Jazz Legends playing cards

Jazz is a music genre which originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, USA, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Depicted here are 52 different jazz musicians – singers and instrumentalists – mainly from the 1950s and 1960s. All the photographs were taken by Sweden’s most famous jazz photographer, Bengt H. Malmqvist (1928-2008), who in his work succeeded in capturing the joy and intensity of effort involved in the creation and performance of jazz music. More information about the photographer can be found on the inner side of the box lid. Among the famous names included here are Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Count Basie and Ella Fitzgerald. The Jokers feature different instruments. See the box►

Above: Jazz Legends playing cards printed by Offason AB, Sweden, c.2007. 52 cards + 3 Jokers + 1 extra card in drop-lid box. Size: 63 x 84 mm.