William Ellis is a charming fella and a richly talented music photographer with a project that completely resonated with me. Hailing from Cheshire from across the pond and in town a few years back, we met at a photo-centric event where I learned of his One LP project. The concept is simple and expressive. Chat with artists, musicians, photographers and luthiers about the one album that moved them and shaped their creative vision like no other, then take their portrait with said musical work in hand. Back in the day when some of us proudly displayed our recordings for all to peruse, I was that guy – a serial profiler of character who’d scan a collection and pass judgment. Yup, right up my alley. But in all seriousness, choosing one album, one collective work, that is so powerful as to hit you over the head and change your life, and then creating a visual record of the artist and that work, is just too good a subject. So, I was tickled when William wanted to include me and get a sit down. Flash forward a couple of years, and with the help of our mutual friend, jazz photographer Bob Barry, […]
July 26-28, 2019 As the sun dipped to meet Naragansett Bay a few Sundays back, the 60 years since the first Newport Folk Festival seemingly came full circle. The Fort Stage crowd serenading Rambling Jack Elliott, and the dozens of singers and musicians paying tribute to the spirit and songs of Pete Seeger (who appeared at the first Newport in 1959) with one last chorus of “Goodnight, Irene”. On what would have been the troubadour’s 100th birthday, it was producer Jay Sweet who encouraged the audience to have the last word and shower the stage with the love shared by all who performed and attended over the course of the three days. That the Lead Belly lyrics so simply convey love lost and always eternal, was a fitting coda to a closing set that left me more than a little teary. In a good way. Let’s just say that there are moments as a photographer when you have to put the camera down, and take it all in, and this was one of them. Welcome to Newport Folk. Newport 2019 was true to form. Full of collaboration, a few surprises and plenty of discoveries. But what was most different about […]
