The Tyee – Music to His Eyes

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Photo 1 of 12

Music to His Eyes

By Mark Mushet, 30 May 2008, TheTyee.ca

Dean Wareham & Britta Phillips (Dean & Britta)

Photographed on Valentine's Day, 2008, at Richard's on Richards. Such effortless glamour on the club's interior balcony! They should be more famous. To find out why they're not, read Dean's new memoir "Black Postcards." Dean is a real fan, student and master of all manner of pop confections and as a couple they represent a cool update of mid-'60s pop romantica.
Madagascar Slim and the Six String Nation Guitar

The inaptly monikered "Slim" is playing the famed guitar at the 2006 Vancouver folk fest. The guitar is made entirely of bits of Canadiana, like pieces of Trudeau's canoe paddle, slivers of a chair from Massey Hall, a toenail clipping from Neil Young, etc. It plays beautifully. I was actually there just to photograph the guitar but Madagascar Slim came along, picked it up and things just lit up!
Veda Hille

I've photographed Veda since 1998. This is an outtake from a shoot we did round back of Hycroft mansion, looking for a "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" vibe. I think we nailed it! The creepy mask helps. You can never go wrong with a creepy mask!
Bradshaw Pack

A Vancouver composer whose work is often performed on evenings I'm otherwise booked. He often tells me to "Stay outta jail!" for some reason. An infectious enthusiasm for life usually ensues when Bradshaw's "in the house," and we've had many fun, wide-ranging conversations and share many tastes. And yet I've still to hear his music. My bad! Should rectify that soon.
Francois Houle

Anyone familiar with modern jazz and contemporary classical music will know of Francois' immense contribution to the role of the clarinet in both fields. Normally I avoid shooting musicians with their instruments as the portraits often appear too cheesy. But Francois is fiercely committed to the clarinet, and this shot, I think, remains true to the subject. His latest solo CD is called Aerials and I was pleased to do the cover photography ... of just the clarinet!
Fred Frith

I think my first portrait of a musician was guitarist Fred Frith in 1985 when I was doing a CiTR radio show and writing for Discorder. But the lab fogged the film, so I was grateful to have another shot at it a couple of years ago. This was done in a hotel room on a cold rainy night after a Vancouver New Music presentation at the Dance Centre, which reminded me how good and entertaining an improviser he is. And there aren't many in this world.
Harold Budd

This was done in the green room at Seattle's Town Hall prior to a delightful dinner, at which he said that replacing his piano with a nice Navajo rug was the best decision he ever made. People tend to simply call his music beautiful, ambient or whatever but forget that it is also impossibly sad. An "impossibly beautiful" music, then. Harold is very fun and easygoing and the show print reflects that, but this portrait is more evocative of the dark shadings in his music.
Robin Guthrie

Ex-Cocteau Twin and perennial victim of Air Canada's baggage handling team according to his blog. Oh, and he makes gorgeous, lush, guitar-based, spirit-sustaining sonic soma both solo and with Harold Budd. Check out his recent solo work, particularly Continental as well as his duets with Harold. And go see Greg Araki's film Mysterious Skin for which he and Harold did the soundtrack. Transcendent!
Ujino Muneteru

Photographed in the backyard at the Western Front immediately after he arrived in town. Ujino is a Tokyo-based artist and DJ and makes music using amplified rotating, spinning household objects as part of his "Ujino and the Rotators" project.
Tzo'kam

Russell Wallace and family are a Lil'wat First Nation singing group that bring to life traditional song in the Lil'wat language. It's hard to capture the entire group in a single frame, but this trio of shots, I feel, sums up the warmth and connection they have as performers.
musica intima

This 12 member, self-conducted choir is one of B.C.'s treasures. Not only do they memorize each work they perform, but their subtle play with positioning, staging and audience interaction makes their performances sheer magic. The repertoire is also superb, mixing contemporary avant-garde work with traditional fare and bringing to each piece absolute conviction. It's difficult not to be moved at their concerts.
Robyn Driedger-Klassen

Originally from Saskatchewan, Robyn is an awesome soprano who recently appeared in Vancouver Opera's production of Beethoven's opera Fidelio. This is an outtake from a magazine cover shoot. The role of Marzelline required Robyn to don a blond wig but I like the natural, close-cropped look here. It went nicely with the soft browns of the costume and the sunlit concrete backdrop.