JazzLives - Jaap van de Klomp

JazzLives  by Jaap van de Klomp

Hardcover; 223 pages size 32,5 x 25 cm ISBN: 9789022993538 A.W. Bruna Publishing Shipping in Europe (basic) € 9,62 More Pictures

Journey to unmapped places Photographer Jaap van de Klomp takes us on quite a trip. He has criss-crossed the US and also made significant stops in Europe to photograph the graves of legendary jazz musicians. What do these images, which artfully but simply show us the size, position, texture and immediate surroundings of each stone or monument, reveal about the artists resting beneath them? The answer varies widely and often tells us more about the relatives or friends who chose them than of the subjects, who after all mostly had no say in the matter. As you will see, the graves fall into categories. Those most alike in design are the ones located in military cemeteries, and there are quite a few of those. There are sturdy and simply designed graves. It is a pleasure to see Duke Ellington`s simple but elegant stone or Ben Webster`s beautiful natural rock, with just his name and dates. Of course, the graves of the far too many great jazz folk who died too young are touching. The sad ones are the overgrown and neglected and even marker-less graves, like those of Bud Powell, Serge Chaloff and Grant Green. Jazz lives is a unique photo book. Through the photographs and the biographies of Scott Yanow, jazz critic and journalist, it tells the story of the life and death of the greatest jazz musicians the world has ever known. `Sometimes grand, sometimes strange, sometimes sad, often moving and always interesting` - From the foreword by Dan Morgenstern, Director of the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University

Reviews:

Jaap van de Klomp: The Dutch Master of Jazz

By Nick Catalano

Published: August 31, 2008

Perhaps the greatest irony in jazz music is that it so often more appreciated by listeners outside of America—its country of origin. Countless times in this column and other writings, I have analyzed this phenomenon by referencing performances, musicians, CD sales, and foreign publications but have never satisfactorily accounted for the response that non-Americans have for the music while masses in the U.S. are largely apathetic.
Moreover, very often, aliens contribute important additions to the ongoing jazz chronicle that continually astound and amaze. Such a contribution arrives this month—a magnificent tome JazzLives by Jaap van de Klomp.
Jaap, who hails from Utrecht in The Netherlands, is the classic example of the non-American who grasps the aesthetic essence of jazz and is compelled to spend a large part of his life campaigning for the music. Born in 1940, Jaap was involved in a Utrecht jazz club in the 50`s and worked with Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, Johnny Griffin, Donald Byrd, Kenny Drew, Kenny Clarke and others during their European stints in the 60`s. He helped organize the 1966 appearance of Misha Mengleberg (Holland`s best known jazz artist) at the Newport Jazz Festival. He works as a photographer and, in 1999, published One Night Stand—a book with photos from the jazz concerts given at the legendary Concertgebouw hall in Amsterdam.
JazzLives reveals Jaap`s reverence for musicians in a unique way. Years ago, with the help of grants from the Dutch government and other institutions, Jaap started journeying to America searching for and photographing the burial sites and monuments of as many jazz artists as he could find. His knowledge of the final whereabouts of some of the most important figures in the music quickly became definitive and JazzLives is the result of his glorious odyssey. In addition to the spectacular photos of the tombstones and sites, Jaap has included other photos accompanied by Scott Yanow essays. The book is educative (how many know that Scott Joplin is buried in St. Michael`s cemetery in Queens, New York or that Joe "King" Oliver is buried in the Woodlawn cemetery in the Bronx) a unique tribute to the jazz greats cited and a great gift idea for anyone who loves the music.

Jazz Lives: Till We Shall Meet and Never Part

By Todd S. Jenkins

Published: March 31, 2009

Now and then a book comes along that defies all expectations. Jazz Lives, a collaboration between Dutch photographer Jaap van de Klomp and American jazz writer Scott Yanow, is just such a volume. Given its structure—short biographies of deceased jazz artists, combined with photos of their gravesites—you might be expecting some morbid joke. This is hardly the case. Jazz Lives is a truly beautiful, compelling look at the men and women who shaped jazz as we know it.
To fulfill his vision for the book, van de Klomp traveled the globe, hunting down the final resting places of major jazz icons. In an introductory essay he details some of the trials and triumphs of this fascinating journey. The photos tell remarkable stories themselves, especially as compared with one another. They lead us to consider the different circumstances that tinged the musicians` lives: saxophonist Illinois Jacquet`s laser-etched portrait on his pristine black-marble headstone contrasts deeply with the bare patch of grass that is pianist Bud Powell`s unmarked grave. The photographer`s vision shines brightly throughout.
Many of the markers carry musical notes, instruments, or quotes that resonate with their histories; the book`s subtitle, Till We Shall Meet and Never Part, was taken from saxophonist Lester Young`s monument. Aging photos mounted on guitarist Django Reinhardt`s stone, a misspelling on singer Sarah Vaughan`s, the stark modernity of pianist Andrew Hill`s: many minute details keep leaping out at the reader. Other markers reveal unexpectedly little about the men and women that lie beneath. Wonderful archival images by Francis Wolff, William Gottlieb, Herman Leonard and other photographers are included in the chapter headings and each individual entry.
Scott Yanow`s biographies are concise, but just as quietly respectful of these legacies as van de Klomp`s photos. Yanow has done a fine job of distilling the musicians` lives and accomplishments into pristine half-page summaries. Bios are arranged by instrument instead of alphabetically, a good enough continuum to follow. Dan Morgenstern of Rutgers contributed the introduction, followed by an essay on the jazz life by bassist Bill Crow. Jazz Lives is a unique, profoundly interesting addition to the canon of volumes on the subject.