Jim Lind Photo

Sometimes shoots don’t go exactly as you planned and you have to change on the fly. Such was the case with the Marcus Robert’s Trio when they were in town last spring for the Savannah Music Festival. Being the last day of the festival they had a very booked schedule but I was able to squeeze in 5 minutes to shoot their portraits. With a very simple key, fill, and bounce light setup I was able to match their portraits with the environments I had taken a few weeks prior of an idyllic foggy Savannah square.

For those of you who didn’t get to check them out at the festival, they are a world renowned jazz trio comprised of Marcus Roberts, Jason Marsalis, and Roland Guerin. Blending the sounds of Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington with the contemporary jazz scene really made for a fun and energetic evening. However I think what is most interesting about the trio is that Marcus is able to play such soulful music without the use of his sight. Blind since youth, he attended Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind where the likes of Ray Charles attended. It just blew me out of the water that someone could have such patience and dedication to play the piano without full use of the five senses.

Savannah Music Festival also asked me to edit a few images that they had of the Marcus Robert’s Trio and Daniel Hope (a renowned violinist). Both are definitely worth listening to when they return to the stage next spring for the 2011 Savannah Music Festival.

The following images are taken by professional photographers Frank Stewart and Ayano Hisa.