funk

Red Tenor

*Red Tenor*
Fuji xpro2

I normally try to take neat or well detached concert photographies. Not that there aren’t fantastic live photos that are more grungy or cluttered, but I don’t have a knack for them. Once in a while though, I’ll shoot a photo that isn’t neat, where you can’t quite distinguish the details. Often, when I’m lucky, these convey something different, a bit more of the atmosphere of the venue maybe. Such is this photo of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band’s Kevin Harris, a quasi black and red.

Wide ‘Bone

*Wide ‘Bone*
Fuji xpro2

There’s a lot of fun to be had when taking photos of trombone players. First of all, the shape of the instrument varies based on how extended it is. It can allow for amazing diagonals or, from up close, the bell can be the center of attention. I tried different things with TJ Norris at a DDBB gig in Paris, and I quite like this one. The trombone is all slid in but the 35mm lens (30mm equivalent) makes it look super long already.

Roufi in the Spotlight

*Roufi in the Spotlight*
Fuji Xpro2

 Ceux Qui Marchent Debout is a live experience like few I’ve ever seen. Don’t get me wrong, their records are great, but the live energy is just something else. Roufi is the sousaphone player, in charge of the low low end.

Two-Stick Julian

Two-Stick Julian
Fuji xpro2, 160mm, f/2.8, 1/160s, ISO 6400

Shooting drummers in badly lit clubs is always tricky, because things move too fast for the camera to capture. Getting good shots is a combination of anticipation, repetition and luck. Here I managed to get Julian Addison with both sticks up and an interesting facial expression, I consider myself lucky!

One Hand Up

One Hand Up
Fuji xpro2, 50mm, f/2, 1/100s, ISO 3200

TJ Norris is the newest in the Dirty Dozen Brass Band lineup, but he’s a fine addition, both on trombone and on vocals. I like this shot because you can see the audience in the background. I need to do more shots like this, wide enough that you can see the musicians are not playing in isolation.

Blowing in the Deep End

Blowing in the Deep End
Fuji xpro2, 75mm, f/2.8, 1/200s, ISO 6400

There’s something super powerful about the sound of the baritone saxophone, that vibration that you not only hear but feel within you. Roger Lewis, aka The Dirty Old Man is one of my favourite baritone players. He has the power, but also the refined register, when he chooses to exert it. At that gig in Paris, he played a beautiful high register solo on a super low key version of Drown in my Own Tears sung by Greg Davis and backed by Takeshi Shimmura on guitar.

Wide-Eyed Wink

Wide Eyed-Wink
Fuji xpro2, 90mm, f/2.8, 1/160s, ISO 6400

It’s quite rare that when I’m taking concert photos a musician will look straight at me. At least it used to be before I got that big 50-140 zoom lens. At that Dirty Dozen Brass Band gig, I harvested several shots where the musicians were clearly looking at me. This one of Greg Davis has a bit of an old Louis Armstrong feel.

Kevin’s Shades

Kevin’s Shades
Fuji xpro2, 105mm, f/2.8, 1/125s, ISO 6400

Kevin Harris is the tenor sax in the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and possibly the jazziest of them all. He always plays in a cap and shades, and when I shot this I couldn’t help but think of Bleeding Gums Murphy, the saxophonist in the early episodes of the Simpsons. Must be the frizzy hair.

TJ’s Bone

TJ’s Bone
Fuji xpro2, 75mm, f/2.8, 1/200s, ISO 6400

I love shooting trombone players in large part for the diagonal opportunities they offer. TJ Norris was no exception during this Dirty Dozen Brass Band gig. Forearm muscles ain’t bad either ;-)

Kirk’s Gaze

Kirk’s Gaze
Fuji xpro2, 150mm, f/2.8, 1/200s, ISO 6400

Kirk Joseph is not only a legendary New Orleans musician, he’s also a legend and innovator amongst sousaphone players. His playing was mellow and funky that night, and when I found an opportunity to get close and frame him, he looked at me in this whimsical, inquisitive way.