Jay Maisel, the renowned American photographer whose images have become iconic in the worlds of jazz, advertising, and art, died on August 20 at his home in Brooklyn. He was 95. His daughter, Amanda Maisel, confirmed that cancer was the cause of death.
Maisel’s most widely recognized photograph captures jazz legend Miles Davis performing at the Apollo Theater, an image that graced the cover of Davis’s seminal 1959 album “Kind of Blue.” The photograph, notable for its dark, moody lighting and blurred motion, was taken early in Maisel’s career as a color photographer and remains a hallmark of his extensive body of work. Columbia Records later contacted Maisel for images of Davis to use on the album, which is frequently cited as one of the greatest jazz recordings.
Throughout his prolific career, Maisel developed a reputation for his distinctive style that emphasized the interplay of light and shadow. His work spans a wide array of subjects, from coal miners illuminated solely by their headlamps deep underground, to urban street scenes, to evocative portraits of cultural figures, including covers for albums by Harry Belafonte, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, and Count Basie. His photographs appeared in magazines such as New York and Sports Illustrated, including five Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue covers.
Maisel’s dedication to his craft was evident in his philosophy on photography, which he articulated in his 2015 book “Light Gesture & Color.” He believed drama and emotion in a photograph existed as much in the shadows as in the light. A charismatic figure, Maisel was known for his Brooklyn accent, cigar habit, and vast collections of objects—ranging from antique tools to mannequin parts—which he incorporated into his creative process and living space.
Born on January 18, 1931, Maisel grew up in Brooklyn and pursued fine arts, studying graphic design, painting, and architecture at Cooper Union and Yale University. At Yale, he studied under painter Josef Albers and collaborated with engineer and philosopher R. Buckminster Fuller. Although trained as a painter, Maisel ultimately chose photography as his primary medium.
In 1966, he purchased an abandoned 19th-century bank building on the Bowery in Manhattan, which he converted into a sprawling 35,000-square-foot studio and home filled with not only his archives—estimated to include about four million photographs—but also a gallery, basketball court, and workshop. He lived and worked there for nearly five decades before selling the property in 2015 for $55 million, a transaction that was the focus of the 2018 documentary “Jay Myself,” directed by Stephen Wilkes.
After selling the Bowery building, Maisel moved to a townhouse in Brooklyn in a record-setting residential sale. He ceased commercial work in 1995, citing changes in the industry, and devoted his later years to teaching and personal projects. His family includes his wife, Linda (Adam) Maisel, and his daughter Amanda. Former marriages to Sarah Linder and Suzanne Housman ended in divorce.
Maisel’s work earned considerable recognition, including the 1987 Infinity Award from the International Center of Photography and induction into the Art Directors Club Hall of Fame in 1995. His visual legacy continues to influence photographers and artists drawn to his rich use of color, shadow, and composition.