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A Great Day in Harlem: The story behind the iconic jazz photo

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Witness History: A Great Day in Harlem: The story behind the iconic jazz photo

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13/06/2023 GMT

BBC World Service - Witness History, A Great Day in Harlem: The story behind the iconic jazz photo

In 1958, aspiring photographer Art Kane captured 57 jazz legends in one immortal image

In 1958, aspiring photographer Art Kane captured 57 jazz legends in one immortal image.

It's 65 years since aspiring photographer Art Kane persuaded 58 of the biggest names in jazz, including Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonious Monk to line up for a photo outside a townhouse in Harlem.

The resulting photo officially called Harlem 58 became known as 'A Great Day in Harlem' and appeared in Esquire magazine's Golden Age of Jazz edition. 

But making it wasn't easy. Jonathan Kane, Art Kane's son, tells Vicky Farncombe the obstacles his late father had to overcome to create the iconic image.

(Photo: Harlem 58. Credit: Art Kane)

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