Their Love of Music
by Steve Azzato, Foreword by Lester Holt
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In Their Love of Music photographer Steve Azzato has captured the essence of the creative spirit in the faces and words of the musicians themselves. Featuring portraits of 117 artists, the book takes a slightly different approach to music photography than typically seen. “The beauty of this project for me was being able to sit with a huge range of musicians and explore what drew them to their art”, says Azzato. “I was able to hear it in their voices and record it visually in their images”. In the simple quiet of a green room, without the crowds or bandmates or tour managers, Azzato’s photographs transcend the chaos of the stage and the intensity of the studio to reveal the inner spirit that drives each of his subjects.
“I love the contrasts that Steve has highlighted in his pictures”, says publisher Richard Mack of Quiet Light Publishing. “From grizzled veterans to kids just starting out, folks who play stadium shows to unpaid openers in small clubs, jazz to blues to rock to roots… what unites them all is in fact, their love of music.” Although as noted rock photographer Annie Liebowitz suggested to Azzato at the start of the project, ‘You had to pick the hardest subjects to photograph’, he has assembled a collection that is unrivaled in its intimacy and expression.
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According to Steve, Grammy Award winner Buddy Guy said, "When I picked up the guitar I wanted to learn the guitar for the love of music." Singer / songwriter Nicholas Tremulis told him "It's not a career that's for sure, it’s a journey. And it's the best journey I've ever been on." These are but a few of the quotes from the 117 artists featured on the pages of this book.
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With the foreword by Lester Holt, NBC News anchor and a musician himself, this look into the minds and feelings of the artists will inspire people in all walks of life, not just musicians and artists, but everyone who wants to follow their own path.
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Steve Azzato has been a freelance photographer for many years along with being a cameraman for the NBC National News. This is his first book.
