Arthur Deavers, “Sax Player”

This photograph of the legendary jazz musician Dewey Redman by Arthur Deavers is included in Unseen America: Photos and Stories by Workers, edited by Esther Cohen (Regan Books, 2006). It appears to have been made in Mr. Redman’s home, and hides a lovely story.

“I met Dewey Redman when he came into the store for a prescription,” wrote Mr. Deavers, a member of 1199 SEIU who worked as a cashier at Rite Aid in New York City at the time the photo was taken. “He is a prostate cancer survivor and he’s still performing. I took his picture to express hope.” 

The photograph comes out of Mr. Deavers’ participation in photography classes offered through Bread and Roses, a nonprofit cultural program of the labor union 1199. Students were encouraged to photograph the world around them.