well i plan to run a full set of links to my old LATIMES stories somewhere on this blog, but in the meantime i’ve been going through a serious jazz revival over the holidays, playing a lot of monk and billie holiday and lester young in particular… it’s gotten me thinking about one of the truly coolest people i ever had the pleasure of knowing in roughly 20 years writing about artists of all kinds. (it’s a long tale, but my ’99 new times cover story on claxton, lost to the sands of time until a friend found it here and here, with wonderful pics, is the only story i’ve ever written that’s literally gotten me a job.)
re claxton, this recent appreciation is one i’m sentimental about… every time i drive toward la canada/flintridge, and see the sun on the mountains, i think of clax, who grew up there and died (in beverly hills) late last year. it’s hard to think of chet baker, art pepper, steve mcqueen and others without seeing his images.
Photo credit: Flickr user 3