★ 01/04/2016
On Aug. 12, 1958, 57 jazz musicians—some legends like Thelonius Monk and Count Basie, some just starting out—gathered on a Harlem stoop for a photograph taken by Art Kane for Esquire magazine. In 21 poems, Orgill (Skit-Skat, Raggedy Cat) drifts between biographical sketches of the musicians, musings on the difficulty of wrangling them into a shot (“musicians/ don’t hear/ words of instruction/ only music”), poems about the neighborhood children present, and more. An alphabetical acrostic highlights what they wore (“Regimental/ Striped/ Ties/ Umbrella, unopened”), while “There’s a Hole in the Picture” contemplates the absence of Duke Ellington (Orgill even investigated where he actually was that day). When readers eventually open a foldout page to see the photograph, the moment is magic—alive with the presence and skill of the musicians, as well as the promise and potential of the children around them. Beyond being a glorious tribute to these jazz greats, the book is also a phenomenal debut for Vallejo, whose dynamic acrylic and pastel images bring readers into the heart of the action of a day like no other. Ages 8–12. Author’s agent: Susan Cohen, Writers House. (Mar.)
Jazz Day: The Making of a Famous Photograph
Narrated by Robin Miles
Roxane OrgillUnabridged — 58 minutes
Jazz Day: The Making of a Famous Photograph
Narrated by Robin Miles
Roxane OrgillUnabridged — 58 minutes
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Overview
Editorial Reviews
When readers eventually open a foldout page to see the photograph, the moment is magic—alive with the presence and skill of the musicians, as well as the promise and potential of the children around them. Beyond being a glorious tribute to these jazz greats, the book is also a phenomenal debut for Vallejo, whose dynamic acrylic and pastel images bring readers into the heart of the action of a day like no other.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Vallejo's acrylic-and-pastel paintings vividly capture the shoot's vignettes and the skittish excitement of neighborhood kids. Pulling details from a 1995 documentary film and other resources, Orgill and Vallejo offer a dynamic, multifaceted work that deftly juxtaposes biography with praise poem, information with imagination. Teachers, librarians, jazz-loving families: take note.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
A rich, unique, playful, and masterfully orchestrated work; Kane himself would undoubtedly be proud.
—School Library Journal (starred review)
The poems vary in form and mood from an alphabetical acrostic of clothing to a pantoum in the voice of the young and awestruck drummer Eddie Locke. The rhythms are contagious. Saxophonist Lester Young’s porkpie hat: “Roll the crown halfway down all around— / that’s called ‘busting it down.’ / Turn it over and poke out the pit just a bit, / ‘bringing the lid back home.’” The words take you back to the photo—reproduced here as a gatefold spread, and placed in the perfect dramatic spot—and the excellent list of sources leads you back to the music. An inspiring example of art that arises from the simple question, “What did you notice in the picture?”
—The Horn Book (starred review)
Orgill, who has written about jazz for adults (and Ella Fitzgerald for children) is here paired with artist Vallejo, a welcome newcomer to the world of picture books, and they offer 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. Kane’s photograph, “Harlem, 1958,” is here immortalized in Orgill’s poetry, which swings and sways, and Vallejo’s vibrant artwork, which captures not just the players but the mood on 126th Street where the photo shoot took place.
—Booklist (starred review)
Kids indifferent to jazz or photography will be swept up nonetheless in the novelty of the episode, the idiosyncrasies of the participants, and the shoulder-rubbing between the neighborhood kids and the adult celebs. Vallejo’s mixed-media illustrations are gems of freewheeling portraiture, drawing from the iconic photo itself and other film taken throughout the day. Orgill supplies biographical info on Art Kane and the musicians highlighted in her poems, and best of all, a double-page photo reproduction folds out at just the right moment from an asphalt black page with a single “‹ click.” Perfect.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)
Together Orgill and Vallejo have created a rich cultural history that while detailing the process of making the photograph — including the antics of those boys — honors the jazz artists who light up the image. The addition of musicians’ biographies, a valuable bibliography, and an elegant fold-out reproduction of the original photograph make “Jazz Day” both a celebration of an era and a valuable, vibrant resource, one that you should flip through with the volume turned up.
