A Blog Supreme will be on vacation until after Labor Day. Until then, we are periodically leaving you with some photographs from The NPR Jazz Photography Pool, like the one below.
Photographer Ed Newman writes:
I am lucky enough to live across the street from Cleopatra's Needle. When the weather's fine and our windows are open to the breeze, we also get wafts of fine jazz from across the street. And when it sounds particularly fine, I grab my camera and go over to listen and maybe make some images. The night before this image was shot I ended up staying at the club's always excellent late night jam session 'til closing, 3:30 in the morning. The scene was beautiful — usually is. I resolved to go back Saturday night, Aug. 28. Paul Sikivie's trio was wrapping up their set of lovely hard bop, ballads and standards. The club has a beautiful baby grand piano, always perfectly in tune, resonant and highly polished — as you can see. Nice and unusual for a club that just asks you to buy a drink each set.
I got seated right down front, and along with the music, enjoyed the pianist [Aaron Diehl] and Paul's obvious pleasure they were taking in playing great jazz. I just took my camera from my side and took a half-dozen quick shots, making sure I kept the pianist's reflection and Paul framed. No flash, but none needed — the club is nicely lit and I don't like it anyway (it annoys musicians and other listeners and washes out the images). I love the meshed rhythms of piano, bass and drums: Done well, it's clean and smart, aethestically pleasing and intellectually stimulating. Cleopatra's Needle is as close in feel to the (just closed) Donna's Bar of New Orleans as I've found in New York. It's a real neighborhood jazz lovers' joint; you can just drop in and listen, and it's not too pricy or fussy. Everyone is friendly: The other listeners, the bartender, the staff and the musicians.
Here's the original, and a link to Ed Newman's Flickr photostream. Feel free to contribute your jazz shots to the NPR Jazz Flickr group.
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