The Disruptor

Bruce Springsteen performs “New York City Serenade” Harvard Square Theatre May 9, 1974

It’s a term we hear all too common now. At Facebook’s headquarters they said, “Move fast and break things”. Today entrepreneurs and startups embrace the disruptor moniker to stand out from the rest. Seeking originality and trying to be different in a world of blurred lines. Wanting you to believe they own it.

 Sorry. This is not new. It’s what artists have been doing for years.

 In 1974 Bruce Springsteen was still the new guy, an unknown with something to prove. And to do that he had to draw the audience in with a mighty force that couldn’t be resisted. He had a plan and it would be evident as soon as he began his set the night of May 9, 1974 at the Harvard Square Theatre in Cambridge MA. He was there to be noticed.

 So, what do you do? Deliver the unexpected.  Be a disruptor.

 The set begins. The house lights dim, and Bruce turns around from facing the band to facing the audience, walks to the microphone and in a hushed tone, addresses the crowd and says, “Meanwhile in New York City”. A single spot finds David Sancious introduce a classical melody and soon another spot finds Bruce filling in the notes on his acoustic guitar. He opens his set with “New York City Serenade” a melodic, sensitive, musical street poem that brings the city that never sleeps to a place of stillness and quiet. I’m mystified. I think to myself, "What is he doing? What is this? Is this how you open a rock show and introduce yourself?" Yes, it was. New York City Serenade brought the house to a standstill.

 The audience did not know what to expect but did not expect this. And it worked. Bruce had the audience transfixed and in his grip. And from that moment on, Bruce, the E Street Band and the audience were locked in for the night. And for decades to come.

A Band of Brothers

For such a big man he had a gentle way about him. That’s what I remember the first time I saw Clarence.  Sax players back then were often the “Big Men” in the group. Their ability to produce sound as a result of pushing volumes of air out from their lungs that was both rich and sweet at the same time required a robust frame. For me, that’s why the sax was such an integral part of the sound of Soul and Rhythm and Blues. The saxophone was a vessel for the inner sprit and all its complexities. Pain, joy, sorrow and love, the saxophone knew the language of all these emotions.

I grew up with a loving for this music. Before the British Invasion, this was the music we heard on the radio. Years later, rock bands might add a sax to a solo for an R & B or jazz feel. But often it was a track just laid on top of the others. Pleasant to hear in the mix, but for me it never really honored the instrument. But that deep, nasty, raspy, street fightin’, city cryin’, soul searching sound that can only come from down deep in those who lived it, was a rarity in rock circles. Until the E Street Band brought it in and gave it a home. It wasn’t until years later that I learned of the rich R & B sound and history that came out of Asbury Park. Then, to me, it made total sense that Bruce would weave together all these influences to create his own unique sound

Watching Clarence that night and that day during rehearsal, I was mesmerized. Here was this giant of a man with a way about him that was attentive, sensitive and at least from my recollection a bit on the quiet side. But when he performed he was out in front with Bruce and in lock step with the other members of the band. He wasn’t the accompanist; he was an integral and equal part of the band as they all were. That was the magic of the E Street Band that night. They were locked into each other, clearly a Band of Brothers.

When I look at this photo I see Bruce lost in a moment, eyes closed almost physically removed from what is around him. But then Clarence, there is by his side, holding his own, standing tall, as if he was saying, “Just let it go. I got you, brother”. And as we all know, they clearly were.

"I Saw Rock and Roll Future" May 9, 1974 Harvard Square Theatre, Cambridge MA

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band had been playing regularly in Cambridge bars during the spring of 1974. Still relatively new to the scene, his following was dedicated, though sales of his two albums to date were not what his label was hoping for.

I was living just outside of Boston at the time. A friend brought Bruce’s second album, “The Wild, The Innocent and the E Street Shuffle” over one day saying he had heard that this guy was pretty good. He was. We liked what we heard and decided to check him out at Charlie’s Place in Harvard Square.

We took our seats in one of the club’s classic high back wooden bar booths, squeezed into one side and ordered a pitcher of beer. I looked around the room and commented on how surprised I was at how crowded the club was. A patron, sitting across from me heard my comments said, “You mean you’ve never heard him before? You just wait. I’m from Philadelphia and I’ve been following the band up and down the east coast.” I frankly had never heard of anything like that before.

