“JAZZ AND BLUES AND BLUES AND JAZZ”By Val WilmerBritish photographer Val Wilmer had her earliest work published 50 years ago. She started the first women’s-only photo agency, campaigned for women’s and civil rights, and is one of Britain’s leading experts on jazz and blues. Over the years, Val has taken about a million amazing portraits of some of the world’s greatest musicians relaxing backstage.
These days, if you photograph bands, you have to apply to 12 different minders just to get 40 seconds with a rude prima donna. But back in a magic time called the 70s, as long as you were up for a drink and didn’t cause trouble, you could spend all evening playing cards with Muddy Waters.
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COUNT BASIE, HOLLAND, 1977
This is Count Basie in The Hague. He was the father of big-band jazz. I met him several times. They don’t make people like that anymore—he was so hospitable. He was welcoming and relaxed, just took his shirt off and kicked his shoes off, had a smoke.
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See all articles by this contributor Anonymous, on Aug 17, 2009 wrote:
scumnation says’ She can’t write. As regards her photos i have seen better on the same subject. Then again this is the standard of writing on Vice, that is why so many of us take the piss out of these so called writers. I can do much better myself but have never been asked and i would certainly not lower myself being an intern, just to get a job on Vice. My quality is there for all to see and i am worth the effort in being signed up. | | Anonymous, on Aug 17, 2009 wrote:
scumnation - there must be something wrong with you. this self promotion you are on about is an old photographer, showing photos, and giving short anecdotes to accompany them. can’t really see the problem. these photos are amazing. | | Anonymous, on Aug 5, 2009 wrote:
his stomach is gonna blow | | Anonymous, on Aug 5, 2009 wrote:
scumnation says"Val Wilmer? you may ask is a nobody that promotes herself as a sort of feminist and authority on jazz. Too bad she can’t write, photos are second rate otherwise we would have seen them before but give her her dues, she’s a great self publicist it was her who wrote this article. | | Anonymous, on Aug 4, 2009 wrote:
hanging out with muddy waters sounds amazing. where’s he? | | Anonymous, on Aug 4, 2009 wrote:
val wilmer? | | Anonymous, on Aug 3, 2009 wrote:
Arnett Cobb’s daughter is kind of a fox | | Anonymous, on Aug 3, 2009 wrote:
Count Basie is a little tooooo comfortable if you ask me | |
| rabies babies, on Aug 3, 2009 wrote:
when are we going to get back to this overdosing on patterns like in the old days? that shit was pimp as fuck. | | Anonymous, on Aug 3, 2009 wrote:
i would throw up if i smoked one third of that cigar | |
| captain cheesepuff, on Aug 3, 2009 wrote:
you people, i sweat. thinking count basie isn’t cool?
he’s probably the world’s only black vampire. that has to count for something! | | Anonymous, on Aug 3, 2009 wrote:
"Scumnation says ’Jazz then when the photos were taken is like jazz today well past its sell by date. Its like saying the bay city rollers are cool, only a small group of people are interested in it today."
Obviously you are not a fan of jazz if you think they are "past their sell-by date." Good music is timeless. Would pictures of the Beatles or the Clash be worthless to you too? | |
| Kirby Puckett, on Aug 3, 2009 wrote:
Photos like this are so much better than boring performance shots. Actually, performance shots are almost all very boring unless something is going on like live human sacrifice. | | Anonymous, on Aug 3, 2009 wrote:
I think of Duke everytime I ride the A train. | | Anonymous, on Aug 3, 2009 wrote:
Really? Count Basie? I thought Duke Ellington was the first legendary big band leader. | |
| | | Anonymous, on Aug 3, 2009 wrote:
No, that’s Basie. His looks changed quite a bit when he started gaining weight. | | Anonymous, on Jul 31, 2009 wrote:
louis is my hero! | | Anonymous, on Jul 31, 2009 wrote:
these guys are the baddest asses ever you know their voices are like gravel and they got some amazing stories to tell. | | Anonymous, on Jul 31, 2009 wrote:
Basie? I could have sworn that was Rufus Thomas. | | Anonymous, on Jul 30, 2009 wrote:
Even in a do-rag Louis Armstrong looks like a badass motherfucker. | | Anonymous, on Jul 30, 2009 wrote:
scumnation doesn’t like jazz. fuck it. his loss. | | Anonymous, on Jul 29, 2009 wrote:
Scumnation says" If you want to chill commit suicide and have your coffin put in the next grave to him." | | Anonymous, on Jul 28, 2009 wrote:
count basie chills real hard | |
| dangerboy, on Jul 28, 2009 wrote:
damn, i cant think of anything cooler than chillig with louie armstrong | | Anonymous, on Jul 28, 2009 wrote:
scumnation says" She can’t even write properly, starts each sentence with the same word, too much repetition and you say she is a writer. Going by her style of writing on her photographs I hate to think what her books are like." | | Anonymous, on Jul 28, 2009 wrote:
Scumnation says" If she’s top drawer as you say she is then why hasn’t most of us heard of her before. She is perhaps top drawer in feminist circles but who give a fuck about them and yes I am a top drawer cunt and proud of it. | | Anonymous, on Jul 28, 2009 wrote:
hi scumnation - whoever, or whatever you are. Contrary to your rather crass comments, had you even bothered to Google Val Wilmer, you would know that she is one of Britain’s leading experts on black history, soul, jazz, and is also an author on a load of books and articles and a regularly cited expert on the above subjects. i have no idea why you would want to make such unpleasant comments about a woman who has made her career from taking great photos and writing with authority on interesting subjects, but i can only assume you are a top drawer cunt. | | Anonymous, on Jul 28, 2009 wrote:
Scumnation says ’Jazz then when the photos were taken is like jazz today well past its sell by date. Its like saying the bay city rollers are cool, only a small group of people are interested in it today. The photos are nothing special lots of better one taken at the time and more memorable. This is on a par with all the unseen photos of the big rock stars of the day. They didn’t get used then for the simple reason, editors had better one from the same batch. | | Anonymous, on Jul 27, 2009 wrote:
i’m sorry but older black gentlemen are the coolest motherfuckers on earth. always have been. always will be. | | | Next 30 comments > |
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