While in my teens, I was given tickets to hear Thelonious Monk and Art Blakey at Carnegie Hall in New York; that evening changed my life forever. I was transfixed by what I heard. I did not understand what was going on, but what I did know was that it was very special and profound. I knew I was in the presence of great human artistry and emotion, and I decided to explore jazz further.

After college, I became a mountaineer and skier. I photographed the peaks of the American West, South America and the former Soviet Union. I later moved back to New York City with the intention to photograph the music world, primarily documenting the jazz scene.

Within months I became friend with the great drummer Art Taylor who introduced me to other musicians. Blue Note Records saw my work and major jazz magazines approached me to photograph covers for them. I was off and running and never stopped!

I have been fortunate to have had a wide range of unique experiences in intimate and private situations, whether photographing Sonny Rollins near the Williamsburg Bridge, or spending time with Keith Jarrett in his home. These portraits were made similar to the way musicians make music in a recording studio, in a “Closed Session.”

In 2008 I started to make “Live” recordings. As in photography, I want the music to be captured in spontaneous, unrepeatable situations and, as in photography, I seek the inspired magic of the moment. I started Giant Steps Arts, a non-profit organization to help jazz musicians complete musical projects without artistic compromise or commercial constraints, and with the artists owning the master tapes. It’s my way to give back to the community.

I hope that my photographs reflect the intensity of urban life in New York City. The powerful energy, the excitement, the syncopation of the traffic, the rush of the subway train, random sirens, a cacophony of random sound… New York City has always been my canvas.