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It’s incredible what Esperanza Spalding, this young musician, has achieved so far. I really recommend anyone that like latin jazz to listen to her records and, if possible, go to one of her concerts. When you see her walking on stage, it’s hard to believe that she’ll be able to play such a huge instrument like the acoustic bass. But, she does! The big piece of wood with elevator cables as strings turns light and magical in her hands.

Here you see her at two distinct performances in São Paulo, Brazil. The first in 2006 when she was only 21 at the small and cozy stage of Bourbon Street Music Club. That was also the first time I heard her playing. I just love to go to concerts that I know nothing about. A lot of times it’s a very nice surprise, like this case.

The second performance that I photographed was at a bigger venue, Via Funchal, where she preceded jazz guitarist George Benson. I was great to see her again, still with a lot of energy if not more. I have to admit ‘tough that I prefer the smaller venues, but it’s probably because it’s better for me to photograph. I can walk more around and get different angles.

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Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca performing at Bourbon Street Music Club. São Paulo, january 20, 2006.

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Brazilian singer Alcione in concert at Bourbon Street Music Club in São Paulo, Brazil. The singer also made a very rare trumpet solo. She learned to play the intrument but little few fans knew that she did. São Paulo, may 9, 2006.

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Taking a break from a series of lectures at a photo fair in São Paulo (Brazil), American photographer Mark Seliger shows up with his whole band at a musical bar called “Na Mata Café”. He played there for two nights and managed to make a surprise duo with brazilian singer and composer Seu Jorge. It was a one of a kind opportunity to see this band!

Mark Seliger is best known as a top photographer in New York. Famous for making loads of great covers and portraits of all kinds of artists in super magazines as Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair. But now it was my turn to take a picture of him being the musical artist. He takes his band project very serious and it has already two recorded albums: Broken Promises and Luck’s Changing Lanes.

You can check his band at the official site: www.rustytruckmusic.com

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This concert makes me remember of two changes in my life.

It was the first big concert I shot after my brief cruise ship life. I was a little apprehensive. A long time without doing this kind of stuff made me a little rusted, had to get used again to hold the camera in the low lights of Boubon St., a jazz club in São Paulo. It was despairing to review the images at night, trying to find a good one to print. A lot of under-exposed and shaky shots. But I got better by the end. Fortunately I found one that got good after I converted to B&W.

The second concert was at a big venue called Via Funchal, in São Paulo. Thanks to Adriana del Claro from Mondo Entretenimento and Herbert Lucas from Bourbon St. I could get a last minute pass to shoot this disputed and crowded concert. Curiously, I didn´t went to the press pit. I went straight to the VIP area! Right between all the famous people that I don´t know (I suck at Red Carpet stuff) and the crazy fans. The bad part is that I had a lot of hands and the so-called non-professional cameras in my view. On the other hand, nobody ask me to leave after three songs.

I did get some good pictures! The keyboard player Christian Lohr was really happy with his picture wis Joss Stone while he was soloing. He told me that he always wanted this moment in a photo but I was the only one that got it right. That´s good!

Joss was really kind at the backstage after the concert. She loved her B&W portrait print that she got from the previous night. She signed another copy that can be seen at Bourbon St. Club.

It was also the last concert that i shot with my trusted Nikon D200. It was my first digital camera, before I had the ever-ready FM2. Well, I got a D3. Low light isn´t a big issue anymore. I even had some super-exposed pictures on the first concert with the D3!

Nicholas Payton em São Paulo no Bourbon Street Music Club, 2001.

Desde 2000, venho fotografando as apresentações musicais na casa Bourbon Street Music Club em São Paulo. Tive a oportunidade de registrar diversos artistas de renome nacional e internacional. Músicos como: Diana Krall, Ron Carter, BB King, Milton Nascimento, Ibrahim Ferrer, Joss Stone para citar uma pequena parte.

Muitas destas imagens foram ampliadas e entraram para o acervo da casa e várias delas também contam com o autógrafo do artista retratado. É este acervo, que também conta com obras de outros fotógrafos, que agora ganhou um local apropriado num dos ambientes do Bourbon. A exposição que era para acabar no primeiro semestre de 2009 acabou ficando. Agora ela é permantente até que se prove o contrário!

Bom, a esposição ocorre dentro da casa e pode ser necessário adquirir um ingresso. Por favor se informe antes de ir lá.

Exposição do acervo de fotografias
Bourbon Street Musci Club
Rua dos Chanés, 127
Moema, São Paulo-SP
tel: +55 11 5095-6100