Thank you for all the comments - glad you liked them. It is a fun shoot and the musicians often like to have the results for their publicity in exchange for permission to use them for my exhibitions or whatever - good mutuality.
Yes Bob, I know Herman Leonard's work rather well - and a number of others who have specialized in this genre like William Caxton - I am flattered that my images even brought his name to your mind. He is a great exemplar of this style. I think the style follows almost inevitably from the situation ... for example the strange multi-coloured lighting almost requires B+W, the self-absorption of the performers gives relaxed 'models' and it is almost essential to enjoy the music to have the patience to get the best shots. Or perhaps the latter is merely a memory of a misspent youth !
My only negative is the ill-mannered characters who shoot flash into the faces of guys trying to perform seriously - especially if they are reading arrangements. There was one there on Sat night but no point in even the most polite remonstrance as previous experience only produces incomprehension or a tirade about not being able to afford fast lenses.
Thanks again,
John (Krug).
