Jean-Pierre Leloir, Silver Gelatin Print, The Rolling Stones, Paris , 1970

Jean-Pierre Leloir

French veteran photographer Jean-Pierre Leloir was one of the best, if not the best jazz photographer. His work appeared on thousands of record-sleeves, in hundreds of books, and is, untill this day, a guideline for many music-photographers.

"I loved the people I photographed, so I made myself as available, yet as discrete as possible," he said. "I never wanted to be a paparazzi. I wanted them to forget my presence so I could catch those little unexpected moments."

Leloir was decorated by the city of New Orleans for his jazz collection. Jean-Pierre was a friend of Herman Leonard. They met and cooperated in their respective countries. Jean-Pierre was made Chevalier de L'Ordre Des Arts et des Lettres and used the occasion to lecture the French minister of culture Frédéric Mitterrand about the rights of photographers in the digital age.

Born in Paris in 1931, Leloir was passionate about music from his early teens and started taking pictures as a 20-year-old. For publications like Jazz Magazine, L'Express and Le Nouvel Observateur, he photographed many of the jazz musicians who visited Paris or made the French capital their home in the 1950s and '60s, including Louis Armstrong, Chet Baker, Sydney Bechet, Art Blakey, Donald Byrd, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Charles Mingus and Lester Young.

He also documented the golden age of chanson and the "yéyé" era and shot memorable studio and concert photographs of Edith Piaf, Johnny Hallyday, and Yves Montand, among many others. He seemed to have a special empathy with visiting blues, rock and soul musicians from the US and the UK and photographed the likes of Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, John Lee Hooker, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones and Frank Zappa (Leloir's striking black and white portrait of the guitarist in 1976 is included in the Best of Zappa compilation Strictly Commercial). He also covered the Isle of Wight festival in 1969 and the Orange rock festival, a landmark event in France, in 1975.

The mustachioed Leloir smoked a pipe and had the phlegmatic demeanour of a British gentleman. He knew how to put his subjects at ease in the more formal environment of a studio, playing Vivaldi in the background to help them relax. "His moustache is so fascinating that you end up staring at it and forgetting all about the camera," Belgian singer Jacques Brel said of the photographer, who became a lifelong friend and took most of the pictures that adorned the covers of his records. The many books of Leloir's work include Brel Par Leloir (2008), Johnny Sixties, a collection of his Hallyday photos (2009), Instants De Grâce, Portraits de Jazz and Ella.

In the mid-1990s, Leloir lost the use of his right eye, which restricted his opportunities. Leloir mused about a life that had been full of such coincidences.

Jean-Pierre Leloir, photographer: born Paris 27 June 1931; died Paris 20 December 2010.

Jean-Pierre Leloir, Silver gelatine print, estate stamp, certificate, Place Vendome, la Tour Eiffel, Paris, — PLACE VENDOME, LA TOUR EIFFEL, PARIS

silver gelatine print, estate stamp, certificate

PLACE VENDOME, LA TOUR EIFFEL, PARIS

silver gelatine print, estate stamp, certificate

Jean-Pierre Leloir, Silver gelatine print, estate stamp, certificate, Place de la Victoire, 1952 — PLACE DE LA VICTOIRE

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PLACE DE LA VICTOIRE

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Jean-Pierre Leloir, Silver gelatine print, estate stamp, certificate, 14 Juillet, Mouy, Paris, 1958, 1958 — 14 JUILLET, MOUY, PARIS, 1958

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14 JUILLET, MOUY, PARIS, 1958

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Jean-Pierre Leloir, Silver gelatine print, estate stamp, certificate, Les Halles, Paris, 1957 — LES HALLES, PARIS

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LES HALLES, PARIS

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Jean-Pierre Leloir, Silver gelatine print, estate stamp, certificate, Reflection of the Notre Dame, Paris, 1951 — REFLECTION OF THE NOTRE DAME, PARIS

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REFLECTION OF THE NOTRE DAME, PARIS

