Publisher Description

From 1985 to 2007, Hank O'Neal interviewed forty-two jazz legends who made music in Harlem during its heyday and decline. In their homes or immediate neighborhoods, he took their portraits with a large-format view camera and talked with them about what had been the best places to play, the interaction of the races, and why the Harlem scene had faded. For each 'session' with a jazz legend, O'Neal has supplemented the interview and portraits with many of his other photographs, historical photographs, and memorabilia. From the archives of Chiaroscuro Records, O'Neal has produced a CD that accompanies the book, which features seventeen of the 'ghosts' playing at the ends of their careers, between 1972 and 1996, including Cab Calloway, Milt Hinton, Doc Cheatham, Dizzy Gillespie, Buddy Tate, Eddie Barefield, and Illinois Jacquet.

Flap

This lush volume brings alive Harlem's dearly departed jazz scene--in the words, images, and music of 42 of the original musicians who haunted its clubs, studios, and jams. For each of the 'sessions' with a jazz legend, Hank O'Neal has supplemented the interview and portraits with many of his other photographs, historical photographs and memorabilia. From the archives of Chiaroscuro Records, O'Neal has also produced the accompanying CD, featuring sixteen of the 'ghosts', including Cab Calloway, Milt Hinton, and Dizzy Gillespie. This visually and aurally stunning collection is a treasure for jazz fans everywhere.

Author Biography

Hank O'Neal, President of Chiaroscuro Records and HOSS, Inc., has produced over two hundred jazz LPs and CDs and over one hundred music festivals. Books of his own photos include several jazz titles and Gay Day: The Golden Age of the Christopher Street Parade. He is also the author of several books on photographer Berenice Abbott.

Table of Contents

Introduction Discovering Lost Locations (1996 and 2007) A Guide to the Interviews Andy Kirk Benny Waters Greely Walton Tommy Benford Doc Cheatham Gene Prince Ovie Alston Eddie Durham Cab Calloway Benny Carter Lawrence Lucie Jonah Jones Sammy Price Johnny Williams Eddie Barefield Danny Barker Milt Hinton Sy Oliver Buck Clayton Bill Dillard Maxine Sullivan Franz Jackson Red Richards Erskine Hawkins Bobby Williams Buddy Tate Al Casey Harry Edison George Kelly Dizzy Gillespie Jimmy Hamilton J. C. Heard Panama Francis Sammy Lowe Joe Williams Al Cobbs Clark Terry Billy Taylor Illinois Jacquet Frank Wess Thelma Carpenter Major Holley The Survivors (Barefield, Calloway, Cheatham, Hinton) Photography Selected Discography Listening to the Ghosts of Harlem Acknowledgments Index

Review

The Ghosts of Harlem is a definitive work because at long last we're hearing forty-two important musicians tell us about their work in their own words. The illustrative photographs are amazing and Hank O'Neal's large format portraits are extraordinary. This is a book of historic significance and I recommend it to anyone interested in the development of Jazz in America. BRUCE LUNDVALL PRESIDENT & CEO, EMI JAZZ & CLASSICS ""The Ghosts of Harlem by Hank O'Neal records the history of Jazz in Harlem. It provides an indepth look at the music and the music makers in their own words. This is a must read for all those interested in Harlem's role in the development of jazz, whether they are aficionados or new fans."" ARTHUR H. BARNES CHAIRMAN, THE NATIONAL JAZZ MUSEUM IN HARLEM ""This wonderful book is a feast for the eyes and deep food for thought. Hank O'Neal's loving portraits, visual and verbal, capture the spirit and soul of the Harlem that once was. It will leave you wanting to hear - again or for the first time - the rich musical (and human) legacy it celebrates."" DAN MORGENSTERN DIRECTOR, INSTITUTE OF JAZZ STUDIES, RUTGERS UNIVERSITY

Review Quote

This is a must read for all those interested in Harlem's role in the development of jazz, whether they are aficionados or new fans. Arthur H. Barnes, Chairman, The National Jazz Museum in Harlem

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