Photographer John Osler’s new book Detroit Jazz documents the legacy of local jazz philanthropist Gretchen Valade through a series of pictures taken at Valade’s Dirty Dog Jazz Café in Grosse Pointe Farms, and at the Detroit Jazz Festival. Osler has a great eye, the ability to capture a musician mid-feeling. Everybody and their dogs think that they can be a concert photographer, because they once took a cool pic of their buddy’s band. In fact, it’s an art form that demands respect because, when done well, the results can be as stunning as those presented here. Musicians like Tia Fuller, Thornetta Davis, Ralphe Armstrong, Sonny Rollins and the late, great Johnnie Bassett are presented in warm, glossy black-and-white, in all their glory. Bassett, in particular, is pictured with his trademark dry smile. “Detroit is a proud city, a city deservedly proud of its music and its ethos of hard work,” Osler says. “Detroit remains a place to stay for so many first-class artists. I am proud to have spent time in their company.”
View a slideshow of images from the book here.
