Last year Hank O’Neal published a book titled “The Ghosts of Harlem”.  O’Neal has led quite an interesting life, from a career as an agent for the Central Intelligence Agency, to a photographer, music producer and now, a well known author.  This variety of endeavours has provided him with a plethora of life experiences to draw upon.  Some may claim that it is O’Neal’s capabilities as a special agent that allowed him the ability to walk into the night clubs of Harlem and pull stories from the musicians and the patrons.

But those who know him, know of his love of jazz music, and his easy going temperament.  This alone is what prompted the musicians of the hot spots, those in playing the lounges of the best hotels Manhattan has to offer, and those in the blues and jazz clubs throughout the city, to open up to O’Neal.  The personal stories and accounts of forty-two musicians, willing to tell these tales to O’Neal, make up the body of his book and compose an incredible history of the music that not only inspired a neighborhood, but a city, a country, and the rest of the world.

O’Neal took many photographs of the musicians, along with the recording of their stories.  He spoke with them about music, about the racial tension of the times, and the sadness when the music scene of Harlem began to fade away.  The book comes with a CD of the archived recordings of the Chiaroscuro Record company, and the music of seventeen influential musicians is on that CD of “ghosts”.  Milt Hinton, Dizzy Gillespie, Cab Calloway and Illinois Jacquet, are just a few of the artists that are captured forever, even though they are now long gone.

These are “ghost stories” of Manhattan, not in usually sense of the words, but in that the book contains the memories of those who are now, long gone.  A group of stories of some of the most influential musicians of all time, that not only continue to influence the young musicians of today, but tell the tale of an entire city, within a city…that of the Jazz Age of Harlem in the city of New York.

No related posts.

best hotels Manhattan · Cab Calloway · Jazz Age of Harlem

No comments yet.

<< Wear Sunblock while visiting New York

The Swan Boats of Boston >>