Buddy DeFranco, Gene Wright and Art Blakey performing circa 1953 (photo by William Claxton)

Sonny Clark backstage in Los Angeles circa 1953 (photo by William Claxton)

J.J. Johnson - Lover Man (1953)

Penguin Guide to Jazz editors Richard Cook and Brian Morton called J.J. Johnson’s first volume “one of the central documents of post-war jazz.”

Kenny Drew Trio - Yesterdays (1953)

Deep cuts from the Blue Note vault.

atane:

Jimmy Heath and J.J. Johnson

Photo by Francis Wolff

From The Eminent J.J. Johnson Vol. 1 session, WOR Studios NYC, June 22 1953

Tal Farlow during the Gil Melle Quintet session, Hackensack NJ, January 31 1953 (photo by Francis Wolff)

Chet Baker after a recording session in Los Angeles CA, 1953 (photo by Bob Willoughby)

Gerry Mulligan directing a recording session, Los Angeles CA, 1953 (photo by Bob Willoughby)

J.J. Johnson and Clifford Brown during a rehearsal for Johnson’s The Eminent J. J. Johnson session of June 22 1953 (photo by Francis Wolff)

Quincy Jones, Charlie Rouse and Gigi Gryce during the Clifford Brown Sextet session, Audio-Video Studios NYC, August 28 1953 (photo by Francis Wolff)

Percy Heath, Elmo Hope and Philly Joe Jones during the Elmo Hope Trio session, Hackensack NJ, June 18 1953 (photo by Francis Wolff)

Clifford Brown and Gigi Gryce during rehearsal for Brown’s Sextet session, August 28, 1953 NYC (photo by Francis Wolff)

Thelonious Monk jamming with (left to right) Charles Mingus, Roy Haynes, and Charlie Parker at the Open Door in Greenwich Village NYC, September 1953

Miles Davis and Percy Heath during Davis’s All Stars session, WOR Studios NYC, April 20, 1953 (photo by Francis Wolff)