Al strong
Al Strong is a force in modern jazz, one of the most innovative voices working today.
If he were based in New York or Los Angeles instead of Durham, the world would probably already know his name. When he told me the local PBS station was producing a special around his new music, I jumped at the chance to photograph the rehearsals.
I approached this session with the photographs of Herman Leonard and Jim Marshall in mind. Their work captured musicians in the studio at the exact moment something new was being created. That was the energy I wanted to chase. The band was still shaping the sound, and the director and television crew were still figuring out how to shoot it. Everything was in motion.
I brought some of my older lenses to push the images toward that feeling. I wanted texture, imperfections, and character rather than the clean technical precision of modern glass. The final set is a mix of old and new, and if you look closely you can probably tell which is which.
I hope these photographs do Al and the band justice and capture a moment of creation.
