I recently was asked to photograph singer/songwriter Justin Donovan for his CD release show at Dazzle Lounge in Denver.   Justin Donovan truly surpassed my expectations & is certainly someone I recommend keeping an eye on…or better yet, keeping an ear to.  His soulful voice, complimented by his guitar licks & the bands horns & drums created a fusion of jazzy-blues-funk that I can’t imagine anyone not digging.  And just by watching Justin & the other musicians play one can confirm their passion for music.   OK, now I feel like more of a music writer then a photographer….but I can’t help it, I get really excited when I discover new local music!  And excuse me for saying this, but good musicians, particularly in the jazz & blues category, are hard to find in Denver.  Having been born into the musically inspired city of New Orleans, I suppose I’ve been quite spoiled in the past when it comes to live music…which is also one reason why I’m quite picky with my music.   But trust me, unless you’re headed to New Orleans anytime soon, then head out and catch Justin Donovan’s next performance, you won’t regret it!

A trip to New Orleans is never complete without taking in a live show.  Live music is found everywhere you turn in New Orleans, but the best shows are always the ones at a hard to find small crowded bar full of locals, wannabe locals, cheap drinks, and musicians that love to hang out with their fans before, during, and after their sets.   Vaughn’s is just that along with the added bonus of Kermit Ruffin’s BBQ he grills himself if you get there early enough, and the biggest pot of red beans and rice you have ever seen, free to all those with an appetite, gotta love New Orleans!   My dad first told me the stories of Vaughn’s when I was in high school and he used to go every Wednesday night to catch Kermit Ruffins perform.  I don’t think too much has changed other then Kermit now plays on Thursday nights and has become well known to those that watch the HBO series Treme.   When my sister and I first arrived it was a challenge just getting up to the bar for an Abita beer, much less finding a spot to actually see the band through a hole in the wall that separates the video poker machines from the crowd.  But eventually, with over a decade of crowd maneuvering experience, we were able to score a spot in the front row with just enough space to dance the night away. My first glimpse of Kermit Ruffins was from inside the tiny room that holds the video poker machines, looking through a missing window pane in the wall that separates it from the rest of the bar.  Below you can see how crowded Vaughn’s was that night, without my super wide angle fisheye lens it would have been impossible to capture half these photos.
Abita beer is the local’s beer of choice, especially at Vaughn’s where the counters are filled with nothing but Abita bottles!
My sister & I get our picture with the trumpet legend. On his break Kermit hung out with his fans taking photos, signing CD’s, &  sharing a smoke.  This photo was taken by our new friend of the night – Derek Freeman, thank you Derek!

Wow, what an amazing event to photograph!!! My favorite musicians from New Orleans set against the vast red landscape of Red Rocks! This past Saturday New Orleans literally descended upon Red Rocks for Mountainside Mardi Gras! The crowd was kind and crazy, the music was funkalicious, and the beads and booze were flowing!  Its times like these that remind me how much I really love being a photographer…and from New Orleans!  It was quite an exhilerating challenge running up and down those endless stairs to get the best shots, and it’s been 4 days since the show and my legs still hurt, but it was totally worth it.  This was the biggest concert I have ever photographed, but hopefully the first of many more to come.  Thank you so much DJ Kinetik for hooking me up with this “job”…anytime you need a photographer (especially at Red Rocks) I’m there!

If you do not know these bands, if you have not ever felt New Orleans music (this aint no country or cajun, but funk-jazz-blues-soul-brass) then you must check out these sites below:

Johnny Sketch & The Dirty Notes
Big Sam’s Funky Nation
Papa Grows Funk
George Porter Jr. & The Runnin Pardners
Ivan Neville’s Dumstaphunk
The Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Dr.John & The Lower 911
New Era Brass Band

P.S.  I used to want to be a painter and a rock star, so I had dreams of painting on concert stages along side the drummer.  I eventually discovered that my true talent and passion was in photography. It excites me to see artists living my former dream and I was thrilled to see 3 painters on Saturday.  Check out these amazing painters that were there to capture the scene in beautiful ways my camera can not.

Frenchy
Scramble Campbell
John Bukaty