On the 15th of November, one of the main events of the London jazz scene began, the EFG Jazz Festival. Over the following week, the world’s best musicians will perform in the capital. On the eve of the festival, Kommersant UK talked to its official photographer, Tatiana Gorilovsky. For many years, Tatiana worked with Moscow's jazz musicians, after which she moved to London where she managed to find a place for herself in the British jazz scene.
How did you come to Britain? What did you do and where did you live before you came here?
We moved here nine years ago. Before that, while my eldest children were still small, we lived in America, in Boston, but I've spent most of my life in Moscow. When I was a kid, I studied music at an ordinary music school. I chose a technical college and got into the Moscow Polytechnic University to study cybernetics. When I was in my first year, someone told me about the Moskvorechye jazz studio. When I went there I was struck by the all-pervading creative atmosphere. It was like a breath of fresh air; the music was different and so were the people. I studied there for a few years, playing jazz on the piano. I even thought of pursuing a career in music and becoming a professional musician but nothing came of it. I met a lot of interesting people who were popularisers of jazz. I still keep in touch with some of them. Then I became fascinated by photography and started to take pictures of children. Soon I went off to learn how to photograph professionally. I did a course at the Photography Academy and received several prizes in competitions. I continued my studies and realised that in photography, you have to find your own niche. I started to look for myself, I photographed everything that drew my eye. When I was travelling, I never put my camera down. I photographed landscapes and animals. Then I realised that photography is a way to live a specific moment, to freeze an instant. Soon after that, I went back to my old musician acquaintances and started to photograph concerts. I didn't just want to catch the musicians in the frame, I was also trying to give an impression of the music playing at that moment.
There is a concept known as synesthesia, a rare neurological condition that allows some people to ‘see’ music. Do you experience this?
I hear music. Having said that, I do want my photographs to encourage viewers to imagine the music being played and think about how it sounds. They may even want to go onto YouTube and have a listen.
Which jazz musicians did you know in your student days? Were there any famous people?
Yes, there were musicians famous in Russia. For eight years, I was the photographer for the Phonograph Orchestra. They were participating in two projects, Songs with the Stars and Dances with the Stars, where many well-known artists performed solos in a variety-show pop style called Estrada.
When you started to work with musicians and dancers, what was the most difficult aspect?
It's important to catch the moment. You could snap away manically every second, but I like to foresee things. Emotional musicians inject extra passion into expressive pieces and this is what you have to catch. It's a matter of a fraction of a second, so it's very easily missed. These moments are what I love jazz for. There’s plenty of life in classical music as well, but jazz still leads in expressiveness, so photographing it is more enjoyable. Jazz music allows photographers like me to portray emotion.
That's a novel way of seeing things! Who's your favourite star? Who has struck you with their expressiveness?
My favourite star might be Jacob Collier, he’s the most expressive. He is a multi-instrumentalist famous for his YouTube videos where he overlays several different voices. These have gained millions of views and earned him a Grammy. He has a wonderful voice and a range of four octaves. He plays keyboards, guitars and percussion and he’s unbelievably expressive. He fires up enormous crowds with ease and gets them singing in unison. I photographed one of his first concerts in London and another at a festival in Bristol. He's a real burst of energy!
How did you establish yourself in the British music scene?
It happened of its own accord. A month after I had arrived here I started to explore the scene and it turned out that there was an enormous choice of jazz clubs in the city. I went to the closest one to my home, started to take pictures, talked to the musicians and met the manager, to whom I gave several of my snaps. He looked at them and went “Come and take pictures”. So I started to photograph things. Sometimes the work was remunerated, at other times I was just volunteering. I gradually widened my circle of contacts. The wonderful thing about small clubs is that famous musicians also play them and you can photograph them at close range. At first, I felt a little shy and awkward but soon settled in. I have warm and friendly relations with many musicians. Gradually, I started to be recommended on the grapevine and eventually, I managed to make it to the London Jazz Festival.
As you see it, how are the musicians here different from those in Moscow? Are there any differences when dealing with and watching them perform on stage?
I can't say that there are any significant differences. There are all kinds of musicians; some like to play innovative music, others more traditional pieces. Some are more talented, others less so. Maybe there is more freedom and interaction with the public during concerts here but I suppose similar things might happen in Moscow these days.
When concerts take place in dimly lit venues, does this affect your work?
Although there's always light directed at the stage and faces are usually well illuminated, poor lighting may actually help create more interesting photos. In Camden, there is a jazz cafe where different light engineers work. The lighting is always different. Sometimes it's bright and sometimes there’s only a background glow, with faces obscured in the half-light. This contrast sometimes creates dramatic effects. Black-and-white photographs have the advantage of sometimes allowing light noise to be avoided. When there isn't much lighting, there's a lot of potential to play with what there is and achieve interesting results.
Some purists only value black-and-white photographs. What do you think of that?
Well, monochrome was the classic format of the early days of jazz photography! While at times colour is crucial and it's a shame to lose it, some photos really do look better in black and white. It all depends on countless details, such as the background, the atmosphere and the emotions. It may be that the most vibrant emotions are visible in black and white when insignificant details are lost.
Which have been your most memorable photo shoots with prominent female vocalists? How do they behave as models?
I have a special relationship with women. There's an organisation here called Women in Jazz Media which supports female musicians and publicises their work. An interesting crowd has coalesced around the singer Fiona Ross. These people publish a magazine every three months and from time to time I provide them with photographs. I don't pigeonhole musicians by gender, but it’s nice to know a dedicated organisation for women in jazz exists. I like to photograph emotional vocalists but in practice, not all the moments I catch are photogenic, which is concerning for women. Sometimes they ask me to get rid of wrinkles or correct skin defects and on occasion, I get completely unexpected requests such as adjusting a waistline or getting rid of glare on boots. Men much more rarely request photo editing but with women, it is more difficult, especially older ladies.
