 My journey into the world of photography began in the late sixties while living on the upper West side of Manhattan. I was fascinated with New York’s parks, architecture, and landmarks, and spent a great deal of time photographing my neighborhood, West End Ave, Riverside Park, along the Hudson River. After a while I began to focus more on the street life of the city. I started with the shop owners, the pizza guys, street musicians, street people, and artists of New York. Working as an actor and musician gave me access to people and places that were off the beaten path, allowing me to photograph the rehearsals, and performances of musical comedies, clubs, and lounges around town.
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After resettling in Los Angeles in 1980, I put my camera down for a while. A chance meeting with John and Jeanne Pisano at one of their performances one evening led me to an enclave of the finest jazz musicians to be found anywhere. John Pisano started his Guitar Night soon after our meeting. On a whim, I brought a camera to that first Guitar Night. That was more than eleven years ago and you can count on one hand the Guitar Nights I have since missed.
Over the years I have photographed over 120 of the finest and most famous jazz guitarists, along with countless bass players, drummers, horn and reed players, keyboard artists, and of course, the vocalists.
My work started appearing in newspapers and magazines. The Los Angeles Times, Just Jazz Guitar, Twentieth Century Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, and several other in-house and trade magazines. I began to do advertising work and CD photo art. In the last eight years I contributed covers and inside work on over 60 CD’s including Kenny Burrell’s new “Lucky So and So”, Rosemary Clooney’s “Sentimental Journey”, Dianne Schuur / Maynard Ferguson’s “Swingin’ For Schuur”, The “Blonde” Mini Series Soundtrack, The FLying Pisanos “Ensemble”, Andrea Bakers “Table for One”, The Ron Eschete Trio “Live at Rocco’s”, Ron Anthony / Dave Carpenter “It’s Always 4 am”, Doug MacDonald’s “Blue Capers”, The Acoustic Jazz Quartet, Mike Anthony’s “Natural Instincts, Byron walls “Cool, Calm and Collected”, Ray Walker / John Pisano “Affinity”, Cathy Segal-Garcia / Ross Tompkins’s “Heart to Heart”, Frank Potenza’s “The Legacy”, and Ron Kalina, and Jim Self’s new CD, the “Odd Couple”.
I am presently on the Milt Hinton Award committee, for excellence in Jazz photography. The award is given out every two years, presently in NYC under the auspices of Jazz at Lincoln Center / Wynton Marsalis.
My friend and mentor the late, noted jazz photographer Ray Avery called my photos “Performance Portraits”. It is the description that most satisfies me. All the photos you will see were taken during live performances with available light.
Bob Barry
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My most recent exhibitions are - The Radisson Hotel “Culver Room.” Showed 24 pieces of varied sizes. Exhibit ran from August to November of 08
The American Jazz Museum in Kansas City MO. 20 16x20 images in 20x24 frames. Ran from May to August 08.
Crown Plaza Hotel at LAX / Brasserie Jazz Lounge (40 images, 30 11x14, and 10 16x20, which ran 3 months 08)
Flazh! Alley Gallery, San Pedro - “The Brotherhood” 30 images that ran for six weeks beginning May of 08).
The Channel Islands Jazz & Art Festival 06- 20 images 11x14, 16x20, matted, framed. Shown in a dual exhibition with the work of Ray Avery. The exhibit ran for 6 weeks.
Spazio Restaurant & Jazz Club – 15 images, 11x14, in 16x20 frames, that I rotate every 3 m0nths over the last 5 years. |
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