CD review of 2022 and more…

A personal review of my own images used for CD artwork in recent years.

If I’d put ‘My’ CD Review in the title then this may have been closer to the truth about what I’m about to cover, but that would look too self-congratulating. However, it turns out that over the last 3 years I’ve contributed to the artwork of several CDs in one way or another, and (to me) these are significant personal highlights. So I thought I’d share these – it’s not a tiny list nor is it a massive list, but covers both local and international musicians with whom I’ve worked with and/or helped in some way.

 

Prior to the lockdowns I’d provided photo-artwork for The Mark Williams Trio (Last Bus to Bensham - 2017) and the last Jazz North East concert for 2019 at the Bridge Hotel included Magpie, and a few months after that, they were collecting photos from their tour, for which I provided the back image of the CD cover.  Then in February 2020 I did a photo-shoot under the Tyne Bridge with Zoe Gilby for her Aurora CD. It’s not hard to imagine how cold that day was, 6 weeks into the new year, but we got results. Three weeks after that the pandemic was becoming the topic of the day, as did lockdown and its knock-on effects.

 

But, despite lockdown and its initial reduction of music performances, live music has been re-established, and the list has grown.

 

Last Bus to Bensham – Mark Williams Trio – Promo & CD photos.

Magpie Trio Live  Dec 2019 at Bridge Hotel, Newcastle  CD photo.

 

Several photos were used by New Jazz and Improvised Music Recordings  (NEWJAiM) - the label managed and curated by Wesley Stephenson.

VIA - Paul Taylor photo ~ NEWJAiM 2   

Andy Champion photo  - Shoes for Losers  (with Graeme Wilson)  ~ NEWJAiM 4

Télémaque  - Kings Hall Concert  Joe McPhee photo   ~ NEWJAiM 5

Shiver   Andy Champion & Chris Sharkey photos    ~ NEWJAiM 8 

Spinningwork - Tom Ward / Cath Roberts / Olie Brice / Johnny Hunter
NEWJAiM 1

Pat Thomas  Photos  ~ NEWJAiM 13  

 

Abbie Finn Trio   Photoshoot >> promo photos + CD photos 

 

For Gunter Baby Sommer & Raymond Macdonald’s Sounds, Songs & other Noises, I was delighted to have been asked to provide some photos of each of these highly regarded musicians, and honoured to have two photos chosen to represent them for the CD.

 

So, despite the initial slow-down of music performance and photographic opportunities, the last 3 years have been increasingly productive in supporting the CD and related promotional images used by a wide variety of performers. Live music is alive and kicking again! Roll on 2023! Ken Drew