Legendary jazz pianist, composer, and arranger Mary Lou Williams, born May 8, 1910 – a remarkable woman in a then-man’s world – in William Gottlieb’s portraits of jazz icons.

Billie Holiday, reconstructionist. 

Happy birthday, Sarah Vaughan! Celebrate with William Gottlieb’s iconic photos of jazz greats.

One August morning in 1958, photographer Art Kane decided to ask every notable jazz musician in New York City to show up in Harlem for a photo shoot at 10am. Despite the challenge of getting jazz musicians to show up anywhere at 10am, 57 musicians showed up. The result is this iconic photograph, which features such icons as Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Count Basie, Charles Mingus, and Mary Lou Williams. 

Complement with William Gottlieb’s timeless portraits of jazz legends, Herman Leonard’s rare photographs,  and the fantastic Jazz Loft Project. 

Brilliant! Designer Ty Mattson remixes Homeland with vintage jazz record covers.

This is brilliant: Miles Davis “improvising” on LCD Soundsystem, simply by playing two YouTube videos simultaneously.

(↬ Coudal)

A meta-celebration of Wynton Marsalis’s birthday today – the iconic jazz musician improvising on “Happy Birthday”

Thelonious Monk, who would’ve been 95 today, and his Town Hall band in rehearsal, February 1959.

William Gottlieb’s iconic portrait of jazz legend Thelonious Monk, who was born 95 years ago today. 

Happy birthday, jazz legend Charlie Parker! Celebrate with this timeless portrait by Herman Leonard.

41 years ago today, the world lost the great Louis Armstrong – remember him with William Gottlieb’s iconic photos of jazz icons.

Happy birthday, Miles Davis! The jazz legend would have been 85 today – celebrate with this minimalist illustrated portrait by artist Jorge Arevalo.

Mister, Billie Holiday’s dog, found in William Gottlieb’s iconic photos of jazz greats, 1938-1948.