THE CHASER YEARS: The Photographic Art Of Pete Williams is the first event in the build up to a major exhibition, in the summer of 2011, that will unleash the Interplanetary: Ancient to Future vision of Straight No Chaser magazine. This show is synchronized with the London International Jazz Festival and is devoted to the photographer’s deeply resonant, powerful and spiritually infused portraits which are grounded in today’s global club culture but stem from a musical diaspora which reflects the profound impact of this thing called “Jazz!”
Pete Williams is an artist. He has produced impressive bodies of work for Far Out records and MELT/B&W but he is internationally renowned for the iconic photographic images he produced for Straight No Chaser magazine. For over two decades he has worked closely with the driving force behind Chaser, editor and publisher, Paul Bradshaw and he took on commissions that mirrored Straight No Chaser’s uncompromising, outernational, cross generational musical vision.
Working predominently in black & white his work is part of a lineage which gave us seminal jazz photographers like Herman Leonard and William Claxton. Back in 1988, after studying photography at the Royal College of Art, Williams met up with the Chaser crew. They had just launched a “designer fanzine” dedicated to hip, wayward genius, Thelonious Monk and committed to what they called “The Freedom Principle”. He is an integral member of Straight No Chaser’ worldwide family and maintains a unique and long-standing working relationship with Paul Bradshaw and art director – Ian ‘Swifty’ Swift. The results of this relationship are manifested in this powerful collection of images which features influential nugeneration dons like DJ Shadow, Reprazent, Sizzla, Soweto Kinch, The Roots, Courtney Pine and Cassandra Wilson alongside spiritual jazz legends like Don Cherry, Pharoah Sanders,McCoy Tyner, Yusef Lateef, Steve Reid and Nina Simone. On the global front there are outstanding portraits of Brasilian songbird Flora Purim, Mali’s majestic Oumou Sangare, the late great Maskanda queen Busi Mhlongo and that former Brazilian Minister for Culture – Gilberto Gil.
The Chaser Years is, without doubt, one of the highlights of this year’s London International Jazz Festival and to accompany The Chaser Years we are also presenting LIVE Sessions! On Sunday Nov. 14th Nov. 12 -3PM Chasin’ The Vision: An open discussion with the photographer, Pete Williams & Straight No Chaser’s Paul Bradshaw facilitated by Jason Jules (Garmsville) + Live music: Freestyle & Beyond. On Friday 19th Nov. 6 – 9pm: Live: The Funky End Of Things – An Open Rehearsal. (The MD for the live sessions is Jazz Warrior & Vibes master, Orphy Robinson. He is fresh from a world tour with wayward virtuoso violinist Nigel Kennedy.)
VENUE: Maverik Showroom
68-72 REDCHURCH STREET. LONDON E2 7DP
12TH-20TH NOVEMBER 2010 (WITH PRIVATE VIEW THURSDAY 11th NOVEMBER 2010)
WEEKDAY OPENING TIMES: 12 – 6PM. WEEKEND OPENING TIMES: 12 – 4PM
For all press enquiries, image requests & sales please contact
Angelo Carnielo at Maverik Showroom – Tel: 0207 739 6002 / Fax: 0207 739 3686
or Paul Bradshaw & Jason Jules on 0208 800 8982
pb.straightnochaser@gmail.com. / mrjasonjules@aol.co.uk.
Pete Williams: http://www.petewilliamsphotography.net/