The photo at left by Margo Ducharme is part of the media campaign for Assembly New York, a “boutique focusing on international and otherwise hard-to-find luxury labels alongside curated vintage and art d’objet,” according to its website. It’s blogworthy because the model is the free jazz reedman Giuseppi Logan, who for decades seemed lost to the world.

In the mid-1960s, Logan made several recordings for the connoisseur free-jazz label ESP. He also collaborated with fellow New-Thing players including the saxophonists Archie Shepp and Pharoah Sanders.

However, as ESP-Disk’s founder Bernard Stollman noted in this allaboutjazz.com interview, Logan was plagued by two demons.

Giuseppi was doing an awful lot of drugs — he burned out, well, actually, he flipped out and never came back. I think that helps explain what happened to Giuseppi. Also, he was mentally ill to some degree and he attacked me once, just randomly. He would assault people without any warning; I loved his music, however, and when he did his first session, resulting from the October Revolution [ESP 1007, Giuseppi Logan Quartet], and he filed through the studio and as they walked in to record, Giuseppi turned to me and said “if you rob me, I’ll kill you. Milford was mortified — he had asked me to record Giuseppi — I’d given him a record date and he threatened me with death.

Here’s a clip, featuring Logan in 1966:

Eventually, Logan fell off the radar. People thought he was dead. However, two years ago, he resurfaced. In fact, he reappearance was even documented on YouTube.

The trumpeter Matt Lavelle has helped Logan return to music, and in fact, almost a year ago, they were on stage together.

It says on Lavelle’s Myspace page that in mid-March, Logan’s new CD will be launched. I hope that between his art, modeling work, and the kindness of friends, fellow musicians and strangers, Logan will be able to remain on his feet.

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UPDATE: Giuseppi Logan’s new album, The Giuseppi Logan Quintet, is out!  You can buy a copy directly from the excellent Tompkins Square label.  You can even buy a signed copy.