Hold The Eye Images

Jam Night at the Grand Dell featuring Terry Hanck, Andy Just, et. al.

And the et. al means I could not keep up with the names of the 33 musicians who showed up to play at what is becoming "the event" for blues musicians in the Bay Area. Organized by local blues musician Akarsha Kumar, a.k.a. Aki, who plays harp and vocals for Tip of the Top.

Aki is a charismatic organizer who has made the Dell Saloon on Thursday night a special place for musicians. They come, sign in with Aki, and rotate through songs with the beneficiary being the crowd that comes to listen. More and more, big blues names are showing up, just to play and hang out with their peers. Last night was a big night of names, which I unfortunately don't know them all. Terry Hanck was the feature, and he as Aki plans, plays later in the evening. Terry is a distinctive looking and sounding blues musician who sings and plays sax.

And boy does he get it on!

And when he blows the sax, well the place goes wild!

What is interesting, the smiles on the other musician faces sitting and standing in the audience. They clearly enjoy the performances by fellow artists and likewise the performance is serious because you are playing in front of your peers. But it all starts off with Aki, who is the "Master of Ceremonies" for the Thursday night event. Here is one of the early rotations with local musicians and Aki playing and singing. You can see how intimate the setting, which is wonderful for the audience.

As the night plays on, others come to the stage for a few tunes, return to talk with friends and fellow musicians, all the while enjoying the atmosphere and camaraderie of it all.

The morale of the story and my guess, if you like blues, come soon and come early. The reason being, it would not surprise me to see a line out the door in the not to distant future as word of this music hub spreads amongst the blues listening community. Places like this don't exist anymore, harkens back to 60's when this was fairly common. Money, big stages, and ego's changed all that except for this little part of Campbell Ca. at the Grand Dell Saloon.

The "Jump Kings" At The Grand Dell Saloon

So I took the Jump Kings and decided to create four different looks for the band. Image number one is the honky tonk look. Guitar player clearly in a bar, old time microphone, could have been 40 years ago except for the sideburns(too short). The second image, a traditional 3 piece band portrait. Everyone is playing, nothing really unusual, pretty straight forward. The third image brings in the audience, makes the place look real, clearly a club of some sort. Also a pretty traditional image with atmosphere created by the people in the audience. The fourth image is my favorite, funky, more creative black and white, looks like I stole the image from the expression of the lead guitar. To be honest, I didn't capture the images with these descriptions in mind, but I shoot from many different angles. I try for different looks and always have black and white in my head, texture is something that attracts me. I like the mirror which I originally hated, but it provides some cool lighting with the flash reflections. I shot the last image trying to frame the harmonica player. I was looking through the viewfinder, trying to get an angle when I saw the lead guitar player look at me, bang I got him. I also like the dirty mirror and reflection of people. It turned out to be a gritty image, something you might see in a New Orleans underground magazine. Bye the way, these guys are terrific musicians. The Dell is a throw back to "joints" in the 50's and early 60's when music was good, raw, and the musicans loved to play for the sake of the music. It is a cross section of society, all smiling for the same reason, the terrific blues music.

Bill Sims Jr. and Mark Lavoie Rock The Grand Dell Saloon tonight

This is the real deal, old original roots blues music. Described as down home, back porch, crossroads, and hellhounds all at once, NYC blues guitarist Bill Sims and VT harmonica player Mark LaVoie rock the crowd at the Dell tonight. Between them, Sims and LaVoie have played with legends such as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Terry, and Brownie McGhee. They have been touring for 15 years as a duo and their old-school sound harkens back to a time before electricity turned the blues up loud, when feel and soul were everything.

The crowd really appreciated the quality of this music, attentive and responsive to every number. This was a real treat for everyone. Here are some images from tonight's performance.

But their are other ways to view these guys, more unconventional that give some glimpse into the soulful way they perform.

  In the next photo, check out the fingers of a guitar blues man, he didn't start this yesterday!

And they could sing and blow!

And finally for the evening, Mark really gets the music.

Tomorrow, will discuss how these were lit.

The Grand Dell Rocks with Andy Just and John Garcia

John Garcia played guitar for John Lee Hooker and Andy Just is an internationally known bluesman. They teamed up Saturday night to a full house at the Grand Dell Saloon. It was just plain awesome, and the music had such texture and depth. Here is John Garcia doing a riff while Andy grooves in the background. Maybe I'll convert to black and white but for now, this is the real thing.

The band rocked the house driving the crowd at times into a frenzy. Here is Andy Just knocking the socks off his harmonica.

