Ron Hudson, Right Down Front (Jazzpress). A master of the moment, Hudson makes portraits of musicians in the act of creation. His cover shot of Milt Jackson –eyes closed, one hand grasping his vibes mallets, the other raised in affirmation– illustrates the spirit of the book’s title. His photographs define personalities as varied as those of Maynard Ferguson, Jon Hendricks, Elvin Jones, Ingrid Jensen, Carmen McRae, Ray Charles and a hundred or so others. I’ve never seen a better illustration than Hudson’s of Ray Brown’s power of concentration.
Doug Ramsey on Jazz and other matters...
