BOOK REVIEW

HERB WISE

People You’d Like to Know

[Omnibus Press]

Photographer Herb Wise has a knack for capturing his subjects in the middle of a moment. In People You’d Like to Know, a compilation of his work from the 1960s through the 1980s, we see many faces of famous and not-so-famous musicians seemingly in the process of breaking into a smile—as if suddenly seeing a familiar friend. Wise was a mainstay on the festival circuit in the ’70s, and that’s where most of these black-and-white shots originate. Whether shooting portraits or concert photos, Wise was clearly on the lookout for the unguarded, casual moments when an artist’s personality peeked through. The people featured here range from the legendary likes of Steve Winwood, Frank Zappa and Jackson Browne to little-known regional players, obscure bluesmen and random street musicians, all approached with the same easy touch. Among the highlights are a pensive 1973 shot of Brownie McGhee, cigarette jutting from his lips; intense individual portrait shots of the members of the New York Dolls (also from 1973); a penetrating study of Leon Redbone’s profile, circa 1974; and the unlikely sight of festivalgoers in Puerto Rico bathing in makeshift public showers in 1974. The book’s final section focuses on New Orleans, including casual snaps of luminaries like Professor Longhair and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Among Wise’s non-musical subjects are future actresses Rosanna and Patricia Arquette, who Wise happened to photograph at the Philadelphia Folk Festival as children. The photos are accompanied by captions that, frustratingly, tend to offer rote biographical information rather than Wise’s own memories of the events portrayed. –CN

comment closed

Copyright © 2011 M Music & Musicians Magazine ·