And when the whole band rocked you could see the joy in their faces! The blues hides nothing.

And when it came time, they worked the crowd with their sound, as Andy blows here.

But together they were magic

So there you have the scene, rocking to the blues. But the blues is a black and white scene so here it is!

And the ladies were dancing to the music!

So on this September 10, 2011 we all had a good time at the Grand Dell Saloon, we danced, listened to some great music and met some new friends. Tomorrow is September 11, 2011 and we should remember the loss and tragedy of New York City, Pennsylvania, and The Pentagon and say a prayer for those who lost so much. Good night.

 

A Night of Photo Critique At Hold the Eye Images Studio

Brian Tramontana has joined Hold the Eye Images, he is the Chair of the Photography Department at West Valley College in Saratoga Ca. Brian spent a lifetime in photography at Xerox before leaving the corporate world and starting a new career in  teaching. He has a "gathering" once a month of the 170 members of something he calls "Visions", a photo critique. He is now meeting at Hold the Eye Images Studio in Campbell Ca. Last night was the first meeting in the new location. The rules are simple, bring two images or prints, and the group comments. The comments are constructive and helpful if last night was a representative of prior meetings. Here's Brian just saying hello before everyone arrived.

As you can see, the setting is roomy and comfortable with the gallery lighting. But once the crowd had arrived, the lights were turned down and the critique began.

 

As you can see from these shots of mothers with babies, the photography was very good and interesting. However, there were some unusual photography, blurred street shots from hotel rooms, and other out of the ordinary compositions. All photography is a matter of taste, so experienced photographers don't talk in terms of good and bad, but likes and dislikes. I might love a photograph that you don't, so the conversation is very interesting and a great learning process for experienced photographers as well as beginners. Last night was no exception with a very rich discussion about each photograph. From my experience, these type group discussions where everyone is active are so much better than a competition where one person does all the talking, i.e. judge. With the group, you get a variety of opinions, from the technical stick with the rules, to the artsy "I love the emotion" comments. The important point, you get valuable feedback that you can incorporate into future photographs.

Afterward, the Grand Dell Saloon next door had a band and barbecue so we stopped off to listen for a few minutes watch some people dance, and enjoy some tri-tip steak, all you can eat for $10.    
Pretty nice gig for photogs on the loose for some feedback and feed. Maybe see you there next time, we will announce in Hold the Eye Images Meetup. Remember bring two images and see you next month.

Wrapping up the Sausalito Art Festival, a.k.a. The Kenny Loggins Afternoon

That is right, Kenny Loggins stole the show on Monday afternoon. He came out with his new song writing group, all legends and sang from their soon to be released album from Blue Riders in the Sky. Here is a link: Blue Riders in the Sky.

As you will read all are amazing song writers, and can sing. Kenny is a legend, and he talked about his big break when he went solo, being the opening act for Fleetwood Mac, Rumors Tour. Can't imagine a better gig to kick off a solo career. To his credit, he did it all, writing hits, singing hits, and being a true rock star. He is a bit more mellow and very down to earth as he talked quite a bit to the audience. He is clever, quick, and is funny. And, he has not lost his voice as so many 60's/70's and even 80's rockers have. He still has that great range, incredible sound, and soulful vibe when he wants it.

After Blue Sky Riders left the stage, Kenny returned for a solo show which lasted from 2:45 until 5Pm. A bit like Bruce, singing tough songs, the crowd going crazy dancing, and a packed house. It was as much fun seeing the crowd reaction as watching the show. This young woman dancing reminded me of seeing Janis Joplin and people dancing everywhere. The big difference, at the Janis show, everyone was stoned(except me of course, I did not inhale), and it was merely wine taking the dancing feet, with the help of Kenny's good music.

Now Kenny put a lot into this solo show and left no emotional rock unturned.

Somebody will ask me, why the black and white thing? Well there was a red canopy over the crowd which cast red on the attendees. I got lazy and decided not to deal with the red, so black and white.

Here are some general snapshots of the fair, with less people, but you get the impression.

The show was over, people were picking up their art purchases, making their way from the wine and beer stands to their cars, did I just say that?

Well not everybody was drinking, many were exercising their wallets, some their ears, and a few their elbows. Overall the Sausalito Art Festival is terrific, great art, great music, and lots of people watching(seems like I wrote this same line before but it is true). It costs $40 for the 3 days, where could you get this much for $40? And so I'm back and my last photo from this festival is one of my favorites. One man, rowing against the backdrop of a famous prison. Sort of sums up the times.

