Behind the Lens With Skip Bolen

Skip Bolen

Jazz Photographer in New Orleans...

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Behind the Lens With Skip Bolen

Published: April 25, 2012

Another story—I had just moved to Los Angeles, and there was a little club called the Jazz Photographers Association of Southern California run by jazz photographer Ray Avery. I contacted Ray and went to a meeting where soon after, Ray and I became friends. Early on while I was a new member, Ray organized a jazz photography show at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in downtown Los Angeles where I was invited to show my jazz photography—and I soon found my jazz photos hanging next to the photography of Ray Avery, Herman Leonard and Bill Claxton—you can only imagine how much of a thrill that was for me. Ray Avery's motto was "Stay up late and shoot straight!"—I miss Ray, Herman and Bill and always think of them. I have a ton of favorite jazz stories!