Author(s): Richard Havers

Entertainment

The jazz, that 'elixir of American life', the one pure American art form, that is presented on the CD will confirm Francoise Sagan's view. There's some supremely nonchalant playing, but you will also hear jazz that's intense and smooth, hot and cool, fast and slow; there's great singing, and there's also passion and soul. In fact all kinds of jazz are here. William Gottlieb's brilliant photography brings to life the post-war world of smoky, dimly-lit New York City clubs where they played every known form of jazz. His fabulous images are complemented by the music of the people whose pictures he took; reading about the lives and careers of these jazz greats is best done against the music they created.