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SNAPPIN' THE
BLUES
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1968-80/1981-90/1991-94/1995/1996-97/1998-99/2000-01/2002-03/2004/2005/2006/2007
3D
BLUES
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BLUEHEART
ARCHIVE PHOTOS - introduction
Everyday it’s the Blues for me, be it photographs,
literature,
film, or recordings. The Blues still mean more to
me than anything in my life, they have got me though the bad
times in my life and the good ones too. I feel this music form
is at the roots of popular culture. The Blues have always been
with me for over 40 years now. Often, during this time, I
have the opportunity to ‘snap’ some of my favourite
entertainers. Over the years I’ve exhibited my Blues
photographs at a variety of different venues, including
Harbourfront Centre, three at the Silver Dollar Room and at
the Wrigley Lofts all using the title for how I feel about my
pictures, "Snappin’ The Blues". My snapshots mainly
focus on the solo artist. They are not meant to be artistic or
graphic, but are pure. They were originally only taken for my
own memories and personal archives. These musicians are the
fathers, mothers, sons and daughters who formed the North
American music called the Blues. For that reason they are part
of musical history. I am honoured to have seen and heard so
many of the great Blues legends. I have tried to capture the
Blues Artists as I saw them in a given moment.
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I only wish I
had photographed more of them. Most images are shown in full
frame and my early images were shot using my Nikon FTN
camera with a 105 mm or 28mm lens which I had since
the late 60’s. The next camera I used was a Nikon
F-90X. In the last few years I have changed to a
digital camera, first a Nikon D-100 and now I use a Nikon
D-80 with various
lens. It’s so hard not to
be critical of my own work, but the genuine interest and
understanding of my friends gave me the confidence to display my
images and feelings for the Blues once again through this website.
While these photographs may be just images to some, they bring back
thoughts of songs and places from my musical experience.
Eddy B
All my photos were
taken in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) unless noted.
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Snappin’ the Blues; 25 Years of Snapshots -
Snappin’ the Blues; 25 Years of Snapshots, an exhibition in the
Silver Dollar Room nightclub's back room of photographs taken by the
Toronto Blues enthusiast and broadcaster known as Eddy B. The 58
images –“snapshots” is too modest, however unpretentious the B style
– impress first as a comprehensive pictorial survey of the Bluesmen
and Blueswomen who have performed in Toronto since the early 1970’s.
Individual shots among them – Johnny Shines, Ronnie and Lonnie
Brooks, Eddie Kirkland – then emerge as damn fine examples of
concert photography.
Mark Miller - The Globe and Mail - Saturday September 17,
1994
Blues Good to Know -
Snapshots celebrate deejay’s deep love of the Blues. You’ve seen him
here, heard him there, caught him snapping everywhere there’s a
significant Blues event. He’s Eddy B, a radio DJ, Blues archivist
and accidental photographer. So was born Snappin’ the Blues, Twenty
Five Years Of Blues Snapshots by Eddy B. The second edition opens
tonight at the Silver Dollar Room for a three-night stand.
Eddy states “The
first one was heavy on the great legends like Willie Dixon and Muddy
Waters. There’ll be some of those, but this show has more room for
Canadian talent like Jodie Drake and Jackie Richardson, and some of
the younger generation of Bluesmen like Roddie Romero and Poppa
Chubby. Not all are
dramatic but all say something to me about the time and
circumstances of the shot. I was surprised last time at the
reaction, that people were seeing what I saw in the pictures. I
appreciate their historical value to our Blues scene". And
that's good to know.
Lenny Stoute -
The Toronto Star - Thursday
October 5, 1995 |
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