Behind the Scenes: Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings

This past November I was honored to shoot the album cover for Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings for their upcoming fourth LP "I Learned the Hard Way" (out April 6, 2010). I had slowly gotten to know the good people at Daptone from shooting some of their shows in NYC and making several visits to the studio to document the recording in progress. (One of those photos was used in the recently released Daptone Gold compilation.) I really feel spoiled to be able to work with an all-in-the-family independent label who makes honest and uncompromising music.



We used the back yard of the studio and the adjacent fire escape to make a photo that was in keeping with the look and feel of urban group shot covers that were seen a lot in the late 60's and early 70's (The Impressions 'This is My Country', The Supremes 'Love Child', etc.) We went with the square format Hasselblad with negative film to get the same look and feel from the period.

Although we had some strobes on set and a Nikon D3x for digital back-up, the shots chosen for the cover were made with natural light on film.

Behind the scenes photos are courtesy Matt Rogers, a writer, photographer and filmmaker who has been documenting Daptone and the soul/funk scene for many years.













out-takes:

Jay Reatard at Gonerfest 2007

Jay Reatard performs to his hometown crowd at the Hi-Tone cafe in Memphis as part of Gonerfest 4 in 2007. Really tragic that he is gone.

NPR Music post on his passing with a great short doc about him.

Photoshelter gallery with more photos from this night.

NYT article

many more tributes surely to come.

Sharon Jones at Brooklyn Bowl 12/30/09

Happy New Year Everyone

Sharon Jones helped us get through the holidays with a home-borough show at the Brooklyn Bowl the day before NYE. Here's hoping for a good year of music in 2010.

Photoshelter Slideshow Here

Definitely STILL LIFE at the STAX MUSEUM

This past Sunday I returned from Memphis, humbled and my heart filled by the great response we had at the opening for "STILL LIFE IN SOUL: Contemporary Music Photography by Jacob Blickenstaff" at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music.

On Friday, November 6th, the Stax Museum combined a party for members and former artists with the reception for the show, it was a beautiful evening. Former Stax president and now head of the Memphis Music Foundation, Al Bell, gave me, the Stax alumni in the room and the Stax Music Academy heartfelt introductions. With the talented music academy backing, Eddie Floyd was coaxed to sing his soul mega-hit "Knock on Wood", followed by Harvey Scales performing "I Can't Turn You Loose" and then William Bell with his masterful "You Don't Miss Your Water".

Eddie Floyd

Harvey Scales

William Bell

The vibe in the room was amazing, and was truly felt by everyone. It was a shared moment- between the young and the old, the music makers and the music lovers, the many who made contributions to Stax and the many who lovingly preserve its legacy. It was a very proud moment for me to see that my work added to that connection. The experience was a strong reminder that I've been on the right track with my instincts all this time and a great push forward.

We had many honored guests including Al Bell, Eddie Floyd, William Bell, Harvey Scales, James Alexander of the Bar Kays, J Blackfoot of the Soul Children, Bettye Crutcher, Willie Hall, Deannie Parker, Curtis Johnson and Sam Jones of the Astors, Teenie and Charles Hodges of the Hi Rhythm Section, Jody Stephens of Big Star, and William Brown (of the Mad Lads and acclaimed producer/engineer) along with many others.

click here for a photo gallery of the exhibit

To top it all off, we got some great press in Memphis as well. On the Thursday before the show, I was interviewed on WREG's 'Live at 9' and managed not to embarrass myself.

I was also honored that the Commercial Appeal ran a cover story in their weekend calendar. You can read the great piece by Bob Mehr here.

Thank you Stax Museum (especially Tim Sampson), Memphis, Ponderosa Stomp, Dig Deeper, Daptone, and all my friends and family that support me and my work.

STILL LIFE IN SOUL opening at Stax Museum in Memphis this Friday!

It's almost here! Friday night we are having a special event at the Stax Museum with music by the Stax Academy, special guest appearances by Stax alumni (Al Bell, Eddie Floyd, William Bell, Harvey Scales expected), food and drink and a first look at the exhibit.

7-10 PM
free for museum members, $20 at the door for non-members.

Stax Museum of American Soul Music.
926 E. McLemore Ave, Memphis TN.

Memberships start at $50, really worth it to support this great organization.

official info page on the Stax website here

We've had a great response so far, keep your eyes open for articles in the Memphis Commercial Appeal and the Memphis Flyer. I really hope that this show can add something to the growing interest soul music's past and future. - J

STILL LIFE IN SOUL STAX MUSEUM ANNOUNCEMENT

This is an official announcement of my upcoming photography show at the Stax Museum in Memphis, opening November 6th. I couldn't be more excited. To my knowledge this is the first show of its kind to shine a broad light on the resurgence of soul music. I hope that the show show serves to legitimize what's been going on and give it another push forward.

You can download an Electronic Press Kit about the show here

Stax Museum info page

Facebook Event page

from the press release:

MEMPHIS, TN - The Stax Museum of American Soul Music announces a new exhibition, “STILL LIFE IN SOUL,” opening November 6th, 2009. The exhibit explores the current life, activity, and resurgence in popularity of soul music through portrait, performance, and documentary photography made since 2005 by music photographer Jacob Blickenstaff.

Soul music was a nuanced, emotional, and energetic idiom that reached a worldwide audience at its height in the 1960s but then virtually disappeared by the end of the 1970s. After subsequent decades of disco, hip-hop, rap, and modern R&B – much of which covered and sampled original soul music classics from Stax Records and other labels – the roots of authentic soul are sprouting again with revived careers of veteran artists, dynamic new acts, successful concerts and festivals, reissue projects, and soul-driven independent labels.

Artists represented in the 40 photos in the exhibit include Bettye LaVette, Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, Lee Fields & the Expressions, Barbara Lynn, Maxine Brown, Roscoe Robinson, Harvey Scales, Candi Staton, Sir Lattimore Brown, Otis Clay, William Bell, Eddie Floyd, Skip Pitts, Ben Cauley, Mighty Hannibal, John Gary Williams (of the Mad Lads), and many others. The work chronicles performances at The Ponderosa Stomp, Lincoln Center, Dig Deeper, and the Brooklyn Soul Festival, as well as recording sessions at Daptone Studios. Many performances were backed by contemporary soul bands the Bo-Keys, The Sweet Divines, and Eli Reed and the True Loves.

26th Roots of American Music Festival at Lincoln Center

Closing out the Lincoln Center Out of Doors Festival was the 2-day 26th Annual Roots of American Music program which presented a great and varied spread of roots related artists.



I went to photograph on my own and was particularly excited to see the re-formed Texas Tornadoes with original members (and legends) Flaco Jimenez and Augie Meyers - led by Doug Sahm's son Shawn, who does a great honor to his father's music and is a heck of a rock 'n roller himself.

Other artists in the photos include Ramblin' Jack Elliot, the Holmes Brothers, Lizz Wright, Allen Toussaint (all day one) plus the BRC Orchestra, the Louisiana Renegades, and a great lineup for the 'Mazel Tov, Mis Amigos' project on day 2.

Here is a slide show of some of the highlights.

Much praise to my friends at Lincoln Center who worked so hard to produce a wonderful season.