Performance
I have a long term interest in the visual documentation of musical performance. Using advanced digital photographic equipment I have been able to cooperate with musicians to develop sensitive, intimate accounts of the rapport and skill that are needed to produce musical performances of the highest standard. These accounts give a significant insight into the processes of music making, and are highly valued by the artists as a means of promoting their work. As a music lover, I feel I am able to engage with musicians across a very wide range of genres and find the process of making these visual documentations deeply satisfying.
Jazz
Marcin Wasilewski Trio and Emma Rawicz at King's Place
I find it hard to believe that the trio has been together for 30 years! I first worked with them in Warsaw in 2004 when they were playing with Tomasz Stańko, and have covered sound checks and performances in Bielska Biała and London since then. This year they were back in the lovely acoustic of Hall 1 at King's Place in London as part of the Polish Jazz Festival. With Emma Rawicz guesting on tenor and soprano sax, the band were playing as well as ever. A set of images from the sound check can be found at: Marcin Wasilewski and Emma Rawicz at King's Place.
Ivo Neam and Elchin Chirinov at the Clun Valley Jazz Festival - a 50th anniversary celebration of Keith Jarrett's Köln Concert
You can't capture music in photography - but you can try to catch a sense of rapport, of relationship, pleasure. We spent two days in Bishop's Castle witnessing a magical exploration of the early work of Keith Jarrett - mostly from his days with his Scandinavian Quartet. Taking pieces from albums like My Song, and Personal Mountains, Ivo Neame and Elchin Chironov gave us a master class in improvisation and exploration. What made the event so special was that over the two days many of the songs were revisited, so that layer after layer of beauty and delight were revealed as both performers and audience shared an amazing journey. An unforgettable experience. I hope the photos give some sense of what was going on. For more images go to a 50th anniversary celebration of Keith Jarrett's Köln Concert.
Espen Eriksen Trio with Andy Sheppard at Brewery Arts, Kendal
Espen Eriksen Trio and Andy Sheppard first teamed up for two concerts in London in 2016. They have continued to collaborate in a number of projects (including 3 albums) and have been touring the UK this month. It was great to see them in Kendal this week for a sell-out concert. It was a great gig. More pictures from the sound-check can be seen at "Espen Erikson Trio with Andy Sheppard.
John Surman's Words Unspoken at Manchester Jazz Festival
John Surman has been a ground breaking musician since the 1960s, and has been recording with ECM for 50 years - a long and fruitful relationship. Surman is 80 in 2024 and is going as strong as ever. For the Words Unspoken concert the line up of Surman on soprano and bass sax, Rob Luft (guitar), Rob Waring (vibraphone), and Thomas Strønen (drums) gave the full house at the RNCM an evening to remember. If you'd like to see more images from the sound check, go to John Surman, Words Unspoken.
Jonny Mansfield Quartet, Julian Siegal Quartet, Rory Ingham Sextet - UNESCO & CV Jazz World Jazz Celebration 2024
It was the second UNESCO & ClunValley Jazz World Jazz
Celebration this May, and this time I was able to cover
the sound checks for all the concerts. There were three great bands -
which made for three great evenings. The Jonny
Mansfield Quartet opened with a remarkable set, the roof
was raised by Julian Siegal's Quartet, and things were
brought to a great close by the Rory Ingham Quartet's
tribute to Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers.
Congratulations and thanks to John Davies and all
involved.
And next year's festival will be a
celebration of 50 years of Keith Jarrett's Koln Concert.
Something not to be missed!
If you'd like to see more
images from this years event, go to:
Clun Valley Jazz 2024.
Ivo Neame's Dodeka - UNESCO & CV Jazz World Jazz Celebration 2023
Off to Bishops Castle in Shropshire for a performance by Ivo Neame's spectacular 12 piece (you can tell by the name) band DODEKA as part of the Bishops Castle Jazz Festival. An incredible line up including Laura Jurd on trumpet and Martin France on drums. The band was tight, improvisations were uplifting and engaging and the whole thing swung. A great night out. To get a sense of the event, please go to Dodeka at Bishop's Castle Jazz Festival.
