Bass instincts

Photographer Paul Lesniak shoots the low end of the San Francisco jazz scene.

Published October 24, 2001 7:07PM (EDT)

The San Francisco Jazz Festival, now in its 19th year, begins Wednesday night.

The two-weeks program includes performances by McCoy Tyner, Pharoah Sanders, Charlie Haden, Etta James, Joe Louis Walker, Rosemary Clooney, Dave Brubeck, Terry Riley, Bobby Short, Bill Frisell, Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette, among many others.

To note the festival's opening, Salon presents a gallery of extraordinary photography by Paul Lesniak. Earlier this year, Lesniak haunted the shows of the SFJAZZ Spring Season 2001, a panorama of concerts presented each year by SFJAZZ, the jazz fest's umbrella organization.

The series focuses on the concerts' brilliant bassists, but includes a few shots of horn players as well: sax man Joshua Redman, the fest's artistic director, and Russell Gunn, playing fluegelhorn.

Check out the jazz fest's Web site for a complete listing of shows.

A previous jazz gallery by Lesniak can be found here:

Jazz by the bay
Photographer Paul Lesniak chronicles the San Francisco Jazz Festival.


By Paul Lesniak

Paul Lesniak is a San Francisco photographer posing as an accountant at Salon.com.

MORE FROM Paul Lesniak


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