Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Michael Barnett

I have long believed that one's ability to relate to one's fellow musicians off the band stand is as important is one's ability to relate on the bandstand.  This is usually referred to as the "art of the hang".  I first met Michael Barnett around 1998 or so, as he had just moved to Seattle from the Chicago area.  Playing in a little club along with saxophonist, Rob Davis, Michael impressed us not only with his musicianship, but with his personable nature.  Michael knows how to hang.

Easily one of the smartest people I've ever met, Michael gradually reveals himself.  Never pretentious, boastful or self-aggrandizing in any way, Michael's depth is gradually uncovered as everyday conversation moves from place to place.  I don't think I've ever met someone who knows so much about so many things who never feels a need to prove it.

Michael plays music with the same modesty.  He approaches each situation with fresh ears and ideas, truly interested in serving the music of the moment.  It's no surprise that Michael is one of the handful of musicians I know who has made a living playing jazz, without the need to augment his income via teaching or some other profession.

As you may have concluded, I'm a big fan not only of Michael's playing, but of the man he is.  I knew early on I wanted to include him in this project.  When conceptualizing the photo we would create, I initially thought about the fact that Michael is an avid golfer and thought about somehow tying that into his portrait.  It's been about a year since shooting Michael's image, so I'm not sure why I passed on that initial idea.  What we ended up doing was having Michael simply play his bass in the studio.  I observed him playing for some time and eventually caught him making the gesture you see in the image.  I had him reproduce the position, ultimately decided to bring another light around to brighten his face, and we were done.  Very easy.

The things I really like about the image: first the line of the bass and his body, his arms, and the contrary position of his head, second, the texture of the bass creates a wonderful contrast to the smooth background and Michael's plain white shirt.    Finally, I love that it, although ultimately a crafted pose, has the feel of an improvised moment.  The pose shows a connection between player and instrument, ear and string, heart and sound.

My thanks to Michael for participating in this project.


His interview can be found at:

http://seattlejazzscene.com/?p=3727

Michael's site can be found here:

http://www.mikebarnettonbass.com/


Technical info:

The image was shot with a Mamiya RZ 67 using Kodak TriX 400.
The main light was a Profoto Compact 600 through a Mola Demi.
The light on Michael's face was provided by a Profoto Compact 600 through a 20 degree grid.
Triggered by Pocket Wizards

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