Photographic Memory

"Claxon in arguably the best jazz photographer in the world. But his work goes beyond jazz; it encompasses the human condition and spirit." —Vanity Fair Many of William Claxton's photographs of American jazz musicians have become the iconic images by which we remember them—a young Chet Baker lying on his back in the studio, trumpet in hand; Bill Evans and Ray Charles at their pianos; a sparkling Sarah Vaughan; a somber Miles Davis; and countless more. Less well known is the fact that since the early 1950s, Claxton has also photographed scores of actors, directors, writers, artists, singers, and entertainers from outside the world of jazz.