Je n'oublierai jamais le moment où j'ai reçu ma première guitare. Mon père a acheté un Ibanez pour moi un Noël quand j'avais 14 ans. J'avais grandi en regardant mon père jouer et composer de la musique folk. J'ai admiré sa capacité de s'exprimer à travers ses paroles et ses mélodies dans le style de Bob Dylan et Don McLean.
Comme un adolescent j'ai joué de la guitare acoustique comme un moyen de rencontrer des filles. J'ai finalement commencé à jouer de la musique de jazz lorsqu'un ami m'a montré un album de Thelonius Monk. J'ai été fasciné par la façon dont Thelonius était capable d'improviser dans la structure de la chanson, et à ce moment-là, je suis devenu fanatique de la musique jazz.
Tout comme Eugène Atget a été inspiré à prendre des photos de «types» parmi les citoyens de Paris, j'ai décidé de photographier mes amis qui vivent ici à Provo qui partagent mon enthousiasme pour la musique jazz. Le monde de la musique crée naturellement beaucoup de «types» ou «métiers» à cause de tous les instruments que les gens peuvent choisir. Les instruments agir en tant que différents «emplois» dans la communauté et chaque joueur a l'occasion de remplir alors un rôle spécial. J'espère de capturer ces métiers de la musique jazz en Provo tout comme Atget a capturé les métiers des citoyens dans les rues de Paris dans le début des années 1900.
I kept thinking there's bound to be something else…. I could hear it sometimes, but I couldn't play it - Charlie Parker
I'm not a star. I'll never be a Frank Sinatra or Elvis Presley or a Ray Charles. I'm just an imitator, man. I'm doing a very bad imitation on the bass of Jerry Jemmott, Bernard Odum, Jimmy Fielder, Jimmy Blanton, Igor Stravinsky, Jimi Hendrix, John Coltrane, James Brown, Charlie Parker... the cats, man. I'm just backing up the cats. - Jaco Pastorius
You've got to want to die for the (man)!" - Elvin Jones, upon being asked how he and Coltrane's group managed to play together with such intensity.
I try stuff. I synthesize what's of value with some of the other things I have at my disposal - Herbie Hancock
“If I was a singer, I'd never do a tribute to Ray, ... If I was a piano player, I'd never do a tribute to Ray. But to take somebody that's so far away from what you do that you really love (I figured that) could be some interesting music - John Scofield on completing “That’s What I Say,” a jazz album of Ray Charles covers.
The third picture makes me think of Walker Evans. I especially love the background he is in and the look on his face. It makes me think of that little old woman in her kitchen. I feel like you capture him well.
ReplyDeleteSo, my favorite one is the first one. I love that he is standing in a super mundane, common place, but clearly not holding a very mundane, common object. I like that you chose to photograph him there, and not, say, in a music room or on a stage or surround by other music-y things. It's a great contrast. The second one would be stronger if you hadn't used a flash. Awesome essay.
ReplyDeleteSo impressed that you did this with a camera phone. For the most part i think you really did an awesome job of working with your camera's limitations and working in its means. I think you chose such a cool subject because instruments have such interesting lines, and i think the contrast of those lines with the surroundings is especially good in the first three photos. Great idea.
ReplyDeleteThis is totally the style that we have been studying. The natural lighting is very nice, and I think the black and white really works here. I like the texture of the wall behind the drum set up, very interesting and gives it a cool feel.
ReplyDeleteThe first three pictures have a very cool and consistent feel to them. They are framed well and the subjects were captured just right. The fourth seems to suffer from indoor lighting that made it much less clean. But I think it also suffers from the subject. I'm not sure if its just because the rest seem to better fit my jazz/musician stereotype, while he is wearing a t-shirt with a baseball team logo, or if its something more. Overall, it's a great essay.
ReplyDeleteI think what I enjoyed most about this collection was wondering about the different personalities of each artist. I think because each face is somewhat expressionless. That lack of expression also gives it an older feel that matches the black and white. It reminds me of when the people had to stay more still because the exposure time was longer.
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