What transpired next has made an indelible mark on me forever. The band came on, six of them squeezed into a corner of the bar in an area about 12 feet by 12 feet. With only a small empty dance floor separating the band and us, they launched into the most incredible set of jazz, R&B, and rock infused music I had ever heard. They had a presence and a swagger that drew the audience into their songs. When the night was over two things stayed with me: one, I had never heard music like that before, and two, I had to see them again. I called my friends at Windowpane Productions, local concert promoters that I was doing photography shoots for. I simply said, “You have to book this guy!” Ira Gold, one of the partners, came over to my apartment and I played him Bruce’s two albums. After hearing them he asked if he could borrow them to play for his production partner, Jeff Hersh, who was also part of Bonnie Raitt's management team. Jeff was equally impressed. My biggest concern then, was that I might not get my albums back!

There had been no plans for an opening act for their upcoming Bonnie Raitt show at the Harvard Square Theatre in May of 1974. Ira and Jeff’s plans were to really give the whole night to Bonnie. She had been recently delegated to mostly being an opening act and they felt this was her turn to headline. After listening to the albums I lent Ira, he and Jeff paid a visit to one of Bruce’s shows at Charlie’s Place in Cambridge. That night a short conversation with Bruce followed the last set of the night. They asked if he wanted to open up for Bonnie. Bruce said, "Sure, why not."

Jon Landau, covering the show that night for The Real Paper in Boston, would write the review that to some, lay the groundwork for Bruce’s success; penning the infamous line “I saw Rock and Roll future and it’s name is Bruce Springsteen.” And the rest, as they say, is history.

On the anniversary of "I Saw Rock and Roll Future" - May 9, 1974

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band had been playing regularly in Cambridge bars during the spring of 1974. Still relatively new to the scene, his following was dedicated, though sales of his two albums to date were not what his label was hoping for.

I was living just outside of Boston at the time. A friend brought Bruce’s second album, The Wild, The Innocent and the E Street Shuffle over one day saying he had heard that this guy was pretty good. He was. We liked what we heard and decided to check him out at Charlie’s Place in Harvard Square.

We took our seats in one of the club’s classic high back wooden bar booths, squeezed into one side and ordered a pitcher of beer. I looked around the room and commented on how surprised I was at how crowded the club was. A patron, sitting across from me heard my comments said, “You mean you’ve never heard him before? You just wait. I’m from Philadelphia and I’ve been following the band up and down the east coast.” I frankly had never heard of anything like that before.

What transpired next has made an indelible mark on me forever. The band came on, six of them squeezed into a corner of the bar in an area about 12 feet by 12 feet. With only a small empty dance floor separating the band and us, they launched into the most incredible set of jazz, R&B, and rock infused music I had ever heard. They had a presence and a swagger that drew the audience into their songs. When the night was over two things stayed with me: one, I had never heard music like that before, and two, I had to see them again. I called my friends at Windowpane Productions, local concert promoters that I was doing photography shoots for. I simply said, “You have to book this guy!” Ira Gold, one of the partners, came over to my apartment and I played him Bruce’s two albums. After hearing them he asked if he could borrow them to play for his production partner, Jeff Hersh, who was also part of Bonnie Raitt's management team. Jeff was equally impressed. My biggest concern then, was that I might not get my albums back!

There had been no plans for an opening act for their upcoming Bonnie Raitt show at the Harvard Square Theatre in May of 1974. Ira and Jeff’s plans were to really give the whole night to Bonnie. She had been recently delegated to mostly being an opening act and they felt this was her turn to headline. After listening to the albums I lent Ira, he and Jeff paid a visit to one of Bruce’s shows at Charlie’s Place in Cambridge. That night a short conversation with Bruce followed the last set of the night. They asked if he wanted to open up for Bonnie. Bruce said, "Sure, why not."

Jon Landau, covering the show that night for The Real Paper in Boston, would write the review that to some, lay the groundwork for Bruce’s success; penning the infamous line “I saw Rock and Roll future and it’s name is Bruce Springsteen.” And the rest, as they say, is history.

Visit Morrison Hotel Gallery to learn more or purchase this unique and historical photo 

The Community of Bruce: The River… It just keeps flowing through us all.

Bruce Springsteen ended his US tour, full River album performance in Brooklyn last week. It was quite a journey.

The story goes that when the River box set was released, Bruce and his manager Jon Landau discussed doing a few shows performing the double album in its entirety. Bruce thought, “Why not do twenty?” Jon broke into an affirming smile and it took off from there. E Street Band members soon began reshuffling their own schedules and The River Tour 2016 was officially announced. Someone asked Nils Lofgren when did he first learn of the tour? To which Nils replied, "probably the day before you did". That's life on E Street.

