FOR THE LOVE OF THE NYC JAZZ SCENE
As in life, my photography explores different interests. One of them is music; jazz in particular. Hailing from Madeira, a small Portuguese island where the arts are limited, I was fascinated by the diversity of New York immediately after moving here in 2009. Since 2015, I have been photographing jazz musicians at clubs, festivals and in private sessions around New York City.
Each venue offers a different challenge and something unique. Some reveal themselves to be more private and intimate than others but the common factor here is to live the music, which allows me to witness the performance and catch sight of the expressions of the artists on stage; the moment they connect to their artistic vision, with the audience, or even take a break in between solos to catch a breath. There is a picture in every moment.
In the same spirit of jazz, my photography relies on improvisation, responding to what is happening in front of the camera and capturing different notes to compose a song. As of writing, this past month (Feb 2021) has marked one year since I last photographed a live concert before the pandemic struck. There is no more live music as we used to experience.
Everything is on hold now and I can’t wait for the world to fully reopen and to once again photograph the vibrant atmosphere of live music, from Greenwich Village to Harlem, to Brooklyn and beyond.
Notes about the photographer: Clara Pereira is a Portuguese photographer, currently based in New York City. Her work focuses on documenting and taking portraits of people, life, and human expression. Born in Madeira Island, Portugal—she holds a degree in Communications and Graphic Arts from the University of Porto (FBAUP), and a certificate in General Studies from the International Center of Photography (ICP) in New York. In 2015, she co-founded JazzTrail, an online initiative documenting live jazz in New York and jazz album reviews. Her work has been published and exhibited in Portugal, London, and New York, and is included in the Paul, Weiss Art Collection.
Photographs copyright Clara Pereira. Not to be reproduced or used without express permission of the photographer.
