Photography: The Black and White Project Revisited, Days 23-31: April 23, 2016 – May 3, 2016
As you probably know from frequenting this site that the last month or so have been extremely busy in my world as I’ve been managing this site full-time while starting a full-time job and although I haven’t had as much time as I would prefer to edit photos, I’m still managing to get things done, even if it means editing away on a packed rush hour train back to Queens or wherever else I’m heading off to at that particular moment. Now, this is arguably the largest and lengthiest Black and White Project post in this site’s history — but as you know, there’s a first for everything, right?
Houston, TX-born and New York-based singer/songwriter Melany Watson invited me to a singer/songwriter showcased hosted by her vocal coach Jeremiah Abiah and it featured some incredibly talented and very lovely women, including Watson herself covering the work of Nancy Wilson, Sarah Vaughan, Johnny Mathis and Handel, as well as songs from the songbook of The Color Purple and Grease, among others at The Triad Theatre. Of course, typical for me I wound up showing up late and missing the first performer or two but I still caught the bulk of the show and will have a few more photos of the show shortly.
(Photo Caption: Joan Anderson performing at The Triad Theatre last month.)
(Photo Caption: La’Nette Searcy and Joan Anderson performing “What About Love” from The Color Purple. )
(Photo Caption: The incredibly charismatic Nikki Kimbrough performing at the Triad Theatre last month.)
(Photo Caption: Graffiti on a truck parked on Greenwich Street, near the old St. Vincent’s Hospital in the West Village.)
(Photo Caption: Apparently Ash B. was at the 14th Street and 6th Avenue L train platform — and we all missed her.)
(Photo Caption: I actually see this particular mural very often on my way back and forth to work and it was apparently the facade for a seemingly defunct club. But it’s always a reminder that any time can be “Party Time.”)
(Photo Caption: I caught these two singer/songwriters on a rather damp and chilly evening in Washington Square Park. And what immediately caught my attention was that the duo were singing love songs directly to each other as though they were the only people in their world. )
(Photo Caption: Of course, a photo of the Washington Square Park Arch seemed to be prerequisite at some point, right?)
(Photo Caption: This mural is located at the Spring Street, Uptown and Queens bound C and E entrance and although I hadn’t seen it in several years, I had remembered it and wanted to take a picture of it as it portrays commuters waiting for trains at various stops along 14th Street. Of course for those folks, who like me rely on the MTA to get around, there’s something symbolic about these commuters endlessly waiting for a train.)
(Photo Caption: I was on my way to Williamsburg to record a weekly panel session on all things Norway — true story, folks — when I came across this Michael Jackson impersonator dancing up a storm at the 14th Street A,C,E and L station.)
(Photo Caption: 100 whimsical and surreal bronze statues by artist Tom Otterness inhabit the 14th Street A, C, E and L station including this one. And although whimsical, the statues touch upon deeper social issues such as class, the criminal justice system and more.)
(Photo Caption: Kelsey Warren, the frontman of Blak Emoj performing at Piano’s last week.)
(Photo Caption: Butcher Knives performing a captivating set at Piano’s last week.)
(Photo Caption: C and I stopped at the Queens Museum in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park for the Ramones exhibit. Looking at some of the artifacts from the influential and pioneering band was quite a thrill — perhaps even more so as both C and I are Queens natives. In fact, I was thrilled to see a picture of the band on a street corner in Forest Hills that I know rather intimately.)
(Photo Caption: As a schoolboy, one of the highlights of the Queens Museum was the New York City Panorama, which is accurate to scale; in fact, I can still remember that they had model planes take off from both LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy Airports, fly around the city and then land. Sadly, the panorama could use a few updates as you’ll see in a little bit. In this photo, you’ll notice the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge at the lower left hand corner and Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Looking at the middle left of the photo, you’ll see downtown Manhattan and Governor’s Island. Towards the right hand side of the photo, you’ll see Queens.)
(Photo Caption: Staten Island. If you look towards the left hand side of the photo, you’ll see the St. George Ferry Terminal.)
(Photo Caption: The Verrazano Narrows Bridge between Brooklyn and Staten Island. Even at scale, you can tell that the bridge is quite a long span.)
(Photo Caption: On the left hand side of the photo you’ll see Brooklyn, the right hand side, you’ll see Queens with John F. Kennedy Airport on the lower right. Jamaica Bay is towards the lower left hand side. Slightly right of center, you’ll see Cross Bay Blvd. bisecting the frame.)
(Photo Caption: Towards the center of the photo you can almost see the neighborhoods of Elmhurst, Corona, Forest Hills and Rego Park in Queens. Towards the far right hand of the photo you’ll see Brooklyn then Midtown and Lower Manhattan. Towards the far left hand side of the photo you’ll see Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.)
(Lower Manhattan with the old Twin Towers. Stumbling upon this was heartbreaking because it was a reminder of the New York that many natives remember and can’t ever get back.)
(Photo Caption: Although it was a chilly afternoon and early evening, Spring was in full force as you can see from these photos.)
(Photo Caption: Noelle Tannen and the Filthy No-Nos at Rockwood Music Hall late Saturday night/early Sunday morning.)
(Photo Caption: Presumably because I’ve covered Northside Festival, I’ve received regular invites to Northside’s Innovation talks including Monday evening’s talk on small businesses and video content and it included talks from Natalie Zfat, Gordon Deal and others.)
(Photo Caption: There’s always room for a selfie on a damp evening at Washington Square Park, right? As I get older, I realize how much I actually look like my father — and over the last couple of years, I’ve had a number of people tell me that.)
(Photo Caption: If trombones can’t make your day, nothing will.)
For these photos and more, check out the Flickr set here: https://flic.kr/s/aHskwAcYJj
