$50.00

A first-of-its-kind publication, this book centers on a rarely seen series of jazz-infused collages by Romare Bearden, one of the twentieth century’s most important and influential visual artists. Through these works, Bearden explores the African American experience and his lifelong connection to jazz.

In 1981, Bearden created nineteen collages he referred to as his Paris Blues, or simply Jazz, series. Originally conceived as pages for an oversized book responding to the Hollywood film Paris Blues (1961), the series expands beyond Paris to include Harlem and New Orleans as central cultural landscapes. Long overlooked, these vivid works are examined here in depth for the first time.

Placed alongside Bearden’s encounters with legendary jazz musicians, clubs, and cities, the Paris Blues series offers a major statement on the relationship between visual art, jazz, and urban life. The publication also features evocative photographs of Bearden with musicians from the 1950s through the 1970s, including Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong.

– Excerpt from Rizzoli Books