Jazz is photogenic.

Just as how the sport of boxing is well-suited for cinema and travel for literature, jazz renders beautifully in black and white photography. Whether it’s the mood or the instruments or the sharp clothing (or all three), the genre and the medium come together with a compelling cohesion.

This perfect monochrome union within silver gelatin comes into sharp focus in the new photography exhibit, Jazz Greats: Classic Photographs from the Bank of America Collection, at the de Saisset Museum at Santa Clara University. Boasting a unique cross section of photographers—including the likes of Gordon Parks, Chuck Stewart and Edward Steichen—the exhibit encompasses six decades of the culture, showcasing an elite assortment of jazz music’s legendary artists and iconic figures.

Dizzy Gillespie, 52nd St., NYC, 1948; By William Gottlieb; (Courtesy of the Bank of America Collection)

Among the 30-plus photographs on display, the show contains a live performance image of a young Kind of Blue-era Miles Davis, a closeup of Eartha Kitt singing in all of her badass glory and a trio of images featuring Louis Armstrong that includes both casual moments and a dramatic portrait.

Beyond the musicians themselves, the imagery also contains more peripheral elements of the culture—with photographs of dancers, concert hall marquees and audience reactions—to evoke the wider legacy of jazz in the U.S.

“Photography works so well in capturing the moment and the energy,” says Lillian Lambrechts, Head Curator of the Bank of America Collection. “And this Jazz Greats… exhibit is all about movement and energy and heartfelt music, which certainly belongs to America.”

For local organizers at Santa Clara University, the multi-faceted nature of the imagery spoke to their interest in hosting an exhibit that would not only appeal to the diversity of their audience but could do so on a variety of levels.

“For us, being a museum of art and history, this exhibition really let’s us touch upon both,” says Lauren Baines, Assistant Director of the de Saisset Museum at Santa Clara University. “We can celebrate the artistry of the photography and the musicians, but also the history of jazz, the history of race relations; all of these larger, more difficult conversations that we want to tackle through our exhibitions are really made possible through this show.”