CD COVERS of 2014

One of the artistic endeavors that both pays my bills and enriches my soul, is working with the many talented musicians that come to me to help create vibrant packaging for their CD and album covers, as well as promotional portraits and images for their websites and press kits. 2014 was a constructive and varied year for these projects, and 2015 looks to be one of many creative collaborations as well. From jazz, to bluegrass and country, from Irish to early classical, a musician’s visual presentation should always tell the story of his or her musical soul. Here are a few of the projects that I both photographed and designed last year. I’m looking forward to reaching out to some different areas of the musical spectrum this year & creating some truly memorable covers- Maybe for YOU!

Springfield Exit on the Patuxent Music label
Frank Wakefield & Red Allen

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27th Annual Wammie Awards

Every year the Washington area’s music royality polishes up their crowns and slips into their slinkiest frocks and snakeskin cowboy boots and head out to the State Theater in scenic Falls Church, Virginia for the musical lovefest that is The Wammie Awards. The Washington Area Music Association has been passing out the local equivilant of The Grammys for 27 years now, and everyone who is anyone in the D.C. area music scene was here to see and be seen. The evening honored music makers of all styles, ages and genres and without a doubt, a grand time was had by all!

TRIO CALIENTE
TED GARBER
VERONNEAU ( Lynn Veronneau )
VERONNEAU w/ saxophonist Jeff Antoniuk
The Wammettes and a host of presentations
G.U.G.G. aka Alexi von Guggenberg
BE’LA DONA
BE’LA DONA
Just a few of the projects by WAMMIE winners I photographed & designed this year
RUTHIE AND THE WRANGLERS
RUTHIE AND THE WRANGLERS
WE WERE KINGS

2012 COVER STORY A YEAR IN MUSICAL PACKAGING

Sometimes I have to admit, I’m a lucky guy. Ever since I was a wee lad, all I ever wanted to do was make pictures, to create images. Now, here I am, an ocassionally cranky, bald headed curmudgeon, the mutant love child of Michael Stipe and the Pillsbury Dough Boy, cranking out CD and album covers for a living. 2012 was a good and productive year, with a wide range of musical styles and diverse personalities to collaborate with, and my hope is that 2013 will be no different! Not to complain, but since I am the Cover King, and hopes are that I pass the target number of 300 CDs in print sometime by mid-year, my New Year’s wish is a few more visually daring clients, a couple of really off the wall bands and projects to put me over the top. Maybe some vinyl? Something really, really out there! It will be 2013 you know. So, at year’s end, I want to thank everyone for their support, and the continued opportunity to create, create, create and remember, don’t forget that Image is Everything. (Thanks to Steve for a allowing me to steal a great line)
A great year for Ginny Carr and the Uptown Vocal Jazz Quartet-
What could be more musically diverse? A Japanese-American bluegrass mandolin player & traditional Sefardic music?
My dear friend, the great N.Y. jazz guitarist Gene Bertoncini allowed me to finally do a diner cover- The best of my worlds. ….and a beautiful girl on the cover, too.
You’ll never get the blues by listening to the fabulous Deanna Bogart
Ain’t that Marcy Marxer cute? And she can play ANY stringed instrument. We really groove on tenor guitar around here.
The Stonemans are the keepers of the Traditional Flame