Steinway Piano Festival - Pizza Express Jazz, London
A wonderful week of piano music at Pizza Express, London. Hearing two pianists working together in a jazz concert is a rare treat, so this was an exceptional opportunity to hear two pairs of outstanding musicians on the same bill. The first set was from Andrea Vicari and Naadia Sheriff; the second was given by Ivo Neame and Sam Leak. Both gave witty, virtuosic performances - a real pleasure. For more images, go to Steinway Piano Festival, Pizza Express.
Ambleside Days Jazz Festival
The Ambleside Days Jazz Festival has been organised in Ambleside, Cumbria for over 10 years. It was cancelled in 2020, so it was a delight to be able to cover the sound check / rehearsal for the concert on 2 September 2021. The line up for the two sets included Conor Chaplin on Double Bass, Emma Smith – Vocals, Gareth Lockraine on Flutes, Gwilym Simcock - Piano, Martin France - Drums, Mike Walker - Guitar, and Tim Garland – Saxophone. The first set was a piano, flute, guitar trio, and the second was led by Emma Smith. It was such a pleasure to be there. For more pictures, see: Ambleside Days Jazz Festival.
Carla Bley Trio
Carla Bley, Steve Swallow and Andy Sheppard have been making music together since the early 1990s. For her glorious concert at King's Place, London, in October 2019, the Trio played a long set of new music. The diversity and range of work offered was a testament to Bley's continuing creativity and the deep chemistry of these three unique talents. For more photos from the sound check, go to Carla Bley Trio at King's Place.
Andy Sheppard Quartet
The Andy Sheppard Quartet were playing playing new music in their concert at King's Place as part of the London Jazz Festival (there's an ECM CD due out early in 2018. With Elvind Aarset (electric guitar), Michel Benita (bass), and Sebastien Rochford (drums), this proved to be an outstanding set. More photos from the sound-check at: Andy Sheppard Quartet at King's Place
Tomasz Stańko New York Quartet
Tomasz Stańko's New York Quartet were playing at the Cadogan Hall as part of the London Jazz Festival. A very strong line-up with David Virelles (piano), Gerald Cleaver (drums), and Reuben Rogers (bass) played to a packed house. Images from the sound-check are at: Tomasz Stańko at the Cadogan Hall
Mathias Eick
The Mathias Eick Quartet at the Vortex
Aaron Parks Trio
The Aaron Parks Trio with Billy Hart at King's Place.
Tord Gustavsen
Tord Gustavsen Trio at King's Place
Folk
My friend Franz Morrisey is a musician from Switzerland. Alongside being an accomplished linguist and philologist, he has an amazing command of traditional British Folk Music and contemporary folk. Along with Monika Brändli and Stephen Ferron, he has formed Taradiddle - a combination which offer a "perfect balance of international, traditional and contemporary songs with intelligent, skilful ease and a blend of voices made in heaven" according to folk-rock legend Rick Kemp of Steeleye Span! We were very pleased to see them in Cumbria at Sprint Mill, where they performed to a delighted full house. For more images, go to Taradiddle at Sprint Mill.
Classical
Mahler's 8th Sympthony (the Thousand) in Coventry Cathedral
My friend Joe Davies was been preparing this project for three years, and in May 2026 he managed to pull it altogether. The actual performance (8 choirs and an enormous symphony orchestra) was a triumph according to all reports. I hope this documentation of the final rehearsal gives an idea of the scale of the achievement. It sounded beautiful too! For more imagfes go to: Mahler's 8th Symphony in Coventry Cathedral.
Zehetmair Kilius Quartet
Zehetmair Kilius Quartet at the Wigmore Hall
Xenia Jankovic
Xenia Jankovic at King's Place
EARLIER WORK: If you would like to see
earlier work in this area please visit my
archived web site