All-Star Jazz: The Photographs of Herman Leonard

Often credited with creating the visual archetype of the jazz musician, Herman Leonard photographed his subjects during performances, rehearsals, recording sessions and backstage gatherings to create a visual diary of post-war jazz. He had no idea that his images of jazz musicians would someday be considered documents of historic significance, cataloging the development of one of America's greatest art forms. All-Star Jazz presents some of Leonard’s finest photographs and offers an intimate view of countless jazz legends and the nocturnal world in which they thrived. This exhibition is drawn primarily from the collection of the Akron Art Museum, which owns a marvelous cross-section of Leonard's work thanks to generous gifts of photographs from Eric Alterman, Robin Krasny and George Stephanopoulos. In addition, work from a private Akron collection will be included.