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Jean-Pierre Leloir, Silver gelatine print, estate stamp, certificate, La Seine, fishermen, Paris, 1955 — LA SEINE, FISHERMEN, PARIS

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LA SEINE, FISHERMEN, PARIS

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Jean-Pierre Leloir, Silver gelatine print, estate stamp, certificate, Bouquiniste on the Seine, Paris, 1951 — BOUQUINISTE ON THE SEINE, PARIS

silver gelatine print, estate stamp, certificate

BOUQUINISTE ON THE SEINE, PARIS

silver gelatine print, estate stamp, certificate

Jean-Pierre Leloir, Silver Gelatin Print, estate stamp, with certificate, Miles Davis, Olympia Theatre, Paris,1957, — MILES DAVIS, OLYMPIA THEATRE, PARIS,1957

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MILES DAVIS, OLYMPIA THEATRE, PARIS,1957

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Jean-Pierre Leloir, Silver Gelatin Print, estate stamp, with certificate, Miles Davis, Salle Pleyel, Paris 1956, — MILES DAVIS, SALLE PLEYEL, PARIS 1956

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MILES DAVIS, SALLE PLEYEL, PARIS 1956

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Jean-Pierre Leloir, Silver Gelatin Print, estate stamp, with certificate, Billie Holiday, Salle Pleyel, Paris, 1954, — BILLIE HOLIDAY, SALLE PLEYEL, PARIS, 1954

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BILLIE HOLIDAY, SALLE PLEYEL, PARIS, 1954

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Jean-Pierre Leloir, Silver Gelatin Print, open edition, stamped, comes with certificate, Billie Holiday, Club Mars Paris, 1958, 1958 — BILLIE HOLIDAY, CLUB MARS PARIS, 1958

Silver Gelatin Print, open edition, stamped, comes with certificate
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BILLIE HOLIDAY, CLUB MARS PARIS, 1958

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Jean-Pierre Leloir, Silver Gelatin Print, Frank Zappa Berlin, 1968, — FRANK ZAPPA BERLIN, 1968

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FRANK ZAPPA BERLIN, 1968

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Jean-Pierre Leloir, Silver Gelatin Print, Billie Holiday, Paris 1958, 1958 — BILLIE HOLIDAY, PARIS 1958

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BILLIE HOLIDAY, PARIS 1958

Silver Gelatin Print

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Jean-Pierre Leloir, Silver Gelatin Print, estate stamp, with certificate, Miles Davis, Kenny Clarke, 1956 — MILES DAVIS, KENNY CLARKE

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MILES DAVIS, KENNY CLARKE

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Jean-Pierre Leloir, Silver Gelatin Print, estate stamp, with certificate, Miles Davis, Salle Pleyel, Paris, 1956 — MILES DAVIS, SALLE PLEYEL, PARIS

Silver Gelatin Print, estate stamp, with certificate
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MILES DAVIS, SALLE PLEYEL, PARIS

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Jean-Pierre Leloir, Fine art digital print, estate stamp, with certificate, Lou Reed, 1974 — LOU REED

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LOU REED

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Jean-Pierre Leloir, Silver Gelatin Print, estate stamp, with certificate, Lou Reed, Paris 1975, — LOU REED, PARIS 1975

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LOU REED, PARIS 1975

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Jean-Pierre Leloir, Fine art digital print, estate stamp, with certificate, Pink Floyd, Paris, 1974, — PINK FLOYD, PARIS, 1974

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PINK FLOYD, PARIS, 1974

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Jean-Pierre Leloir, Fine art digital print, estate stamp, with certificate, Jimi Hendrix, Paris 1967, — JIMI HENDRIX, PARIS 1967

Fine art digital print, estate stamp, with certificate
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JIMI HENDRIX, PARIS 1967

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Jean-Pierre Leloir, Silver Gelatin Print, estate stamp, with certificate, Jimi Hendrix, Paris 1966, — JIMI HENDRIX, PARIS 1966

Silver Gelatin Print, estate stamp, with certificate
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JIMI HENDRIX, PARIS 1966

