McCoy Tyner: Brecon, 2002
Information
"This was taken at the sound check on a Leica with a 90mm lens. I very rarely crop images but this is one I felt would benefit.
I remember it was the 10th of August for some strange reason.
One of the things I love about stage photography is how the lighting on the artist sometimes recreates a feel of the Hollywood look of the film stars of the 40's and 50's exemplified by the British photographer Cornel Lucas.
Many of the master portraitist Jousuf Karsh's most famous photographs were made with similar lighting arrangements. Jazz master photographer Herman Leonard for a time assisted the great photographer.
The year after on my first visit to NYC in 2003 I was staying in a place just off Time Square,
I picked up The Village Voice from a machine and went straight to the jazz listings - incredible - of course many of the worlds leading players are based in the city.
The one that hit me was McCoy Tyner with Michael Brecker at Iridium, just 5 minutes from where I stood.
To begin the evening I went to Sardis on West 44th, a famous show biz restaurant and bar, enjoyed a libation and left for the club.
I was in New York over the weekend enroute for a festival in Toronto I had some prints with me to show there and would you believe it, I had this one and a mounted one of Michael Brecker's tenor taken at Glasgow JF.
I was. introduced to Messrs. Brecker and Tyner backstage had a chat and gave them the prints. I had 2 of this one with me, I don't know why - must have been for this night , McCoy signed one for me which hangs on the wall.
You can see Mr. Tyner at London Jazz Festival this year." William Ellis, 2011
Equipment: Leica M6, 90mm lens.
