LYNN GOLDSMITH: Rock & Roll New Orleans April 21 - July 5

The Beatles
Photograph © Lynn Goldsmith

Bob Dylan
Photograph © Lynn Goldsmith

Lynn Goldsmith surrounded by her Rock Mosaics
Photograph © Lynn Goldsmith

Mick Jagger Rock Mosaic
Photograph © Lynn Goldsmith

Mick Jagger Rock Mosaic close-up (click image to enlarge)
Photograph © Lynn Goldsmith

John Lennon Fans NYC
Photograph © Lynn Goldsmith

Bruce Springsteen
Photograph © Lynn Goldsmith

Music makes me feel like I've connected to people. —Lynn Goldsmith

Legendary rock photographer Lynn Goldmith’s exhibition, Rock and Roll: Lynn Goldsmith, is coming to New Orlean's April 21 through July 5, 2010 at A Gallery For Fine Photography on Chartres Street. This show will include her 'Rock Mosaics', made up of thousands of her photographs using the Chuck Close grid system. Goldsmith's exhibition is accompanied by her book, Rock and Roll, a collection of her best work with an introduction by The Godfather of Punk, Iggy Pop. The book also includes quotes by many of the artists and three gate-folds of her 'Rock Mosaics' of the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen and Kiss. PDN Master Series Goldsmith Gallery

Rock And Roll: Lynn Goldsmith
A Gallery For Fine Photography • April 21 - July 5, 2010
241 Chartres Street - New Orleans

BIG YOUTH: Screaming Target

"Big Youth was one of the most influential DJs on the Jamaican scene in the 1970s, helping to popularize the tradition of singers "toasting" over records. The shrieks that kick off the title track command the listener's attention immediately, and belie Big Youth's jazzy, laid-back style. "Screaming Target" is a clarion call for Jamaica's youth to educate and better themselves, and typifies Big Youth's cool, mesmerizing performance with razor-sharp, socially conscious lyrics. "Screaming Target" is still on the shortlist of historically important reggae albums decades after its release."

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I don't know the photographer for the covers of Big Youth's first full-length debut album, Screaming Target, or his later Dreadlocks Dread, but the preceding post on Bob Marley prints at Snap Galleries reminded me to go in search for them. Screaming Target has some killer cuts Big Youth made with then 20 year-old producer Gussie Clarke. Both continue to be my all time favorite reggae albums ever. At an early Big Youth concert long ago, we watched as two men had to hold him up to get on stage and prop him up throughout the entire incredibly pure stoned-out stream-of-consciousness performance. Screaming Target: Big Youth, with background vocals by Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown, K.C. White.

BOB MARLEY PRINTS: Snap Gallery

Bob Marley, Positive Vibrations II
Photograph (c) Dennis Morris /All Rights Reserved

Bob Marley, Live at Lycheum
Photograph (c) Dennis Morris /All Rights Reserved

Bob Marley, Kings Road, London
Photograph (c) Dennis Morris /All Rights Reserved

Bob Marley, Leeds, 1974
Photograph (c) Dennis Morris /All Rights Reserved

"It was while bunking off school to wait for Bob Marley to arrive for his soundcheck at the Speak Easy Club on London's Margaret Street that Dennis's music photography career really began. Bob Marley was so taken with the young teenager who was waiting for him that he invited Dennis to come along and take pictures on the remainder of the tour. Running home to Dalston, Dennis packed his bag and jumped on the bus. His photographs of Marley and The Wailers became famous the world over, appearing on the cover of Time Out and Melody Maker before Dennis had even turned 17."

SNAP GALLERIES
BOB MARLEY REDEMPTION SONG

STING: St. John The Divine Rehearsal

Sting Rehearsal with Ira Coleman on bass, St. John the Divine Cathedral
Photograph (c) Eleonora Alberto

Performing at Rehearsal, left, Kathryn and Peter Tickell on fiddles,
Sting, Ira Coleman on bass, guitarist Dominic Miller
Photograph (c) Eleonora Alberto

Sting Rehearsal with Music Director Robert Sadin and the Newark Boys Chorus, St. John the Divine Cathedral Photograph (c) Eleonora Alberto

"Winter is about inspiration and imagination"–Sting
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STING Winter Concert Rehearsal. St. John the Divine Cathedral's medieval architecture was the setting for Sting's private "family and friends" winter concert rehearsal last night. (I was a lucky friend of a friend). The Gothic/Romanesque backdrop of the Cathedral only added to the haunting beauty of the songs performed from Sting's album "If On A Winter's Night" that included madrigals to traditional Gaelic folk music.

Sting was accompanied by an ensemble of 35 musicians, including friend and long time colleague, guitarist Dominic Miller, Ira Coleman (double bass) and four remarkable musicians from his hometown (Sting called them "Geordies") in Northeast England, near the Scottish border : Kathryn Tickell (fiddle and Northumbrian pipes) and brother Peter Tickell (fiddle) Julian Sutton (melodean) and Mary MacMaster (metal string Scottish harp). With Robert Sadin as Music Director, the guest artists included Vincent Ségal (cello), Daniel Hope (violin), Chris Botti (trumpet), Ibrahim Maalouf (trumpet), Cyro Baptista (percussion), Bijan Chemirani (percussion) and the three fabulous backup singers from NYC and Australia. The Newark Boys Chorus joined all of them for a beautiful chorus. I'm sorry to those I've left off. The evening was unbelievably beautiful and perfectly conjured up the seasons holiday Spirits.

Photographer Eleonora Alberto was there to photograph the performance which included her husband, Brazilian percussionist Cyro Baptista. She was gracious enough to allow me to post some of the evenings highlights. Many thanks to Susan Forristal for the invite.

HALLOWEEN TREAT: Vintage Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix with Texas psychedelic group The Moving Sidewalks.
Center, Lead singer Billy Gibbons, pre-ZZ Top, Fort Worth, Texas, 1968

BILLY GIBBONS founded the '60's Texas psychedelic group The Moving Sidewalks. They came into prominence opening for The Jimi Hendrix Experience during Hendrix's first American tour. Billy was still in high school when Hendrix, one of the greatest electric guitarist in rock history, named Gibbons his favorite guitar player on "The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson". Billy went on to ZZ Top fame (Sharp Dressed Man, Legs). Photographer unknown. l to r: Tom Moore, Jimi Hendrix, Don Summers, Billy Gibbons (pre-ZZ Top), Dan Mitchell. Happy Halloween!