CHECKING OUT THE LOCAL MUSIC SCENE

Being more than just a casual music fan - my wife is a professional jazz singer - I am fascinated by the music scene. The diversity and quality of talent all around the world is both phenomenal and exciting. It's something I look for when I'm at a particular place.

The below shots are from an evening of music in Austin, Texas - one of the many homes of music across the world - and was going on in the back room of a restaurant a group of friends and I were visiting. I heard the music and moved to check it out, discovering some genuine talents in the room.

It's a fun thing, and no matter where you may be headed there's some sort of music being played.

Check it out. It's a great way to immerse yourself. And maybe meet somebody new.

MUSICLAND

Music lies at the heart of so many cities and cultures that it, at times, defines that place.

Manhattan and San Francisco claim the underground music scene, particularly when it came to the 1960s. Nashville of course is Country, though even now it expands its musical borders to nearly every field. Los Angeles has both film music and rock and roll. Honolulu is Hawaii. Seattle is grunge. St Louis, the Blues.

And New Orleans is jazz. Dixieland and, increasingly, straight ahead and Blues fusion.

Music defines us and our culture. 

Live music is a way to get to know a place, get to the city beneath the streets, if you will.

Give a listen next time you're in town.

Fat Catz Music Club in New Orleans' French Quarter

HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES, CA - PRIORITY SEATING

The color version of this shot, cropped for size, served as the cover for singer/songwriter Brian Stoner's 2012 album Lap of Luxury.

Shot in Hollywood behind a nightclub, I've always liked the B&W version of this for a sense of the bare basics omitting any kind of comfort. Obviously used by the staff for smoke breaks, this...to me...tells a story.