Pericardium – Ella and Edo Nov 2011
In late september this year, I was fortunate to meet Ella and Edo while they were staying in Pontlevoy as Artist in residence at « Le Centre« . We collaborated to create a Dreamscene that we shot in the gardens of the abbey of Pontlevoy. These images are an extract from a 5 minute film edited by [...]
« Spirit Dreams »
Herbert Winful and Michele Turner at the Pontlevoy Abbey performing a song composed by Mr Winful himself. Herbert Winful is not only a gifted composer, but also a renowned scientist and professor. He has made fundamental contributions to the fields of nonlinear optics and photonics….but more importantly he is a citizen of the world with [...]
The Burning Desire String Band
The Burning Desire String Band is composed of musicians Marc Mueler, Bob Lucas, Frederic Park and Bob Willoughby. A quartet of musicians collecting old time songs, from blues to traditional folkloric music, they can, and will play it all. This little Cession was recorded live in Pontlevoy.
Rickie Lee Jones, « A Lucky Guy »…
Few voices have intrigued me as much as Rickie Lee Jones. I recently found a copy of the 1979 Rolling Stones magazine edition in which she appeared for the first time, a few month after her first appearance in The Blue Valentine Album cover of T. Waits. I have always been fascinated by the characters [...]
« Le Petit Oignon » – Dostoyevski
Selected scenes from the Fyodor Dostoyevsky master piece, « The Karamasov Brothers », Frédéric Constant, a French Director, adapted this original theatre piece where Catherine Pietri is purely and simply extraordinaire ! Morceaux choisis….
Daniel Johnston, Walking the cow in Devil’s town.
Daniel Johnston was born in 1961 in Sacramento. Mr Johnston is a painter, singer, pianist and guitarist, who could be considered a Pop/Folk/Rock artist in a style that he invented himself called, Lo-Fi. Hypersensitive to the very tips of his fingers, along with Syd Barret and Rocky Erikson, his music is unique. His soulful work [...]
Old Time Music
I have never been bothered by the quality of the video I shot one night with my infra red little faithfull Hi8. I have so many treasures hidden in my boxes. In this short clip, you could recognize if you had been there : The most incredible Andy Woolf leading on Fiddle, The Young virtuoso [...]
Zydeco & the Ardouins
Discovering Zydeco music was an important moment of my life. Thanks to Sean, Chris and the warmth of the Ardoin family of Lake Charles Louisiana, I started investigating the roots of zydeco music, then Creole music. Amédé and « Bois Sec » Ardoin were pioneers of that music, and as a fan of folkloric music, traditional instruments [...]
Senor Holmes, C’est Grave….
I met Harry and Quito 5 years ago at the music festival I attend every year : Le printemps de Bourges. Quito is a hard working musician and Harry an amasing drummer; together they have created 2 wonderful albums that should be in everyone’s musical library. Their music is based on « Gwo Ka », originaly played [...]
The White Ballad
At twilight, in Pontlevoy’s magical Abbey gardens, over 300 spectators gathered to participate in this artistic procession. A promenade into the past tracing legends, deambulation through the ancient streets of the village where the spirits of old ghosts were floating amongst the actors, musicians, and dancers for one night, and one night only…
Moira Smiley & Voco
Voco 2011 (from Left to right : Pilar Díaz, Moira Smiley & April Guthrie) Moira smiley & VOCO is a visionary blend of voices – redefining harmony singing with the power & physicality of folksong, the avant-garde fearlessness of Béla Bartók and the delicious, vaudevillian accompaniment of cello, banjo, accordion and body percussion. Moira Smiley [...]
Sweet Chariot Family
For almost 20 years now, I attended The Sweet Chariot Music and Art Festival. The same group of musicians have gathered on a secret little island on the Coast of Maine every summer to share Music, Art, Love and Food. I started documenting the festival a long time ago and never knew what to do [...]
Sweet Chariot Music Festival
Once upon a time, on the coast of Maine… This is how the story began. And everything that followed, Was just a dream. Part II : Led by Geoff Kaufman and Daisy Nell, sweet charioteers sail from boat to boat, jumping from one schooner to another to invite everyone to join the fun. Merci Monsieur [...]
Children of Abraham
Swans Island Coast, Maine, USA – Bob LUCAS sings « Children of Abraham » Bob Lucas is a fascinating character : a Fiddle virtuoso, a Banjo picker, a Guitar master, a Poet, Singer, A Composer, An art director… and not only he excels in all these domains… not only he is kind, generous and honest…. but on [...]
Bonnie Prince Billy
Printemps de Bourges 2009 – Folk USA – Will Oldham is an American musician, a brilliant poet from Kentucky. His first album appeared in 1993, published by Drag City : « There is no one that will take care of you », an acoustic country album. Will has been performing under the name of « Palace or « Palace Music ». He [...]
Dean Stevens – Old Man in his garden
When the coast of Maine is enchanted by one of my favourite song writer and guitar player, Dean Stevens. On the beautiful coast of Maine, Dean sings « Old Man in his Garden », one of the most beautiful tunes I have heard. And as Daniel, Jackson and Matice, are listening and waving at us from their [...]
Piers Faccini – A home Away From Home
From the album « Two grains of Sand » this beautiful song of Piers Faccini was recorded during the printemps de Bourges 2009 in the Palais Jacques Coeur. It is followed by a short interview of Piers Faccini.
Marie Laveau, Voodoo Story
Frederic Park is not only an wonderful story teller, an accomplished musician, and a dance collector, he is also one of the finest and most passionate photographer I have encountered and an enlightened Human being. This short sequence was shot in Maine one early morning after a canoe ride on the lake. He told me [...]
Bourges 2010
M – Stadium In 2010, I only spent a couple of days at the festival for a Photo shoot of musicians. Too short…. So, I stayed up most of time and brought back some of the magical moments of the 34th Edition of the Festival. Forgive the amateurism of these snapshots but amongst them you [...]
Bourges 2009 !
In 2009, I covered the festival for a couple of newspaper in the United States. My assignment was to investigate »the new underground trends of French Music »….Litttle did they know about the festival and how eclectic it is. As I worked with France 3 interviewing Kezia Jones that year, I realised how much this incredible [...]
Web Links !
As I peruse the web for professional and personal reasons, I often come accross surprising and sometimes mind blowing web sites, videos or articles. Today, I am sharing : Borrowing journalistic postures they smash formats with humour or with poetry. Playing with oxymoron and manipulating images, they bend and move points of view reclaiming their [...]