Gerald Cyrus
Stormy Monday
Harlem's 1990s Jazz Scene
2 May - 21 June 2008
"The photos [the Stormy Monday series] were taken during the 1990s when I lived in Harlem and frequented many of the bars, clubs and lounges there that featured live music. These neighborhood joints were places where musicians came to jam and hone their skills, while patrons came to have a few drinks, enjoy the music and hang out with old friends. The most popular bar at the time was St. Nick's Pub, and the most active night was Mondays, the night when musicians were typically off from their paying gigs and can play where and what they want (hence the title of this series which is also an old T-Bone Walker song).
Without having to pay a cover charge and just a few bucks for some drinks, a person could hang until sometimes three or four in the morning listening to some of New York's best musicians, and who knew when a legend like Max Road, David Murray or Hamlet Bluiett might walk through the door. One of the most prominent features of these clubs (as distinguished from their downtown counterparts) was the communal atmosphere that permeated the rooms and blurred the line between performers and audience." -- Gerald Cyrus
Leica Gallery in New York
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