Each year there are one or two shows that become burned into my memory. For 2023 they were two: Brandee Younger, which I was not allowed to shoot but appears elsewhere in my stream. She did a rendition of Stevie Wonder's "Is It Magic?" on the harp that was breathtaking. And her drummer gave the best drum solo I have EVER heard...EVER!! I would pay $100 for that recording.

The second show was this one: a quartet of three ("The fourth person is our ancestors: they...help to make to the music real.") A very bebop sound -- generally a style I don't care for -- and an amazingly special show. Thankfully they did a second set, which I I revisited. Here M. Makhathini plays and regards his bandmates.

Sometimes musicians play and change the energy in an audience. This was one of those shows. There was such a positive feel and shared connection it is hard to describe. I've experienced this only a few times. A show for the history books...

To see the three physical beings playing a cut they did here in Montreal... <3<3<3 playing "Omnyama"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0noGL2jLa0

Thanks to all the 100 visitors the first day, and then Explore! Thanks too to all the Explorers for visiting, faving, and commenting!!

Tags:   C.A. McMullen Photography musician monochrome Nduduzo Makhathini Quartet pianist black-and-white jazz bebop darktable Festival International de Jazz de Montreal Quarter des Spectacles g man Montreal Quebec Canada concert FIJM Canon EOS 5D Mark II Canon EF 100-300mm f/5.6 L

© All Rights Reserved

Local phenom Cecile Doo-Kingue reemerges from the pandemic to play a pair of closing sets on the blues stage at Montreal's huge jazz festival.

I convince five visiting American friends that the must see her first set at 9 pm, even one who usually is in her hotel bed by that time. We walk her around and keep her up. The show starts: they are all blown away. As Cecile closes her first set at 10 pm she announces that she will be back at 11: my early bird friend wheels around to the group and shouts "Let's come back!"

A proper jazz attitude. As one jazz musician put it, "You can sleep when your dead..." 😋 Five new fans for Cecile!

Cecile...always striking.

Recommended track: "Is Anybody Listening":
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RH0-1dU3064

Tags:   C.A. McMullen Photography concert festival FIJM Festival International de Jazz de Montreal Cecile Doo-Kingue blues Quartier des Spectacles Place des Arts Montreal Quebec monochrome Canada black-and-white Canon EOS 5D Mark II Canon EF 100-300mm f/5.6 L

© All Rights Reserved

The other model in my film noir shoot. She was really great with the frosty looks...

The awesome EF-S 10-22mm doing portrait work to simulate the look of film noir cinematography. 1/125, f/16, ISO 400. Studio strobe at camera right.

Tags:   C.A. McMullen Photography black and white portrait Canon EOS 350D veil monochrome infrared woman studio Canada Montreal Quebec G2 film noir period dress Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM

© All Rights Reserved

Rail transit in the Petro Metro (Houston)...go figure! And no, it doesn't have warp drive. ;)

(Hit "L" as it looks super-cool on black: you've been warned!)

Tags:   C.A. McMullen Photography Avanto S70 Siemens Houston Metro streetcar light rail train metro tram false color infrared downtown infrared G1 Canon EOS 350D city Houston Texas USA Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM

© All Rights Reserved

Iconic tree found all over Martha's Vineyard, here overlooking the waters off Menemsha.

Way back when, "The Vineyard" was a popular summer retreat for people in Boston and a few from NYC: even my friends in Connecticut (the neighboring state, two hours by car) hadn't heard of it. That all changed in the early 1990's when then-President Clinton went to visit. Since then everyone has heard of it and now you have to make ferry reservations months in advance (we used to just drive down and drive on!). Now license plates from New Mexico and Canada are not uncommon, and the island has slowly been made "cute." However, the same slow pace reigns: there are still no traffic lights on the island, and there is very little to do aside from going to the beach and shopping for odds and ends. A nice break from frantic urban lifestyles...!

Tags:   C.A. McMullen Photography Beetlebung infrared G3 false color infrared ocean tree island Canon EOS 350D Menemsha Chilmark Martha's Vineyard USA Cape Cod Massachusetts Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM

© All Rights Reserved