But life is what The River is about. Bruce chose to bring this masterful work to the forefront today because it’s a reflection on life as he once saw it. And now it was time to reflect back. As Bruce said in many of his show intros, The River was a record where he was trying to see where he “fit in the broader community”. He had taken notice of the things that “bond people to their lives; work, commitment, and  families”. And in writing about them, he hoped to get closer to them in his own life.

The River is everyone’s journey. I was fortunate to be part of the shows and witness this first hand. As I communicated with others throughout the tour I learned so much about how we had all grown and how the themes and the stories contained within The River were also our own. As Bruce reflected back, we did as well. From across the country, I was hearing from friends old and new who were being knocked out by what they were witnessing.  It’s one wide, transcendent community, the community of Bruce.

A community is defined as "a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.” The lives we’ve lived and the times we’ve known are the same inspiration for his music. Our own histories are what he shares with us. From this commonality, over time a massive community has grown.  And despite the numbers no one feels alone or separate.

But it wasn’t always like that. For some, it was once a small and even  somewhat guarded secret. If you were from New Jersey or were witness to him in his earliest years on the East Coast, you felt you were in on something no one else knew about.  But you couldn’t explain it. When I first heard Bruce and became involved in is music he was playing local bars in 1974 around Boston and Cambridge. When I moved to California that summer I brought his music with me. But who else knew? No one. He was an unknown. How I wanted the world to know his music and experience what I had seen and heard.  In late 1975 a performance was finally announced for the Paramount Theatre in Oakland. I rushed over to the theatre box office to make sure I was in line to get seats the day they were available. It was no problem. I was the only one there. I was dumbfounded. Would the world ever find him?

A few years later I was back east visiting my family and on a bus one morning heading into Boston. I am gazing out the window and I’m hearing the chatter and cajoling of a group of pre-teen girls at the back of the bus.  I’m trying to discern what the fuss was about. They’re giggling, teasing each other and just having fun. They start to sing. They’re getting louder and louder and I turn slightly in their direction when I recognize the song as they hit the refrain. And as if on cue, they turn to each other shouting/singing in unison …“TRAMPS LIKE US, BABY WE WERE BORNNNNN TO RUN”

I turn back to my gaze out the window and a smile comes over me. I thought, yes, he’s arrived. And then it hit me. He was no longer our small community’s much-cherished secret. It was time to let him go and give him to the rest of the world to enjoy. So they too could become part of the community; the community of Bruce.

A World Gone Purple; Why the passing of a music icon touches us so deeply.

photo credit Ben James/Yamaha Entertainment Group

I remember when Prince first hit the scene. I wasn’t quite sure what to make of him. Was he rock? Was he funk? Was he R & B? He pushed limits and tested all the norms. Like many, I couldn’t help but be drawn into his music and to his persona. To put it simply, he was a master of all that he did. He was pure genius in a purple overcoat.

We’ve lost many great artists this year. But the way the world has mourned the loss of Prince seems to stand out unlike some of the others. From musical tributes to world landmarks turning purple in his honor, the outpouring has been remarkable. Bruce Springsteen, on his current tour has honored artists lost this year through performing one of their songs in the encore part of his show. On Saturday night he broke the norm and the band walked on to a stage bathed in purple to open “The River Tour” with Purple Rain. Prince, in an interview,  when asked who he admired, cited Bruce and his band for their professionalism and dedication to performing at their best night after night. The feeling was obviously mutual.

The best artists have a plan and a command of the path they are on. They put in thousands of hours perfecting their craft so that when we as the audience experience their work we become part of it in what feels like an effortless embrace. Probably no other art form can accomplish this like music can.

Neuroscientists have found that music affects the brain unlike any other stimuli. They’ve discovered that music actually affect a special receptor part of the brain that not only stimulates emotion but at the same time motor response. Our muscles kick in automatically as we tap our feet or fingers to a beat. Nietzsche said our bodies “mirror the narrative of the melody, and the thoughts and feelings it provokes” Music is a part of our bio-humanity and our global history. Perhaps that is why no other art form is so celebrated  when greatness is experienced and mourned so deeply when it is lost.

Creativity and art is an evolving process. Being human is no different and perhaps that is why the act of creating is truly the act of giving; the highest form of humanity that we can achieve.