Do you use filters for your shots?
For me, it’s important to keep things natural, as there's so much artificiality in the world, including artificial intelligence, which worries photographers and threatens to leave them unemployed. Also, in a typical photo session, a lot is just affectation. I often photograph groups for promotions and album covers. In these sessions, making artists look natural to show their relationships and chemistry diving the music is challenging.
So does it help that you've played jazz yourself?
It definitely helps that I love it! If I didn't, it would be hard to go to concerts so often. I’m at them from three to seven times a week and that's quite a lot.
What would your advice be to someone who would like to learn about the London Jazz scene? Where is it best to start?
To decide what concerts to go to, I look at the sites of different clubs and watch fragments of performances. You could start with Ronnie Scott's jazz club. It's the most famous one of all. If jazz stars from Europe and America are only doing a couple of gigs in town, it’s where they go. I like the 606 Club in Chelsea. Steve Ruby has been running it for more than 50 years. He's a saxophonist and flautist. There's an unpretentious atmosphere but first-rate musicians play there. Pizza Express, the pizzeria chain, provides an interesting format at four of their venues, which contain clubs. The previous owner, who's now passed away, wanted to make good music accessible. There are also clubs in Chelsea, Holborn and Soho, where it all started at a club on Dean Street. There's a good jazz cafe in Camden where diverse music is played. Modern jazz isn't at all like the music it all began with. Now there are diverse rhythms and styles and the avant-garde often draws many young people. There's the Toulouse Lautrec club, where I recently put on a photo exhibition. They also have a decent programme. There's also the fantastic Hidden Jazz Club pop-up project. The events feature the best musicians in different venues. But the November London Jazz Festival is my favourite ten days of the year when there are hundreds of concerts. For the past few years, I've been the official photographer of the festival and I photograph several concerts a day. In smaller clubs, everything functions as normal, only the most popular artists are performing. But the most interesting events are in large concert halls such as the Barbican Centre and Royal Festival Hall where there are free daytime programmes which you can go to with kids. If you haven't heard jazz for a while it's a wonderful chance to put that right!
Who or what are you anticipating at this festival? Who would you like to photograph or listen to?
I won't manage to photograph everyone I'd like to but I'll be happy to recommend some fantastic musicians. Tickets for many shows may have sold out, but there's still a chance to see some. On the first day of the festival, Jazz Voice usually draws some famous names. And it's a fantastic format where you can listen to around ten vocalists at once, accompanied by an orchestra. At Cadogan Hall on Saturday, Veronica Swift is performing. She has a marvellous voice and her vocal improvisations are just mind-blowing! Her style ingeniously combines rock, jazz and classical music. It's captivating to watch. I really like the vocalists Imaani and Cherise, who there’s also a chance to listen to, as well as Jamie Cullum and Imelda May, their concerts will be at Festival Hall on the 22nd and 23rd of November.
Are there neighbourhoods in London where you can feel the spirit of jazz?
Well, London isn't quite New Orleans, but at jazz clubs and during the festival you can feel something similar. There's a festival called Love Supreme which is held near Brighton. They have five stages in a field for a three-day programme. It has an amazing atmosphere; freedom and jazz. I love going to it.
Do you only photograph musicians, or do you also take shots of the audience?
That's the trickiest part. Musicians know they’re being photographed, but the audience hasn't given consent, so it seems wrong to photograph them. My only pictures of crowds show silhouetted figures with raised arms clapping and jumping in front of the stage. These create an excellent effect whilst not portraying people's faces.
Which Russophone musicians are currently working on the British scene?
Maria Semushkina organises house parties and concerts for Russian-speaking musicians. By the way, we have something interesting in store for us on the 1st and 8th of December. Saxophonist Zhenya Strigaleva is curating concerts at Ladbroke Hall and they have an interesting programme.
Have any photographers influenced you? Who you might call your mentors?
My favourite jazz photographers are Herman Leonard and Gjon Mili. The first laid the groundwork for classic jazz photography and the second was a fantastic experimentalist who took long exposures and used stroboscopic effects. I also love improvising with long or multiple exposures. For instance, with a long exposure, glare on a saxophone becomes a solid line and this can create an interesting effect.
Do you use your telephone to take shots?
I do when I don't have a camera to hand. Sometimes I take pictures on my phone, but not at jazz concerts. I need different lenses, so for the time being, the professional camera still wins. Although in normal conditions, with decent lighting, you can also take good shots on phones. Sometimes a telephone’s capabilities might even surpass a camera.
Have you experienced any curious incidents during photo shoots?
Once I had to go to a rehearsal at the Barbican Centre and I was running a little late so I had to look for the room myself. I went through the wrong door and it locked shut behind me because it was a fire exit. I had to walk in the dark for a long time with no phone signal but I came out eventually and I even managed to take some snaps.
And have a musician’s nerves ever snapped during your photo sessions?
No, that’s something I've never encountered. It's part of their professionalism. In Moscow I did see rudeness and disrespectful attitudes, fortunately not directed towards me. It was mostly from artists who had suddenly hit the big time and let it go to their heads. Here everything is different, even the most famous musicians talk respectfully and modestly.
Do you believe jazz is music for intellectuals?
I wouldn't say so. Many performers are self-taught, have made their own ways and proved themselves. They’ve just realised this sort of music allows them to express themselves. They are from diverse backgrounds, with different levels of education. Jazz is incredibly varied; there's something in it for everyone.
Don't you think jazz listeners are often snobs?
Everyone's different.
