Almost two years ago, I stepped into The Grapevine lounge in Calumet City. A swirl of color and music permeated the air as a wide-eyed lady in a tight, sequined gown sang “The Girl From Ipanema.”
The song never sounded so raw.
I had come from North Carolina, across the Appalachian Mountains (where I grew up with dulcimer music and the Oak Ridge Boys).
I was drawn to the motion and the vibrancy of the jazz clubs south of the city. On a cold night, you could walk into a room and be wrapped with the warmth of the saxophone, the heartbeat of the bass, the sandy brush of the drum. I wanted to photograph this music, visualize this sound.
For the last year and a half, I’ve gone to South Side clubs with one camera and three lenses. Rather than use conventional photography techniques, I wanted to capture the music’s vibrations by using slow shutter speeds and available light.
I didn’t set out to document the jazz lifestyle. I wanted to let the music speak for itself.
