The Monterey Jazz Festival Photography of Ron Hudson – Jazz.com | Jazz Music – Jazz Artists – Jazz News

Theres nothing more fashionable than a gallery opening . . . even if its just a virtual gallery. So I have slipped into my white linen suit and finest cravat to announce the opening of the Ron Hudson photo exhibit at jazz.com.

Hudson has photographed almost one thousand jazz artists over the last four decades, covering the world of jazz from Monterey to Montreux. But the highlight of our show is his visual documentation of the history of the Monterey Jazz Festival, where Hudson has been a recurring presence since the late1950s, and preserving the event on film since the 1970s. He has been shooting an average of 23 rolls of films at each Festival. This has enabled him to accumulate an archive of close to a thousand images per year preserving the immediacy and artistry of the West Coasts most venerable jazz event. You may have seen him down front at the festival, practicing his craft and capturing the excitement of jazz in action, while others are kicking back and soaking up the ambiance.

Hudsons work reflects his intimate appreciation of the jazz craft. Early on, he was just as likely to arrive at a jazz performance with his drums as bring along his Nikon. Born in Oakland, Hudson was surrounded by jazz from an early age at his father's music shop. But jazz became a life-changing passion in his late teens, when he was energized by the music Art Farmer, Benny Golson, Dave Brubeck Quartet with Paul Desmond, and Maynard Ferguson's 13-piece band with singer Anne Marie Moss. In Hudsons words: I found the music of my life."

His evocative "in the moment" black-and-white photographs appear on CD covers and in magazines, art exhibits, five books, as well as in many private collections. In particular, his portraits of jazz artists (including a number of the photos in our gallery) are featured in the recent book Right Down Front. His work is also on permanent exhibit at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley in Seattle, where Hudson lives with his wife, Christine, and Ella Fitz, a miniature poodle.

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