by Ken Laster

There has always been a special bond between photography and jazz. Black and white images of Miles and Trane, iconic album covers and classic photographs taken in NYC clubs, are as connected to the jazz idiom as is the music itself. Even today photographers are a prominent part of the Hartford Jazz scene.

The film documentary, The Jazz Loft According to W. Eugene Smith, explores the work of this acclaimed photojournalist as he covered Japan during World War II for Life magazine and other well known pictures in his early career. However, the focus of this film is in the Jazz Loft, a run down building in the flower district in NYC during the late 50’s and early 60’s which became a practice and hangout spot for dozens of musicians like Zoot Sims, Bill Evans and Thelonious Monk. Eugene Smith took thousands of pictures and recorded thousands of hours of audio capturing the sights, sounds, and conversations both in and around the Loft.

Eugene Smith’s original photos and recordings, supplemented by current interviews, give this film an authentic view of the sights, sounds and scenes of New York City during the 50’s and 60’s. The Jazz Loft is a study of this eccentric photojournalist at work as well as a period piece about New York City and the jazz scene during the development of post-bop jazz.

You can watch this movie for free with your Amazon Prime subscription, or rent from most movie streaming sites (iTunes, Google Play, YouTube, Vudu)