An article by Fred Kaplan, “1959: Sex, Jazz, and Datsuns” featured in the June 8, 2009 issue of New York Magazine determines that 1959 was an important year for music, politics, world dynamics, social issues, and the arts. The 60’s might have gotten more press, but, 1959 was the year of change, innovation, out of the box thinking.
The magazine piece is based on Kaplan’s book, “1959: The Year Everything Changed”. He presents his examples of some of the greatest happenings of this special year and they include:
Actor turned director John Cassavetes was perhaps the first “Indie” filmmaker with his partly improvised script for his movie “Shadows”. The Guggenheim Museum, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, changed the NYC sky line on the upper East Side. The first micro chip introduced by Texas Instruments. The release of the Miles Davis album (they were albums then) “Kinda Blue” (considered by many to be best jazz recording ever). Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro invited to NYC and staying at the St Teresa Hotel in Harlem. The emergence of Malcolm X and his conversations on race and politics.
Where were you in 1959?
(I was attending Paul Lawrence Dunbar JHS in the Bronx)
