Thursday, February 16, 2006
Jazz Talk
Peter Brötzmann, a german free jazz saxophonist.
shot taken last sunday noon on the occasion of a 'jazz talk' in our one and only jazz pub. jazz talk means a musician is invited to talk and play his music. these jazz talks are kind of appetizer events of the coming mœrs festival, an international new jazz festival, which takes place in our little town every whitsun since 1972.
visited the festival in 1977 for the first time.
already photographed Peter Brötzmann in 1978.
some images from the moers festival 2004 click here
hope u like the image (even if u don't like free jazz music ;)
Permalink / posted by and copyright of michael hoefner : 3:34 PM
Comments:
Michael,
I find this picture much more expressive than the colour ones in the link you gave in your post. The use of the plain black background allows me to concentrate more on the person than the event. The tones, of course, are lovely.
The lighting on the hands makes this picture. The hands come forward and dominate. It is they who are playing.
Did you give the saxophonist a copy of this? Did he like it?
Colin
Good to see you get a post up so quickly! This photo of Brotzmann shows a lot of intensity in the playing: muscles in the neck and the concentration on blowing, and the instrument is in good proportion to the body. It is interesting comparing it with the shots in your set in the link; mainly because you have a good background to show off the face, hands and instrument. Good portrait. It could get one to like jazz! In fact I like jazz live when it is not too traditional (does 'free' mean modern or improvising?) but find that on the radio or CD that it is too constrained and without atmosphere (usually) and doesn't work for me like classical. It would certainly be fun to get to the festival one day, but then I ought to get to the Brecon jazz festival, which is only an hour and a half away and haven't managed in 15 years. Your set has some very descriptive shots: are they with the E-1? If so, which ISO? I was surprised to see Evelyn Glennie there as I know her as a classical drummer, but she is very talented.
Colin,
yes agree. its much more expressive than the old color ones. one point is they are more documentary than artistic. of course I also have some more expressive shots than those in the gallery. but they are different to the current Brötzmann shot just for the reason I wasn't able to get close enough. wished I had a press card.
maybe u know Robert Capa and his quote: 'if you feel your photos are not good enough then perhaps you were not close enough'. thats very true.
haven't any opportunity to show/give him the image. but maybe I can do it at the festival on whitsun. hope I'll find a chance to get a press card for back stage access...
John,
its always amazing to see such a musician performing all even on a tiny event.
*lol* for sure this kind of jazz is not traditional. free jazz is unfasten from the four T's: theme, tact, tempo, tonality (key). lots of improving. people not familiar to free jazz often say it sounds like they are tuning their instruments. must admit sometimes it actually sounds like that ;)
the images in the gallery are all taken with a canon pro1, a bridge cam, at ISO400. but pro1, sold it after I bought the E-1, was far too slow and I hated the also slow EVF. BTW the E-1 shot above is ISO800
Evelyn Glennie... at the festival she performed with Fred Frith, a jazz guitarist who experiments a lot with sounds. but the most amazing fact is that she is deaf. would have never guessed it.
maybe I'll post one or two of the old shots...
Thanks. You're right about Glennie's dafness: one would never guess; I suspect that she feels through her feet/body a lot of the time but there are quieter occasions when one wonders how she knows what is going on. The Brotzmann is a good example of how ISO 800 can work on occasions! I think I might like free jazz!
So what constitutes a Saxophonist?
A saxophone, something to blow it with and two hands to operate the keys. All excellently captured and linked in one image.
I can just catch a hint of his jacket which keeps an element of reality in the image.
thanks Rex, I had luck with the BG and also did a bit pp to enhance the compo. thought about completely eliminating the jacket but at least I left the hint of it.
John: the ISO800 noise of the origin is not really pleasing. fortunately my pp reduced it a bit.
Post a Comment
I find this picture much more expressive than the colour ones in the link you gave in your post. The use of the plain black background allows me to concentrate more on the person than the event. The tones, of course, are lovely.
The lighting on the hands makes this picture. The hands come forward and dominate. It is they who are playing.
Did you give the saxophonist a copy of this? Did he like it?
Colin
yes agree. its much more expressive than the old color ones. one point is they are more documentary than artistic. of course I also have some more expressive shots than those in the gallery. but they are different to the current Brötzmann shot just for the reason I wasn't able to get close enough. wished I had a press card.
maybe u know Robert Capa and his quote: 'if you feel your photos are not good enough then perhaps you were not close enough'. thats very true.
haven't any opportunity to show/give him the image. but maybe I can do it at the festival on whitsun. hope I'll find a chance to get a press card for back stage access...
John,
its always amazing to see such a musician performing all even on a tiny event.
*lol* for sure this kind of jazz is not traditional. free jazz is unfasten from the four T's: theme, tact, tempo, tonality (key). lots of improving. people not familiar to free jazz often say it sounds like they are tuning their instruments. must admit sometimes it actually sounds like that ;)
the images in the gallery are all taken with a canon pro1, a bridge cam, at ISO400. but pro1, sold it after I bought the E-1, was far too slow and I hated the also slow EVF. BTW the E-1 shot above is ISO800
Evelyn Glennie... at the festival she performed with Fred Frith, a jazz guitarist who experiments a lot with sounds. but the most amazing fact is that she is deaf. would have never guessed it.
maybe I'll post one or two of the old shots...
A saxophone, something to blow it with and two hands to operate the keys. All excellently captured and linked in one image.
I can just catch a hint of his jacket which keeps an element of reality in the image.
John: the ISO800 noise of the origin is not really pleasing. fortunately my pp reduced it a bit.