Jazz Scene Stalwart Dan Kassell Shares Archived Video

Daniel Kassell, also known as Jazz Man Dan, has touched every virtual facet of the swing jazz world over the last 55 years. This journey began in the early 1960s when Kassell, then 19, was hipped by trombonist Peter “Buffalo” Balance to see a concert at Frank Wallace’s High Tavern in Orange, NJ. Performing that evening was another New Jersey local who was a relative unknown at the time—Stride Pianist Donald Lambert. The event had such a profound impact on Kassell that he’s since gone on to immerse himself in the jazz culture with his work as a writer, publicist, promoter, booking agent, clarinetist, and documentary videographer, who’s now sharing his camera work on Facebook. Watch Jazz Happen is Kassell’s latest project, showcasing swing jazz video recordings he’s captured over the years, dating back to 2005. Taking a minimalist approach, “I don’t have a rig. I stand and shoot; finding the most discreet, unobtrusive location,” said Kassell from his 12th-floor apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan overlooking the Hudson River. “I’m engaged with [the] camera, following the continuity of [the] soloist, trying to anticipate the next best group movement by performing musicians.” JazzManDan has leveraged Sony recording devices for his work, specifically the Cyber-Shot RX10 and DCR-DVD201 and DCR-DVD403 Handycam models. He’s also not opposed to using hi