A Great Day in Harlem. No Guitar Player….

[equenda]

I think the guitar has an important role in the history of Jazz.
No one can think that Charlie Christian, Django Reinhardt, Wes Montgomery, John McLaughlin and so many jazz guitar greats have not contributed to the evolution of jazz.
The fact remains that in one of the most famous photos in the history of Jazz ...... a guitarist is missing.



Ettore Quenda.it - Jazz Guitar - Chitarra Jazz

[A. Kingstone]

Maybe one of those kids on the curb.

[John A.]

I think the guitar has an important role in the history of Jazz.
No one can think that Charlie Christian, Django Reinhardt, Wes Montgomery, John McLaughlin and so many jazz guitar greats have not contributed to the evolution of jazz.
The fact remains that in one of the most famous photos in the history of Jazz ...... a guitarist is missing.



Ettore Quenda.it - Jazz Guitar - Chitarra Jazz

The shot was just whoever happened to show up after a call was put out by the photographers. People who lived elsewhere, were on the road, had sessions that day, etc., none of them were in the shot. Also, consider that in 1958 there were not yet many guitar players at the top of the jazz world yet. Wes hadn't even released a record yet. Take it for what it is -- a beautiful snapshot showing multiple styles and generations of jazz together in a place central to jazz culture.

[Jimmy blue note]

I think the guitar has an important role in the history of Jazz.
No one can think that Charlie Christian, Django Reinhardt, Wes Montgomery, John McLaughlin and so many jazz guitar greats have not contributed to the evolution of jazz.
The fact remains that in one of the most famous photos in the history of Jazz ...... a guitarist is missing.



Ettore Quenda.it - Jazz Guitar - Chitarra Jazz

That's a community photo, a social gathering. Just about all of them came up through the Big Band finishing school. After that were small bebop ensembles. Throughout all of that, the standard ensemble was drums, bass, piano and horn soloist. Look at the vast majority of releases under blue note, Verve, Savoy, Dial... No guitarists.
That photo reflected the sound and community of Harlem musicians. Who was around playing guitar at the time? A lot of the guitarists we take for granted emerged in tandem with small ensembles, electric amplification that was not a given dynamic and close association with the studio scenes that allowed them to support themselves. Jim Hall, Herb Ellis, West Coast guitarists (of which there were more of than in NY at the time) created a different community. Sure they overlapped but who knows how many musicians missed out on this shoot because they were at home, buying groceries...or sleeping.
Great day in Harlem, but it was but a small slice of a scene that was located in Harlem. Many guitarists emerging in the scene at the time were white. Harlem was not their hood.

[Cunamara]

I think it is more who showed up rather than the position of guitarists at the time. By 1958 Tal Farlow, Jimmy Rainey, Chuck Wayne, Mundell Lowe, Johnny Smith, Sal Salvador, etc., were all prominent musicians in jazz and in New York at the time (well, Johnny Smith had moved to Colorado by then, if I recall correctly). They had albums as leaders on many of those labels that are mentioned. For the most part they were musicians in small ensembles, for the reasons already mentioned.

However, guitarists have rarely been at the forefront of new developments in jazz. Fusion and bossa nova, maybe. And Charlie Christian was one of the founding fathers of bebop; had he lived longer, that would probably be a better recognized contribution.

[mr. beaumont]

Actually, the photo was entitled "A Good Day In Harlem" until someone pointed out there were no guitarists present.

[ragman1]

Anyone else of note missing, apart from guitar players?

[equenda]

From Wikipedia:

"Notable absentees were Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane, and Miles Davis (all touring), Duke Ellington (in Milwaukee), Benny Goodman (in Los Angeles), and Ella Fitzgerald (recording in Chicago). Ruby Braff, Billie Holiday, and Ben Webster were also not present."

Ettore