In NY we used to talk about having in our ‘World everything from Stars-to-Slime’ ’cause you never knew … MugFiles are the candid aspects or formal idiosyncrasies, (not the poor-, but the …) i-traits, of individuals who have intersected my film plane over the last 4 decades.
Along with Classical … Jazz, Blues, Funk, Latin … music has been a passion throughout my life. Spanish Harlem was right across the bridge and I used to dance to the music of the the great Latin musicians, the Palmieri and Barretto brothers, et al. I remember the very first concert I shot was with Max Roach and Wayne Shorter performing. While hanging out in the ’70s with Frankie Beverly and Maze in Tucson I got to shoot Cameo and Densie ‘Niecey’ Williams. Somewhere in the world there’s a book of negatives floating around that includes the album cover for me iDren, Junior Dan aka Leftoe, former bassie for Burning Spear, and photos of Peter Tosh (right before he died), Third World, Steel Pulse and Jimmy Cliff shot in Madison during the late ’70s.
Attached is a partial list of the musicians I’ve photographed: John Primer, Carl Weathersby, Big Time Sarah, Eddie Vann Shaw, Nellie Tiger, Don Byron, Mic Gillette, Greg Tate, Kenny and Bill Barron, Melecio Magdaluyo, John Santos, Orestes Vilato, percussionist, Armando Peraza, percussionist, Raul Rekow, percussionist, Leo Rosales, percussionist, Abel Sanchez, guitarist, Jorge Santana, guitarist, Paul van Wagenigen, drummer, Carlos Reyes, violinist, Marcos Reyes, percussionist, Gibby Ross, drummer, John Calloway, flutist, Tony Menjivar, percussionist, Arcellio Garcia, vocalist, Richard Bean, vocalist, Rafael Ramirez, percussionist, Murray Low, pianist, Michael Spiro, percussionist, Wayne Wallace, trombonist, Pete Escovedo, percussionist, Ray Vega, trumpeter, Bill Ortiz, trumpeter, Ray Obiedo, guitarist, Mark Levine, pianist, David George, drummer, Giovanni Hidalgo conguero