Spanning over 80 glorious years, ‘The Spirit of Jazz’ captures the high energy of some of the most legendary performances in jazz history, from the sharp suits and instruments, right down to the last bead of sweat.  The show.includes a selection of rare and previously unseen images featuring some of the finest, most infamous jazz men and women performing at the peaks of their heady careers.

Jamie Cullum, who curated the exhibition and provided the quotations in the captions says: “I’ve been interested in all types of music from a young age, but it was jazz that really captured me and inspired me to perform and develop my own style. I was thrilled to be asked to curate this amazing exhibition, the images in it are jaw-dropping and for me really represent why I love jazz. The spirit, energy and sheer talent of some of my all-time heroes are captured across the show and their passion for the music is evident in each shot.”

About the prints

The images for this show were chosen from the archives of Getty Images and include the work of some of the era’s best loved photographers including Slim Aarons, David Redfern, Jurgen Schadeberg and Charles Hewitt.   Many of the images have never been exhibited before.