Thank you Prince for allowing us to be part of your humanity.

The Selective Process

Thanks to some dear friends, poetry’s been crossing my path recently. As I read the works I’m being introduced to I’m struck by what I feel are close similarities with the craft of photography. It’s all about the process of selection.

In a poem, words are carefully chosen and when woven together a new creation emerges. And it’s not just the passing of words over one’s tongue that creates the experience…it’s everything in the spaces in between. It’s the beat, the sounds, the rhythm and the flow that sets the table and serves up the meal.

Photography is the process of selection, too. When looking through the lens the photographer selects a portion of a bigger picture to tell the story. Deliberately leaving some parts behind. As the poet leads you down a trail with his or her words, the photographer directs your eyes by taking you to a spot you may not have seen before. In both cases, through the process of selection you are taken somewhere. Somewhere you hadn’t before imagined.

Which is the sole purpose of art.

We're all Citizen Artists

There was a post by colleague, and great photographer, Dick Waterman. Besides being responsible for managing and preserving the work of some of the most important blues artists in musical history, Dick’s work photographing and chronicling the early days of the folks and blues revival in the 1960’s has produced many an iconic image. In Dick’s post he commented on how he was at a folk festival, selling works of his, (images the like of Bob Dylan and others) at a fair market price, when he passed another display of someone’s Instagram photos selling at $15. How could he compete with that he lamented? Well, you can’t. And maybe that’s just OK. Because the truth is, the advent of making the art of photography as simple as a click on the cell phone is really ushering in a new paradigm. We are all citizen artists.

The advent of social media ushered in the term citizen journalists. We all became empowered to instantly contribute to the information feed. And now it has become part of the mainstream. But where all can contribute, in time only the best rises to the forefront. But that fact that we all contribute is what defines the shift.

And now it applies to the arts. I am a great believer that inside all of us is an artist wanting to emerge. But for so many, the right outlet never presented itself. But perhaps with the exception of photography. While every one of us might not have ever written a short story, composed a song or painted a landscape, we’ve all taken a photo. And at some point, we sought to take a creative one. Admit it. And now it’s with us everywhere we go, in our cell phone. That’s great. Go ahead, take your photos, embrace your inner artist. Celebrate your desire to be creative.

It’s OK Dick, the more we create, the more we learn to appreciate the great work of others and the more the great work will rise to the top.  And perhaps from this a movement of appreciating art is emerging, as the arts in schools and in public places seem to struggle to survive. Who knew? Maybe, just maybe, God likes a good photograph.

The Art of the Fine Print

There are many factors that bear discussion when considering a fine art photograph’s place in the art world. Critics and scholars will often look at three compelling factors.

One is the image itself. How is composed? What subtleties and nuances bear further discussion? What do we feel when we gaze at it?

Next, are its technical attributes. As photography is an evolving art form, what processes and techniques were employed here? How did the artist work with the constraints and parameters of the medium to craft the image? And how is the final print produced? One should always look for the highest quality of finished print when considering a purchase.

And last is its historical perspective. Where does the image live in history? Is its value in a record of some time and place? Is it a moment in the evolution of the artist’s body of work?

If you are considering buying a fine art photograph one last factor should be at the top after all the others have passed the test. Is this an image you would be proud to display in your home?

Fine art consultants cannot emphasize enough picking an image that has meaning to buyer. For the art photography collector and Bruce Springsteen fan, rare photos of Bruce Springsteen are a fit. And one should never discount the investment value. Many Bruce Springsteen photos have more than tripled in value since their initial limited editions have been offered. 

Bruce Springsteen, Cambridge, MA May 1974

On Being Part of a Music Photography Collection

I’m not exactly sure how it all happens but people find my photos. I’m always glad to learn how and why. Often, it’s because of my Bruce Springsteen photographs. Some are looking for a gift, some are researching for a publication and some are collectors who have specific subjects they are looking for. Or looking “at”, like the music photography collector who collects images of music icons shot from behind.

Talking to individuals who “discover” my work is always a great pleasure. For me, the Bruce Springsteen photos are from a very memorable night that showcased an incredible young artist who was performing that night with a clear sense of purpose. No one knew then that, nor suspected, that that evening would end up having the stuff legends are made of. But I knew we were witnessing something remarkable in the making. I remember when the doors opened for the second show that night I had set aside a row of seats down front for my closest friends. I couldn’t wait for them to experience what I already had.