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Jean-Pierre Leloir, Silver Gelatin Print, estate stamp, with certificate, Nina Simone, Antibes 1969, — NINA SIMONE, ANTIBES 1969

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NINA SIMONE, ANTIBES 1969

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Jean-Pierre Leloir, Silver Gelatin Print, estate stamp, with certificate, Lee Morgan, Champs Elysees, Paris 1959, — LEE MORGAN, CHAMPS ELYSEES, PARIS 1959

Silver Gelatin Print, estate stamp, with certificate
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LEE MORGAN, CHAMPS ELYSEES, PARIS 1959

Silver Gelatin Print, estate stamp, with certificate

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Jean-Pierre Leloir, Silver Gelatin Print, estate stamp, with certificate, Miles Davis, Antibes, 1969 — MILES DAVIS, ANTIBES

Silver Gelatin Print, estate stamp, with certificate
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MILES DAVIS, ANTIBES

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Jean-Pierre Leloir, Silver gelatine print, estate stamp, certificate, Ella Fitgerald, 1956 — ELLA FITGERALD

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ELLA FITGERALD

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Jean-Pierre Leloir, Silver gelatine print, estate stamp, certificate, Bob Dylan with Francoise Hardy, Paris, 1966 — BOB DYLAN WITH FRANCOISE HARDY, PARIS

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BOB DYLAN WITH FRANCOISE HARDY, PARIS

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Jean-Pierre Leloir, Fine art digital print, estate stamp, certificate, Bob Dylan, Paris, 1966 — BOB DYLAN, PARIS

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BOB DYLAN, PARIS

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Jean-Pierre Leloir, Silver gelatine print, estate stamp, certificate, Bob Dylan, Paris, 1966 — BOB DYLAN, PARIS

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BOB DYLAN, PARIS

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Jean-Pierre Leloir, Fine art digital print, estate stamp, certificate, Jimi Hendrix, Isle of Wight, 1968 — JIMI HENDRIX, ISLE OF WIGHT

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JIMI HENDRIX, ISLE OF WIGHT

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Jean-Pierre Leloir, Fine art digital print, Bob Marley, Jamaica, — BOB MARLEY, JAMAICA

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BOB MARLEY, JAMAICA

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Jean-Pierre Leloir, Silver gelatine print, estate stamp, certificate, Quincy Jones & Sarah Vaughan, 1958 — QUINCY JONES & SARAH VAUGHAN

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QUINCY JONES & SARAH VAUGHAN

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Jean-Pierre Leloir, Silver gelatine print, estate stamp, certificate, Herbie Hancock, Antibes, 1963 — HERBIE HANCOCK, ANTIBES

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HERBIE HANCOCK, ANTIBES

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Jean-Pierre Leloir, Fine art digital print, Bob Marley, Jamaica 1979, — BOB MARLEY, JAMAICA 1979

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BOB MARLEY, JAMAICA 1979

Fine art digital print

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Jean-Pierre Leloir, Silver Gelatin Print, estate stamp, with certificate, Jimi Hendrix, Olympia 1967, — JIMI HENDRIX, OLYMPIA 1967

Silver Gelatin Print, estate stamp, with certificate
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JIMI HENDRIX, OLYMPIA 1967

Silver Gelatin Print, estate stamp, with certificate

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Jean-Pierre Leloir, Silver Gelatin Print, estate stamp, with certificate, Theoloneous Monk, Olympia, Paris 1961, — THEOLONEOUS MONK, OLYMPIA, PARIS 1961

Silver Gelatin Print, estate stamp, with certificate
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THEOLONEOUS MONK, OLYMPIA, PARIS 1961

Silver Gelatin Print, estate stamp, with certificate

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Jean-Pierre Leloir, Silver Gelatin Print, The Rolling Stones, Paris , 1970 — THE ROLLING STONES, PARIS

Silver Gelatin Print
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THE ROLLING STONES, PARIS

Silver Gelatin Print

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