Young and not so busy, I knocked on the club door one afternoon and asked to talk to the manager, Danny Bensusan I introduced myself as a photographer and neighbor, and, of course, as a jazz fan. Danny said I could come that night and take some pictures, then show him the results. I came back a few days later, after spending quite a few hours at 20/20—a rental darkroom at 20 West 20th street. I showed Danny the 11”x14” tinted blue prints I’d made. He just said, “You are un-officially the house photographer. Come and go as you will.”
For most of 1990 I would go to the club a few times a week. The staff got to know me, and so did some of the artists. I had the good fortune to shoot such jazz greats as Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard, Carmen McCrae, Herbie Hancock, Tito Puente, and Angela Bofill. Occasionally, a musician would hire me for a small fee to shoot an event like an award show at the club.
I remember being especially excited one night about seeing Sarah Vaughan perform. I came to the club a little early and found it full of commotion. Danny told me, to my surprise, that I wouldn’t be shooting that night. Later I learned that Sarah had arrived at the club, sat at the bar and had a few drinks, and then disappeared, leaving a full house waiting. She never came back to sing. Sarah Vaughan died later that year.
I have never really done anything with these images. At some point that year I started getting busy as a professional photographer and just kind of let go of this golden opportunity.
![Angela Bofill, 1990](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/70be8c7c46e65f2d0d056dfedb437c7d0643fcf29387495d64f115706c35473b/IR10_001_Angela_finala.jpg)
![Carmen McRae, 1990](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8691c736c931b6a014615f663a6723a70fb18b42d38860d8d6ee3f3ab63ea2b6/IR10_001_Carmen_final.jpg)
![Celia Cruz, 1990](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0b68e5dd38619d705b459232dd0d973235b339a0eed957efb9709775d15e24c1/IR10_001_celia_final.jpg)
![Angela Bofill,1990](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f875c2fdac3c3036b289b74cfb999130562200e2038056aeda44f30328b50da4/IR10_001_Angela_Bofill_8_14_fina-copy-copy.jpg)
![Oscar Peterson, 1990](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8f29a15b807dfd5688936d9cb3fc7a763c6f4d3bd4c458d2893e18c0e7762fbb/IR10_001F_Oscar_19_final_2013.jpg)
![Al's Drumset, 1990](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/21d19761ff9dac45c39df4d6f921313f105d923c7d9dcb1978519c97dbfc0869/IR10_001_drumset_final.jpg)
![Mic, 1990](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8851ae6736ee2077aab4e73f0ba5f77b1ee81cc00821efd85fae9c93c0031b80/IR10_001_mic_final.jpg)
![Al Hibbler, 1990](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8e4d2832e2b12c8d16f9948af1fcfb8c338c6e9574162343f7197b19a411b6a1/IR10_001_Al-hibbler_final.jpg)
![Dizzy Gillespie, 1990](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7f73a4c6391ef14426046ae3bb707e4fe96dfbd8d613df8f818a86a7200a58a9/IR10_001_Dizzi_horn_final.jpg)
![Dizzy Gillespie, 1990](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/26a0e3089d7d44434ff8c491622e145586db883147ba321dd02f75f94fd796de/IR10_001_Dizzy_final.jpg)
![Angela Bofill, 1990](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c5835c0a5814f6fb3045d9266ae1c00e41d5bda962bf8facfc0e3224aa41747c/IR10_001_Angela_Bofill_10_8_final.jpg)
![Tito Puente, 1990](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/20f021042491803457f0a7f4677cb1e1c32d1bc4cec43a88db90a387aa98851a/IR10_001F_tito_final.jpg)
![Freddie Hubbard, 1990](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ac39c776f3ee73ea7b55d1439ffb1ec3fa5823eb8b9cda7ac227f0ce2a00a094/IR10_001F_trumphet_final.jpg)
![Sunny, 1990](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3004429c43038dd3efa082befca47a24cda9ff30575b0abe980fe1f789640109/IR10_001F_Sunny_9B_final.jpg)
![Herbie Hancock, 1990](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c6b4797b87e6433f9cd3f0115bae7ae56b1c5cabb01693d9830de5f1af7e07ae/IR10_001_herbie_final.jpg)