August 1961 or March 1962 | Renaissance Club, Los Angeles, California

ARTIST CONTEXT

Art Blakey was a thunderous drummer, bandleader, and mentor whose Jazz Messengers became one of the most important training grounds in jazz. Generations of major musicians developed their voices under his leadership.

CHUCK STEWART / PHOTOGRAPH CONTEXT

“Musicians know only how they sound. They lose all self-consciousness of their physical expressiveness in order to concentrate on the music. They focus intently on the music in the same way I focus intently on the camera and its product.” — Chuck Stewart

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