For the first time, Brazilians could see the pictures of American jazz musicians taken by photographer Herman Leonard. The exhibit, which was called Jazz Memories, was organized during the Free Jazz Festival of 1998 in the cities of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Porto Alegre.

Herman Leonard is known throughout the world for his work. Born in New Orleans, the photographer began his career by going to bars, clubs and houses, where he took pictures of concerts and intimate moments of new jazz talents. He managed to capture unique moments of musicians who made history: Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald are just a few examples.