—The Boston Globe
Little did they know that the photograph — featuring 57 musicians and a group of neighborhood kids — would become legendary. Roxane Orgill’s dazzling Jazz Day: The Making of a Famous Photograph (Candlewick, Ages 7 – 11) tells how this celebrated image came to be...Francis Vallejo’s striking acrylic-and-pastel illustrations offer similarly unexpected perspectives on streetscapes, nattily dressed musicians and interested onlookers.
—The Washington Post
In lively verse “Jazz Day” tells the stories behind the making of a famous 1958 photograph of jazz legends.
—The Boston Globe
If you want a kid to get excited about music, this book is a terrific platform.
—San Francisco Classical Voice
The gorgeous acrylic and pastel art illustrations perfectly capture the joyful chaos of the event.
—Buffalo News
★ 08/01/2017
Gr 4–6—It was a hot August day in 1955 when Art Kane gathered jazz musicians for a photograph for Esquire magazine. He wasn't sure who, if anyone, would show up at the Harlem brownstone he'd chosen for his backdrop. He'd put out the word, and now he could only hold his two cameras and hope. The result was the iconic photograph—Harlem 1958—that features 57 jazz musicians of the time. Count Basie was there, as was Dizzy Gillespie and Willie "the Lion" Smith. In her picture book, author Roxane Orgill dives deep inside that photograph, creating vibrant poems about many of the attendees. In the video, four narrators, male and female, read the text and poetry, capturing its subtlety and rhythm. The poems are enhanced by a close examination of Francis Vallejo's acrylic and pastel paintings, which give homage to the era. In the read-along version, poems dance across the screen, sliding into place like a runner heading home. (Note: in "A Praise Poem for Art Kane," the word praise is misspelled.) When the DVD finally reveals the photograph itself, the reader already knows the players, and its stark beauty is breathtaking. The author includes short biographies for those celebrated in the poems (which includes Duke Ellington, who was not there). VERDICT This is a beautifully done program that will please jazz lovers and, hopefully, inspire a new generation to explore this important part of music history.—Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary, Federal Way, WA
12/01/2016
Gr 4 Up—Readers eavesdrop on the behind-the-scenes making of Art Kane's now-iconic photo, Harlem 1958, which featured many of the era's jazz greats. The warm, eye-popping acrylic and pastel illustrations are in harmony with the direct, evocative prose/poetry, which provides multiple perspectives, from the boys watching on the curb to pianist William "Count" Basie, pianist/composer Mary Lou Williams, and the well-dressed saxophonist Lester "Pres" Young. A wonderful snapshot of one specific place and time.
★ 2016-01-09
In 21 poems, Orgill introduces Art Kane's iconic 1958 Harlem photograph to young readers, spotlighting many of the 57 jazz musicians pictured. Orgill's introduction provides background. Kane, a rising graphic designer, had a big idea—gathering as many jazz musicians as possible, at the tender hour of 10 a.m., for an unpaid photo shoot on 126th Street. The inexperienced Kane borrowed cameras to accomplish his goal. Musicians arrived, socialized, laughed—ignoring Kane. Free verse evokes the scene: "camera guy's sweeping / jazzmen like bundles / toward number 17 / … / no one listens / musicians / don't hear / words of instruction / only music." Some poems riff on appearance—appropriate for this group of fastidious dressers. "How to Make a Porkpie Hat" provides instructions from Lester Young himself, then segues to the saxophonist's iconic sound, "soft as butter." Others muse on the day's events, both documented and imagined. The crowning glory: a gatefold reproduction of Kane's photograph; a key's provided for the musicians' identities. Vallejo's acrylic-and-pastel paintings vividly capture the shoot's vignettes and the skittish excitement of neighborhood kids. Pulling details from a 1995 documentary film and other resources, Orgill and Vallejo offer a dynamic, multifaceted work that deftly juxtaposes biography with praise poem, information with imagination. Teachers, librarians, jazz-loving families: take note. (author's note, thumbnail bios, note on the photograph's influence, source notes, bibliography) (Poetry. 8-13)
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940170703708 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Recorded Books, LLC |
| Publication date: | 01/27/2017 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
| Age Range: | 8 - 11 Years |
Videos
