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Studio Life…

Sometimes you just take an artist and define who they are. Binker Golding, with no real plan for what he wanted out of his photo shoot, told me: “Just go for it”.

We spent the day using different lighting set ups, coloured gels and just playing around with edit presets with the camera tethered to the Mac. Creatively, this is still one of my favourite shoots.

Sometimes we work to a concept other time, it is a very easy-going shoot and we go with the flow. It’s a joint venture between the sitter and myself. We may mix natural light with flash heads. I don’t like making it too technical, it has got to be fun.

NIGEL PRICE ORGAN TRIO….

Nigel Price guitar, Ross Stanley B3 Hammond Organ, Joel Barford drums, Snowboy percussion, Vasilis Xenopoulos tenner sax, Tony Kofi Alto sax, callum Au trombone, Key Stephen violin 1, Anna Brigham violin 2, Matt Maguire viola, Chris Terepin cello.

Sometimes, if not all the time 4 pictures on twitter just don’t do a performance justice. Nigel Price brought his album lunch ‘Wes Reimagined’ to Ronnie Scotts this weekend with two sold out shows. The queue stretched half way down Frith Street proving to be the hottest ticket on Saturday night. Let the photographs tell the story.

Kurt Elling

As we bounce back from lockdown with a vengeance and welcome back performers old and new, this man is no stranger to the club and was the hottest ticket in Frith Street. This time Kurt had guitarist Charlie Hunter by his side along with DJ Harrison – keys Corey Fonille – Drums and bringing up the backing vocals LaDonna and Vula.

Kurt Elling and Charlie Hunter

Corey Fonville

Charlie Hunter

Charlie Hunter and Corey Fonville

DJ Harrison

SOWETO KINCH

Its Soweto’s second visit to Ronnie Scotts in the last 12 months but this time there was a live audience…. With a heavy mix of ripping sax and rap Soweto brought a hole new dimension to the performance. Neal Yates on trumpet bringing his fantastic vibe and Nick Jurd giving the underlying bass lines along with Jason Brown the drummer from the U.S doing very nicely over here in London thank you.

Soweto Kinch

Neil Yates

Nick Jurd

Neil Yates

Jason Brown

Don’t forget any image on the site can be printed and you could have jazz history hanging on your wall…… Use the contact section and drop us a line.

CURTIS STIGERS

“It makes a change from being in my kitchen”

Curtis is once again back and the worlds greatest Jazz club after almost 18 months of lockdown, he was in fine form selling out the club for every show. Curtis bringing his ever popular show back to Soho with his band. Matthew Fries – piano Cliff Schmitt bass – Paul Wells drums.

Curtis bringing Ronnie Scotts alive.

Until next time………

In the kitchen of Copper & Ink

Tony Rodd

Situated in the heart of Blackheath village, run by two wonderful people Tony Rodd who you may remember from Masterchef finals 2015 and Becky Cummings. Copper and Ink is a clean fresh break from the chains that inhabit our high streets especially here in Blackheath. An independent restaurant with a monthly change to its outstanding menu. This is not a review of the restaurant it’s how I see and find the world around me.

I was first drawn to the restaurant by three words, Jazz, Evening and Food. If you ask me the perfect combination. As I type this Im getting hungry just thinking about it. But it’s 7.36am might be lucky and get a bacon roll from the tea hut, not so glam on a chilly bank holiday Monday.

Back to Masterchef 2015, not only do we have Tony Rodd also runner up Rob Parks. When photographing a kitchen it always helps with some powerful personalities Tony, Rob, Martin and Jayden.

Rob Parks

In the Kitchen

Tony
Rob
Jayden
Rob and Tony looking at ideas for the following months menu
Tony
Martin prepping
Martin

Rob
Tony

Martin
Tony
Rob

Rob and Jayden

Tony

Jayden
Martin

The Team

Martin

Tony

Venice and Veneto

When you are away from you’re everyday surroundings your eyes are open and you look harder at what’s around you.

In 2015 and 2017 I spent a bit of time in Northern Italy, Venice and Veneto. I like to visit out of season in the winter. Venice has a smell of wood smoke mixed with winter rain. It’s the best time, locals have there city to themselves. Here is my photographic essay “Venice and Veneto”

All images available in print contact us for details ” Some prints have a limited run”

PUGLIA

Over the last 18 months all our lives have change in one way or another. We can no longer hold the freedom to move around like we once did.

We have not had the chance to travel so all we have is memories in the form of photos and music.

My passions in life and not in any order Food, Music, Travel and Photography.

Over recent years we have found ourselves spending more time in Puglia a region of Italy on the south Adriatic cost. One town in particular, the small town of Polignano a Mare. Built on the cliffs overlooking a small rocky cove with a rich history dating back to the Byzantine Empire in the 6th century. This is the first of many posts about the place Ive fallen in love with.

With many local restaurants and bars this small but perfectly formed town has a gem at its heart, a vegetarian restaurant call Mint Cucina Fresca.mintcucinafresca.com If I was in London there is a good chance I would shy away from a vegetarian restaurant. There is no shying away from Mint and the style of food they serve. If you’re not on board with what they do they would rather turn the booking away.

After a good few visits Fabrizio the Chef and owner invited me into his kitchen along with my camera. I could hardly say no.

Fabrizio
Mixing ingredients for the restaurants desserts for that evening.
Placing Lemon slices on the Lemon tart
Fresh from the oven.
Yet more goodies for the dinners that evening. They tasted great by the way.

Jazz Noir

Front cover from the book

It’s taken sometime to get this little project off the ground. A few reasons, what to choose, will be colour or back and white or both.

The next big one is who’s in and out, well everyone who I’ve photographed will be “In”

It’s not about who the artist is, it’s about the image. Some work in Black and white and some stand their ground in colour. As the book is Jazz Noir it’s all about the Black and White.

After 7 years photographing at Ronnie Scotts and before that photographing for UK Vibe there are not many artists I’ve not photographed. If I’m honest loved every min of it.

So the book is self published project and it print on demand. Hardback 10/8 landscape with dust jacket. 120 pages of beautiful Black and White Jazz images.

Out on the 18th October 2021

Here is a link to order https://www.blurb.co.uk/bookstore/invited/9321165/4f2aae3ae60d3e46d35c443df0538fb8df29364f

This is the first in a collection of books from over a decade photographing around the music world. Ive another two books I’m currently working on.

Below are a selection of images from the book.

Archie Shepp London 2013

Roy Hargrove Ronnie Scotts 2015

James Pearson Ronnie Scotts 2020

Marcus Stricktland Ronnie Scotts 2016
Dr Lonnie Smith Ronnie Scotts 2015
Eric Harland Ronnie Scotts 2017
Bill Laurance Ronnie Scotts 2020