Live music transmits an electric energy directly from the artist(s) to their audience and creates a type of synergy that doesn’t exist anywhere else. This unique energy has the power to unite people in a positive manner. Musicians have used their gift to entertain, inform and bring about social change.
I remember receiving a small transistor radio for my tenth birthday and for the first time being able to listen to the music that I wanted to listen to. I heard the song “Layla” and my path was set. For me, the power of an electric guitar in the hands of a master musician was life changing. My classic rock heroes include Duane Allman, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Mark Knopfler, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards and Stevie Ray Vaughn. These artists not only created the soundtrack of my youth, they expanded my musical experience to embrace the Blues. My guitar masters introduced me to the Blues gods; Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker, B.B. King, Muddy Waters, and Howlin’ Wolf. Eventually I would broaden my musical taste to encompass everything from Blues to Soukous (a “super guitar” style that originated in D.R. Congo) and most styles in between.
Unfortunately I was soon to discover that playing the radio was the extent of my musical abilities, however, I decided to learn as much as I could about the performers I admired and their music. In addition, my thoughts turned to a possible marriage between my love of photography and music. I turned to publications such as “Rolling Stone” magazine to visualize what I had been listening to. The impressive work of Henry Diltz, Bob Gruen, Robert M. Knight, Annie Leibovitz, Neal Preston and Mick Rock captured the magic and authenticity of the rock scene. Now I strive to combine what I have learned from these giants and the new generation of concert photographers with my own creativity. There are very few experiences that rival the feeling of successfully capturing the essence of a stage performance and translating it into a permanent image.