How often do we see the image of free jazz musicians being used to sell something else than their own records ?
Vintage Selmer ads from the back covers of early 70's French jazz magazines. No music in this post, just those nice pictures from another time !
P.
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5 comments:
Thanks, P. It's fascinating to think that back then, this photo was indeed a successful marketing effort by saxophone makers. Those were the days. Who would today's saxophone makers choose? Kenny G?
Remember that one of Henry Threadgill and Dewar's whisky?
THANKS P. fantastic photos!!
Fascinating! I heard of those ads Selmer placed in various US jazz publications (like Jazz magazine) in the '60 and '70s where they used names of free jazz saxophone players to market their saxophones. Often if not always without the saxophone player's knowledge or permission and no payment for using his name. For instance, in 1966 Archie Shepp came across one of those advertisements in which Selmer Company had used his name. He had just pawned his saxophone, as he had found himself with no musical or other employment at the time, which was NORMAL for a free jazz musician in America. He thought that perhaps Selmer Company would provide him with the saxophone in exchange for the privilege of featuring him in it's ads. Selmer's reply was that they never give instruments to musicians! I bet their reply wouldn't be the same were they approached by a well known white soloist of a symphonic orchestra. Would they use his name without his permission and then dare to refuse him an instrument? Impossible.
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