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| Artist Intro |
"Saturday Night Jazz" |
| Artist name / Photographer |
Paul Hoeffler
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The Toronto based photographer Paul J Hoeffler has documented jazz musicians in the 1950s and early 1960s. In the first exhibition in Europe of these atmospheric and unique photographs, Hoeffler captures his performing heroes and heroines with warmth and honesty.
Hoeffler was encouraged by his teacher, Minor White at the Rochester Institute of Technology to do an assignment about jazz musicians. Nurtured by Louis Armstrong and the local club owner, this developed into a continuing passion.
As a youthful seventeen-year-old Paul felt natural and comfortable in the clubs; this is conveyed in relaxed and honest images. Here are the 'greats' having fun; Thelonious Monk surrounded by friends, Chet Baker practising backstage, Billie Holiday proudly presenting her Chihuahua, Nat King Cole looking pensive in his dressing room.
Hoeffler covers the era after Herman Leonard. The style of his photographs fall somewhere in-between Leonard's smokey staged clubs scenes and William Claxton's snatched moments.
As well as the famous names, the photographs show the audience whipped into action by the beat. Duke Ellington played for the dancers, he was an entertainer as much as an artist. The "Saturday Nite Dance Series" taken in 1958 explodes with movement - people dancing at the Roller Rink, Rochester to the sounds of Gloria Lynn and Sarah Vaughan.
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