When I chose to revisit the images from that night years later I found that I was not only enjoying looking at the collection of images I took but also in many ways reliving the emotion and excitement of the night. Finding out was more that one piano shot that deserved investigation as well as a few other hidden gems gave me great satisfaction. There was more here than I imagined.

Last August Dave Bett art director at Columbia records contacted me. He was working on a project and was interested in seeing some of my photos of Bruce Springsteen.  I mentioned to him that my collection was from his May 9, 1974 show at the Harvard Square Theatre in Cambridge, MA. The show where Jon Landau penned the now famous line “ I saw the future of rock and roll and his name is Bruce Springsteen”. Dave affirming that it was indeed an important night for He opted to dedicate a full page in the booklet of Bruce Springsteen memorabilia to that night in was to become this weeks Bruce Springsteen Re-Mastered Album Box Set release. History again brought to the surface of an evening for the ages in a collection that brings new light and new sound to a timeless artist.

Music Photography is the New Fine Art Collectible

If you’ve ever thought about collecting art but felt the price, or the whole concept of it was beyond you, read further. In the last decade the idea of collecting fine art photography has risen dramatically. Curators and music photography galleries recommend it for a number of reasons. One, its affordable and a great way to start a collection, two, the market value of many works has risen dramatically giving all signs that this trend is not going away, and three, you can purchase something that is truly unique and you’d be happy to hang on your wall.

A recent article in the highly respected Financial Times not only supported this but also keyed in on collecting music photography.  To quote the Times

“ Music photography – images that were once ripped out of magazines and stuck on teenage bedroom walls – have become increasingly collectable. Musicians are themselves, whereas film stars are pretending to be someone else. There is more of an art to music photography because of the intimacy. Take Gered Mankowitz’s portrait of Jimi Hendrix, which nearly doubled in price from £5,367 to £9,781 between November 2013 and May 2014. Or Annie Leibovitz’s 1980 photograph of a naked John Lennon curled against a black-clad Yoko Ono. Selling for $350 in 1984 at Washington’s Govinda Gallery, the image fetched £15,420 at Sotheby’s New York in February 2013”

Early pictures of Bruce Springsteen, as featured at Gallery5.9.1974 are certainly part of this trend. For the fan who is also a collector, it is more than Bruce Springsteen memorabilia but a record of an era that had gone by. Again to quote the Times

“Simone Klein, director of photography at Sotheby’s Paris, says: “Photographs of celebrities are increasingly important in today’s celebrity-obsessed world. And rock stars from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s are the big heroes, so they are becoming more important in galleries and auctions.” Sotheby’s Paris has a Rolling Stone front cover of Keith Richards by Sante d’Orazio (est €4,000- €6,000) in a sale this month, alongside photographs by Andreas Gursky, August Sander and others.” 

In the last five years, Bruce Springsteen photos in galleries in the United States and Europe have tripled in value.

Bruce Springsteen, Cambridge, MA 5/9/1974

On the Bruce Springsteen Box Set Release

When you get the re-mastered Bruce Springsteen box set, set aside a few moments to page through the elegant book of Bruce Springsteen memorabilia. You’ve purchased this set to hear the marvelous re mastering of his earlier works, but the collection of Bruce Springsteen photos and other items from his past included within wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t.. “For You”. That’s right…you.

Enter the Bruce Special Collection. Housed at Monmouth University this collection outgrew some years ago the Asbury Park Library. The Collection includes approximately 20,000 holdings in multiple formats: books, songbooks, tour books, magazines, fanzines, Internet articles, academic journals and papers, comic books, selected printed items, newspaper articles, historic memorabilia, CDs, vinyl recordings, posters, DVDs and videos. To quote the Collection’s website “The Bruce Springsteen Special Collection originated in the summer of 2001 with a concern over the rate at which magazine and newspaper articles on Springsteen’s early career, once plentiful, had become increasingly scarce.  To address this problem, the Springsteen fanzine, Backstreets Magazine, organized a fan-to-fan campaign to collect and organize essential documents from each phase of Springsteen’s career, ensuring that the historic record would be publicly accessible to all who have a serious interest in Bruce Springsteen’s life and career.” It was this rich collection that Dave Bett, graphic designer for Sony Music, used to hand pick many of the items that the box set’s booklet features. Dave came to Monmouth for a few hours, ending up spending the day and promises to return. All these items, Bruce Springsteen pictures, photos and other memorabilia have been donated from one source, the fans. According to Bruce only one other location has a bigger collection, his mother’s basement.