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Three Decades of Photography

Over 30 years of intimate access.

Veryl Oakland documented jazz's greatest artists from the inside –  in rehearsal, on stage, and quiet moments between.

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Jazz In Available Light, book cover — photography by Veryl Oakland, foreword by Quincy Jones

A Historical & Personal Book

The archive defined.

Nearly 350 photographs paired with intimate stories – and a Foreword by Quincy Jones. A definitive visual record of jazz's golden era.

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The Sun Ra Collection

A cosmic sound – Captured on film.

Veryl Oakland's rare documentation of Sun Ra and the Arkestra illuminates one of jazz's most revolutionary and visionary figures.

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Limited Edition Prints

Selected from nearly 80,000 negatives spanning the 1960s to 1980s, these rare, limited edition prints capture the artists who defined the era.

Dizzy Gillespie singing at Monterey Jazz Festival, 1975 — photograph by Veryl Oakland

DIZZY GILLESPIE

Herbie Hancock performing at UC Berkeley, 1975 — photograph by Veryl Oakland

HERBIE HANCOCK

Miles Davis in a blue suit at UC Berkeley Jazz Festival, 1967 — photograph by Veryl Oakland

MILES DAVIS

Sonny Rollins performing at Monterey Jazz Festival, 1972 — photograph by Veryl Oakland

SONNY ROLLINS

Sarah Vaughan performing at Monterey Jazz Festival, 1969 — photograph by Veryl Oakland

SARAH VAUGHAN

Thelonious Monk holding music up at Monterey Jazz Festival, 1969 — photograph by Veryl Oakland

THELONIOUS MONK

Duke Ellington laughing at Harrah's Club, 1967 — photograph by Veryl Oakland

DUKE ELLINGTON

Sun Ra with a Horus sculpture inside his home in Germantown, PA, 1980 — photograph by Veryl Oakland

SUN RA

Joni Mitchell in rehearsal at Playboy Jazz Festival, 1979 — photograph by Veryl Oakland

JONI MITCHELL

CHET BAKER

First Edition Signed by the Author

Get your autographed first edition of Veryl Oakland’s debut book Jazz in Available Light. Your purchase includes a custom box designed for the book, a personal note from the author, and a cardstock print of one of the author’s favorite shots.

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“...a truly invaluable work that features some of our most revered music icons, from their strongest to their most vulnerable states as human beings. The pictures and stories to follow, pierce the soul in a manner that can only be understood through a personal journey – one in which I urge you to embark on and discover for yourself as you read through the contents of this book.”

Quincy Jones

Press + Events

Sun Ra Day Festival

Veryl Oakland signed copies of his book at Alabama Booksmith and presented at Seasick Records about his time documenting Sun Ra and the Arkestra.

Afrofuturism at the Smithsonian

Select photographs were chosen for the Smithsonian exhibit Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures, and used in the accompanying publication.

PBS American Masters

The recent documentary, Sun Ra: Do the Impossible, includes photos and contact sheets from Veryl Oakland. Created by Firelight Films and now part of PBS American Masters, this film documents Ra's life and vision through rare archival footage.

Archiving the Collection

We completed digitizing 80,000 original negatives in hi-res. Many had been damaged by a 1990 flood and deemed lost – but archival recovery and professional retouching revealed that many were salvageable.

Use the slider below to see an example of a damaged negative restored.

Next: We're building a searchable database to make this archive accessible to publishers, researchers, and collectors worldwide.

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ABOUT THE ARCHIVE

Shop the Sun Ra Collection

Own a piece of jazz history. Limited edition prints and screenprinted statement tees featuring rare photographs from Veryl Oakland's archive.

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“Your book is absolutely stunning–the images, your text, your deep understanding and respect for the music and the musicians, and the gorgeous book design. Nothing I've seen in jazz books comes close….and I'm honored to be included.

Denny Zeitlin

Jazz pianist and composer

“...a distinctive photographer and understanding collaborator (who has made)...my work look so much better over the years.”

Len Lyons

Jazz critic and author of The Great Jazz Pianists