Tom Reney of New England Public Radio has a good write-up about the Zoot Fest at East Stroudsberg University last Sunday.  I’m waiting on a few pictures and when I get them I’ll post something myself.

-S.S.

HERE is a good article from the Pocono Record newspaper on next weekend’s Zoot Fest in Delaware Water Gap, PA.

-S.S.

Sam Stephenson and Dorrie Woodson. Photo by Kate Joyce.

Of course, that’s Dorrie Woodson that Sam wrote about for Paris Review.

Saxophonist Levon Henry, Dan Partridge, Sam Stephenson. Photo by Kate Joyce.

Levon has worked with the Jazz Loft Project many times in the past.  He and his father Joe Henry were mentioned on the JLP blog HERE.

Chris McElroen, Alex Koch, Julia Watt. How are we going to get these 25o pound projectors on top of ten feet of scaffolding? Photo by Kate Joyce.

Hanging Projection Screens at Invisible Dog

The mega projectors on Bergen St. Kate Freer, Sam Stephenson in between. Photo by Kate Joyce.

The remarkable Chaos Manor media braintrust. Alex Koch, David Tennent, Kate Freer. Photo by Kate Joyce.

Due to some technical difficulties, this blog has been quiet lately.  Thus, I’m overdue in praising my old friend Jay Dees and the owner of the Literary Bookpost, Deal Safrit, for throwing an awesome JLP event in Salisbury, NC.  Around 120 people turned out and thirty-some JLP books were sold.  The Ron Free Trio (Royce Campbell guitar, Bob Bowen bass played and sounded fantastic.  Photographer Jan Jenson made photographs at the event, which are here.

Many thanks to Jay and Deal.  What a wonderful town and bookstore.

-S.S.

Sam Stephenson and the Ron Free Trio (with Royce Campbell on guitar, Bob Bowen on bass) will appear in Salisbury, NC on Thursday October 13.  Here’s the listing from the Salisbury Post:

The Jazz Loft Project book signing and reception — 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 13: Author Sam Stephenson will discuss and sign copies of The Jazz Loft Project, a collection of the photography of W. Eugene Smith taken in the late 1950s and early 1960s of the jazz scene in NYC. Tickets $10 at Literary Bookpost, Salisbury Visitor Center, jazzloft.eventbrite.com. Portion of ticket sales goes to Rowan Blues & Jazz Society. Ticket purchase price can be applied to purchase of book. Cash wine bar. Live jazz by the Ron Free Trio. Literary Bookpost, 110 S. Main St.

Photographer Kate Joyce, a member of the Chaos Manor creative collective, checks in from Chicago with an early sequence of images from the Invisible Dog, Brooklyn, September 16-17.  Enjoy.

Sometime in the near future we’ll be posting photographs from Chaos Manor made by the photographers in our creative collective, Kate Joyce and Jason Goodman.  Jason, who is also creating a video trailer for the show, flew to Milan for a 10-day commission the morning after Chaos Manor, and Kate returned home to Chicago with a Smith-like number of photographs from the proceedings.  Kate revealed today that, so far, she’d eliminated about 1000 pictures from consideration, with a couple thousand remaining.  Somewhere, Smith must be smiling.

Meanwhile, the following photographs were made on the first night by Anthony Sabatino, the grandson of drummer and former 821 Sixth Avenue resident, Frank Amoss.

These are from actor and producer Julia Watt, a member of the Chaos Manor creative collective.  Check back soon for work by the collective’s photographers Jason Goodman and Kate Joyce.

Chaos Manor command central. 3rd floor, Invisible Dog.

Saxophonist Levon Henry against projections of images of Jimmy Giuffre by Gene Smith circa 1959.

I’m back in North Carolina after two weeks in Brooklyn.  The experiment succeeded, thanks to the efforts of the remarkable director Christopher McElroen and an inspiring and dedicated collective of video, photography, and audio pros, performers, musicians, and production assistants.  More to come on Step 1 of Chaos Manor, including photos and audio-video.  Meanwhile, here is a series of photographs by the Invisible Dog’s Simon Courchel indicating what was done this past weekend.

-Sam Stephenson

Paris Review Daily previews Chaos Manor.  Meanwhile, here are some scenes from the last twenty-four hours at the Invisible Dog.

Third floor, Invisible Dog. Projection screens hanging by windows.

Invisible Dog, third floor, l/r photographer Kate Joyce, video designers David Tennent, Alex Koch, Kate Freer

L-R, Kate Freer, David Tennent, Alex Koch

Alex Koch, David Tennent, Kate Freer

Sound designer Dominic Mekky, pianist Martha Kato, saxophonist Levon Henry, drummer Eric Read.