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, 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.
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 almost five years ago and you can count on one hand the Guitar Nights I have since missed.
Over the years I have photographed over seventy of the finest and most famous jazz guitarists, along with the 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 two years I contributed covers and inside work on eighteen CD’s including Kenny Burrell’s new Lucky So and So, Rosemary Clooney’s Sentimental Journey, Pat Kelley's In The Moment, 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, and Frank Potenza’s soon to be released The Legacy.
My friend and mentor the noted jazz photographer Ray Avery calls 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.
Jazzography
6277 Ivarene Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90068
Email: jazzbarry@aol.com
Bob Barry Photo by Ray Avery
All photos copyright © Bob Barry.
All Rights Reserved.
Bob Barry: Just Jazz Guitar, Volume I
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Kenny Burrell, 2000 @ Rocco LA
Anthony Wilson, 2000 @ Rocco LA
John Stowell, 2000 @ Rocco LA
John Pisano, 1997 @ Papashon LA
Russell Malone, 2000 @ The Jazz Bakery LA
Mundell Lowe, 2000 @ Rocco LA
Randy Johnston, 1999 @ Papashon LA
Frank Vignola, 1999 @ Papashon LA
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