in Harlem, Schapiro’s photos here capture the energy of live entertainment and the cultural weight of the venue.
The Village Vanguard: As one of the world’s most famous jazz basements, the Vanguard sessions featured in the book highlight the intimacy and acoustic challenges of recording live in a small, crowded space.
Riverside Sessions: Riverside Records, led by producer Orrin Keepnews, was a powerhouse label during this era. Schapiro was granted unprecedented access to these studio sessions, capturing the intense concentration of musicians as they laid down tracks that would become quintessential standards.

By documenting these specific locations, Schapiro provided a roadmap of the industry’s infrastructure, from the public stage to the private laboratory of the recording booth.

Visual Narrative: Beyond the Performance

One of the most striking elements of the Schapiro collection is the departure from traditional performance photography. While the book includes "horn-in-mouth" shots that satisfy the conventional expectations of the genre, much of the work focuses on the human moments between takes.

A primary example of this is the coverage of Sonny Rollins. Schapiro’s lens captures Rollins not just as a "Saxophone Colossus," but as a man engaged in a physical and mental regimen. The book includes a series of photographs showing Rollins in a dressing room, interacting with bassist Paul Chambers. Unusually for a music book, the sequence documents Rollins engaging in weightlifting, with images showing him preparing to lift and then successfully hoisting a heavy barbell. These photographs provide a rare glimpse into the physical discipline Rollins maintained to support his demanding improvisational style.

Similarly, the book gives significant real estate to Bobby Timmons, the soulful pianist and composer behind "Moanin’." Despite being less of a household name than Miles Davis or John Coltrane, Timmons appears in ten different photographs, highlighting his photogenic nature and his ubiquity in the New York scene at the time.

A Who’s Who of Jazz Modernism

The roster of musicians documented in the book serves as a directory of jazz royalty. Schapiro’s portfolio includes:

Miles Davis: Captured during a period of stylistic shift, showing the intense, often guarded demeanor of the trumpeter.
Bill Evans: The introspective pianist is seen during his influential period at the Village Vanguard, where he redefined the piano trio format.
The Modern Jazz Quartet (MJQ): Photos emphasize the formal, chamber-music elegance the group brought to jazz.
Art Blakey: The powerhouse drummer is depicted in the midst of leading his Jazz Messengers, a veritable "university" for young talent.
The Vanguard of Modernism: Eric Dolphy, Wayne Shorter, and Gerry Mulligan are all represented, showcasing the breadth of the "modernist" category that dominated the early 60s.

The book also pays homage to the elder statesmen of the era, such as Count Basie, Coleman Hawkins, and Harry "Sweets" Edison, proving that the "old guard" remained a vital part of the recording ecosystem even as younger players pushed the boundaries of the form. Notably, the collection includes rare images of blues legend Ida Cox during her Riverside sessions, as well as nostalgic captures of traditionalists like Milt Hinton, Jimmy Archey, and Lil Hardin.

Technical Execution and Artistic Merit

From a technical standpoint, the book is a masterclass in black-and-white photography. Schapiro utilized the available light of the era—often harsh studio lamps or the dim ambient glow of nightclubs—to create high-contrast, sharp-focus images that emphasize texture and emotion. The grain of the film and the play of shadows across a brass instrument or a musician’s brow contribute to a sense of "noir" realism.

The layout of the book maximizes the impact of these images. Many photographs are afforded full-page spreads, allowing the viewer to inspect the fine details of the recording equipment, the fashion of the era, and the candid expressions of the subjects. Richard Scheinen’s commentary provides the necessary historical scaffolding, explaining who the musicians were, what they were recording at that moment, and why those specific sessions mattered to the trajectory of jazz history.

Broader Implications and Cultural Impact

The release of Jazz – Best Of The Apollo, Village Vanguard and Riverside Sessions is more than a mere retrospective; it is a vital act of cultural preservation. As the first-hand witnesses to the golden age of jazz continue to pass away—exemplified by the recent deaths of Schapiro himself and several of the musicians featured—the importance of high-quality photographic archives grows.

This volume provides several key contributions to the field:

Demystification of the Process: By showing musicians in repose, in rehearsal, and in physical training, the book strips away the "myth" of the effortless genius and replaces it with a portrait of hard-working professionals.
Archival Depth: The sheer volume of Schapiro’s archive suggests that this book may be only the beginning. If the publication finds commercial and critical success, it could pave the way for subsequent volumes that further explore the thousands of negatives still held by the estate.
Educational Value: For students of music and photography alike, the book serves as a primary source document. It illustrates the symbiotic relationship between the photographer and the performer, showing how visual media helped to "brand" the cool, intellectual aesthetic of 1960s jazz.

In conclusion, this collaboration between the late Steve Schapiro and Richard Scheinen stands as a definitive visual record of a transformative era. It successfully bridges the gap between art book and historical document, offering a heavy, tactile, and deeply immersive experience. For the jazz enthusiast, it is a gallery of legends; for the historian, it is a treasure trove of contextual data; and for the lover of photography, it is a testament to the power of the still image to capture the fleeting, rhythmic essence of a musical revolution. Through its 316 pages, the book ensures that the sights of the Apollo, the Vanguard, and the Riverside studios remain as vivid and sharp as the sounds that were created within them.