From Chi-Town to 1st Avenue in 8 Hours

I am such a noob. I wish I could tell you I have this travel thing down. Thursday was definitely a learning experience. Airport security gave me extra special attention because of my gear. Time to totally rethink how I pack it. A friend of mine told me to watch that George Clooney flick Up In the Air. I did not have a chance to watch that before this trip. Ironically it was on the box my first night in Chicago. If I only watched it sooner. Other then the hold ups, the rushing from terminal to terminal, and anxiety of not exactly knowing where I was going it ended up being a great trip. You know the old saying about it not being about the destination but the journey. Well whoever came up with that was right.

As I mentioned in my previous post I was in Chicago to capture the performances of the McNally Smith Fusion Ensemble and to spread the gospel of our contemporary music college nestled in the heart of St. Paul, MN. I had never seen a full set before and was very excited to get the full affect. I had popped my head into a rehearsal for a few photos but never got the full range of their musicianship. They blew my mind. I think a true sign of talent whether it be kick-ball or pottery is that the people you are watching (or listening to) inspire you to do what they are doing. This group definitely did that. I couldn't wait to get home and pick up that guitar. Not only that they're a great group of guys who are 100% dedicated to their craft and it shows. Everyone has a unique personality both on and off the stage and it's this dynamic that makes this such a fun group to watch. These are very hard guys not to like. Following them around would make a great documentary or reality TV show.

Also on the trip were Dave Jensen who is the Fusion Ensemble Director and Steve Jennings who is the Ensemble Department Head at McNally Smith. Both have a wealth of knowledge and experience. It is a great honor to call them co-workers and friends. Here they are with the Evanston Township HS band director (and all around great guy) Dave Fodor. The Ensemble played there on Thursday and was well received. They have a beautiful campus and a great music department. There is a lot of pride at ETHS.

From left to right: Jensen, Fodor, and Jennings.  

On Friday we headed over to Niles North High School for another performance. We were hosted by Mary Jo Papich and Daniel Gregerman and they made us feel right at home. They had a beautiful auditorium and were kind enough to film the guys with a three camera set-up and sound coming right off the board. Can't wait to see the footage. As was the case the first day the students loved it and as we were leaving Mary said, "I knew they would be good but not that good. You guys are definitely on my radar now." I would call that a win especially coming form the founder of the Jazz Education Network (JEN). I had time for one more group photo and then it was time for me to head back to Minneapolis. The guys play the Elmhurst Jazz Fesitival on Sunday before heading back. Break a leg, Guys! To see the full set of photos from the trip stop by the McNally Smith Facebook Page.

Once I got back into town it was time to head to 1st Avenue. I was assigned Tapes 'n Tapes last night for  City Pages. I had shot them before about a year ago and they always put on a great show. I do have a soft spot in my heart for Minnesota Bands done good. 

You can peep the full set here.

It was a busy couple of days and to have two shoots in two different states in the same day that required air travel was definitely a first for this guy. I met a lot of great people and saw a lot of really cool things but it's nice to be home with my peeps.

More to come,

Nick