Herb Robinson, Miles Davis at the Vanguard, 1961

Herb Robinson: I snuck in, and Miles was just coming off the bandstand. 

Narrator: Herb Robinson describes his encounter with Miles Davis at the Village Vanguard.

Herb Robinson: Miles was just leaving the bandstand and on the way back to the kitchen or kitchenette. And I followed him, so I was right on his heels, practically. This is all instinct, you know, even though it was 1961, even then I was intimidated because Miles was a giant, but also Miles was a boxer. So here I’m a kid shadowing him.

There was one light in the hallway and there was no shade on the bulb. And Miles turned, you know, felt somebody literally on his heels, he turned and as he turned then—instinct, I didn’t set it up. It was improvisational where I clicked the shutter.

Narrator: The photograph abstracts Davis, capturing a feeling of the musician rather than replicating his features. For Robinson, this distinction is important—part of why the image is art, and not journalism. He took the picture before joining Kamoinge. He’s said it’s one of the photographs that led to his acceptance into the group, which had dauntingly high standards for membership.