Jazz in the Big Apple - 1940s

 

The history of jazz has seen many cities and many eras influence this great art form. But few cities and eras have had an effect on the music like New York City had on jazz in the 1940s.  During this time, the music changed: the orchestral, big band sound was replaced by the smaller combo sound, which was symbolized by the rise of bebop.

Legendary jazz photographer William Gottlieb captured this period in a series of evocative photos that are now featured on the Library of Congress website. These images are both in black and white and color, but they are all a time capsule of jazz in a period when it was at its most influential and creative. Here are some of the great -- and some of the most obscure -- artists and images featured in Gottlieb's series:

1. Cat Anderson

Trumpeter Cat Anderson plays at the Aquarium Night Club in New York City between 1946 and 1948. (Photo by William Gottlieb)

 

 

Cat Anderson was a well known trumpeter during the Swing Era. He was best known for his high register trumpet, which was featured most notably in Duke Ellington's Orchestra between 1944 and 1971. Anderson also played for Lionel Hampton and had his own band. He had an interesting back story, because he was raised in an orphanage in South Carolina and learned to play music there.

2. Henry "Red" Allen

Trumpeter Henry "Red" Allen performs in New York City between 1946 and 1948. (Photo by William Gottlieb)

 

Henry "Red" Allen was a Dixieland trumper who also could play modern. He was best known for his work with pioneering big band leader Fletcher Henderson, but he played with numerous other orchestras. In the 1950s and '60s, he was regularly featured at the Metropole Club in Manhattan.