“People are always referring to this or that ‘golden age.’ I was lucky to start photography in a time that was often called the ‘Golden Age of Jazz.’ I got to see and photograph Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Miles Davis, Billie Holiday and others…It was not only a golden age as far as the stars were concerned, it was a golden age for photographers. A dumb kid like myself could pay admission and shoot whatever I wanted. There was no security, no managers, and no PR people, just the jazz people themselves and the music. With rare exceptions, no one ever objected. It was a picnic. I will always be grateful for the listening and the joy of shooting these great people.” - Jay Maisel
(Seen pictured: Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Miles Davis, Ray Charles, Chet Baker, and Gerry Mulligan)