 

 

Day 2, Sausalito Art Festival, Fun and Chilly

Day 2 was partly sunny, chilly and filled with good music and art. Having attended many of these events, the weather is always different, never terrible, and as likely to be hot as chilly. Today was no different, foggy in the morning, with the sun coming through in the afternoon then cool wind. This only affects what you wear not the quality of anything else. The morning started with a new set of events. Here are a few images from the early morning. Once again, a man and his dog.

A few brave paddle boarders and birding formations.

Finally some fishermen caught the early light and fishing opportunity

Next comes the festival music. Lot of folks, Edgar Winters, the World Classic Rockers including members of Lynrd Skynrd,Toto, Steppenwolf, Journey, Santana, and Boston appeared this afternoon. Music began around 11AM, and concluded at 6PM. Here are some images from the music.

And the clothes matched the music.

So there you have it. The color tinge is due to the covering of the music location which is primarily red.

People had fun, bought art, drank a little beer and wine(maybe more than a little), and danced. With the old rockers in attendance, maybe a bit of nostalgia was enjoyed by everyone including the band(s). Tomorrow is the last day.

 

Opening Day, Sausalito Art Festival

Poeple from all over the world, both buyers and artists attend the Festival. Artists with 275 exhibits attend as well as 26 bands who play on 3 stages. Included in the artist groups are photographers whose work you can examine as well as talk with the photograper in most cases. I have spent a great deal of time talking with photograhers in prior years, doing podcasts interviewing them, and have come away the better for it. While much of the photographic work at the festival involves a lengthy process both pre and post capture, the part that attracts me is the composition and choice of subject. One photographer, for example, photographs only old man made metal surfaces, like the ones in the desert. The images are enhanced, saturated and ink jet printed, the post processig is unusual and the outcome is very pleasing to the eye. Another photographer takes multiple images from different subjects and merges pieces of each in photoshop layers to form a unique image that is very eye catching. The operative word is "eye catching", these are not just thrown together, he has a vision before he begins, follows through creating a piece that is terrific. Want to see some? Well come on over to the festival or wait until the final blog after the show for some links, maybe. Might even interview one or two of these photog characters.

The second piece of the festival is the music. I try to catch as many of the bands as possible, and all are excellent at what they do. Today, I said hello to some artist friends, walked around a bit, checking out the photography, and listened to some good music. I won't go into the name of the bands, you can check that out on the web, but I will share some images of my wandering today.

Above and below, Macy Blackman lead singer for the New Orleans group, Macy Blackman and the Mighty Fines.

The Mighty Fines are below. I loved the sax!

But there were other things going on, like Dads providing a shoulder for young sons when the little guys got tired.

Or a lead singer preparing to go on stage, just chilling before the gig.

She was also terrific, even though the black and white makes her look a bit down on the luck.

I had a good day, enjoyed the cool weather, people watching, great art, and a little music. And, I took a few pic's, what more could I have asked for?

Rockin' the Grand Dell Saloon on Thursday night

The Grand Dell Saloon is next door to Hold the Eye Images Studio, we often photograph the Saloon, and we love the friendly atmosphere and music vibe. On Thursday nights, the Grand Dell turns into a "Blues Jam Session" with artists from all over stopping in just to play with fellow musicians. Last night was no exception, the place was crawling with musicians waiting to play. Folks come in and sign up, and wait their turn. This is not karaoke for musicians, these people can play and all love the blues. They play in bands and when not on the road, they stop in and catch up. You see musicians from everywhere, and recently more and more top bluesmen have been stopping in. Seems the recession has significantly cut back on European Blues Festivals and so they are traveling the US or coming home. The Grand Dell has been a bit of a magnet for some of these worldly dudes. And, last night was no exception. Around 9:00 who walks into the Grand Dell but John Nemeth. Now here is a sample of his style of blues

 

The Grand Dell was literally overrun with great musicians all waiting and John knocked the lights out with his set, getting standing ovations and whistles for his music. John had never been to the Grand Dell and when he came on stage(if you want to call it that), he said he loved the vibe in the Grand Dell, and so he cranked it up.

If you are ever in the Bay Area and want to listen to some good authentic blues music in a place that looks and feels like the original blues bar, check out the Grand Dell Saloon. You'll also see the hideaway we call our phtographic nest, the Hold the Eye Images Studio.

Weekend in Seattle

 
A great city with a wonderful market area. Some interesting photo opportunities for some street shooting. Notice the shooter in the reflection of the window!

 

Everybody has a message!