120mm "Forgotten Laughter" And Other Trip Shots #13

Here are the latest photos from last trip, 11 this time, I bonus of 1 :)). All are 120mm films shot with the Rolleiflex (6x6) and Plaubel Makina (6x7). Two very different cameras that were both a joy to shoot. I will continue working with these tools on future trips.

Boy looking for fish in the dumps muddy water, Mae Sot Thailand April 2016

Young boy in his dump shack home, Mae Sot Thailand April-May 2016

Young girl catching fish in the dump, Mae Sot Thailand April 2016

Young children in dump, Mae Sot Thailand April-May 2016

Boy in dump lean-too, Mae Sot Thailand May 2016

Boy in his dump shack wiht Grandma, Mae Sot Thailand April-May 2016

Young baby boy in dump, version #1, Mae Sot Thailand Apirl-May 2016

Young baby boy in dump, version #2, Mae Sot Thailand April-May 2016

Young girl in the dump wearing "Barbie Shirt", Mae Sot Thailand April-May 2016

Man working at well in dump, Mae Sot Thailand April-May 2016

Bare chested man in the dump, Mae Sot Thailand April-May 2016

A Dupree Bolton Thought

You know what is really weird about all the stuff I learned about Dupree lately. I thought For years, for the last 30+ years that I was the only one who knew this guy outside of Sonny and a few others. I had no idea he was so reverred by many in the jazz community. I thought his memory, his life, was mine alone (now that Sonny is most likely gone). Then I found all these recordings, reviews, respect and history online. Wow! It is also so bizarre, my whole understanding of this man has been changed up. Can't get my head round that! Who knew?
 
Now I  can now listen to his music, and use it to remember the times we shared together. Life sure does take strange turns at times.

Quote: Oscar Wilde

"To live is the rarest thing. Most people exist, that is all."

The Meaning Of Ambrotype

Ambrotype or Amphitype, hails from the Greek words "Immortal" and "Impression", (on glass).

Just think about that for a second, quite beautiful a thought don't you think? Making Ambrotypes is to create an "IMMORTAL IMPRESSION". What a wonderful way photographers spend their lives, trying to make immortal objects, trying to give immortality to their subjects! You got to LOVE IT!!!

"Ain't Photography Grand!!"

One More Dupree Bolton Related CD

I bought yet another Dupree Bolton related CD this morning. I think I am now running out of his available recorded works. This music was made when he collaborated with singer Lou Rawls. I guess this best of albums has several new forgotton new tracks added to it. I also included a review from "All About Jazz".

Bought a used version of this Dupree Bolton contribution CD ltoday

All About Jazz Review OF "The Best Of Lou Rawls"

Here is the review of the album by Mr Chris May

Lou Rawls: The Best Of Lou Rawls: The Capitol Jazz & Blues Sessions

By Chris May
April 19, 2006
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Although they're included almost as a postscript to this gorgeous collection of jazz and gospel-inflected blues, the last three tracks on The Best Of Lou Rawls are headline news in themselves. Three previously unissued tracks featuring legendary trumpeter Dupree Bolton!! Almost as under-recorded and unchronicled as Buddy Bolden, Dupree Bolton spent most of his adult life either with a monkey on his back or doing jail time under the USA's unenlightened drug laws. But his contributions to Harold Land's The Fox (1959) and Curtis Amy's Katanga (1963) made those albums two of the most toweringly magnificent ever to come from the West Coast.
Obsessively secretive and paranoid, the only information Bolton would give to a Down Beat writer attempting to interview him in 1960 was this: "When I was fourteen, I ran away from home." Jazz history is awash with enigmatic junkie burnouts, many of them actually more memorable in myth than on metal, but Bolton was the real deal, an incandescent, head-charging, uber-impassioned soloist who lit up everything around him—and to whom one's first reaction is often plain dumbstruck awe. (Check the expression on Land's face on the back cover of The Fox, as he watches Bolton solo.)
So the chance finally to hear "Mean Old World," "Long Gone Blues" and "Fine And Mellow"—three tracks Rawls laid down with the Amy Sextet a month or so after the recording of Katanga—is something else. On the first two tunes, Bolton is confined to theme statements and backing riffs, but on the closing "Fine And Mellow" he gets one chorus to counterpoint behind Rawls and another of pure solo time. He kicks the door in and tears it up. A truly astonishing talent.
Which doesn't leave much room for the other seventeen tracks on this wonderful album. With the sole exception of the rather maudlin "Old Folks," they are every one of them 24-carat gems. Rawls was a postmodernist before the term was coined. His rich, resonant baritone—reminiscent of Ray Charles, but less countryfied—was equally at home with gospel (he started out in the mid-1950s with the Pilgrim Travelers), blues, jazz, pop and soul, and he excels on this 1962—1970 collection. The musicians and arrangers include some of LA's finest—alongside Amy, tenor saxophonist Teddy Edwards, organist Richard Groove Holmes, pianist Gerald Wiggins, guitarist Ray Crawford, arrangers Benny Carter and Benny Golson, and drummer Earl Palmer, whose controlled nuclear explosions lift most of the mid-1960s tracks. A total, eternally hip blast.

Track Listing: Motherless Child; God Bless The Child; Nobody But Me; Blues For The Weepers; Goin' To Chicago Blues; How Long, How Long Blues; Southside Blues/Tobacco Road (medley); Something Stirring In My Soul; Georgia On My Mind; So Hard To Laugh, So Easy To Cry; Old Folks; Somebody Have Mercy; Why (Do I Love You So); Street Of Dreams; I Wonder; Let's Burn Down The Cornfield; One For My Baby, One More For The Road; Mean Old World; Long Gone Blues; Fine And Mellow.
Personnel: Lou Rawls: vocals. Accompanied by The Pilgrim Travelers, Les McCann Ltd., Muscle Shoals Fame Gang, Curtis Amy Sextet, Tommy Strode Quartet and orchestras arranged by Benny Carter, Benny Golson, H. B. Barnum and Onzy Mathews.

Dupree Bolton "Fireball Album" Music Review

Here is a review of my former friend Dupree Bolton's music from allmusc.com, written by Michael G Nastos. At the link you can hear sort clips of the music. I have ordered this DVD "Fireball" so will be listening closely to all the music later in the dark. Wonder what Dupree would have thought of me buying all his music 30 years later? He probably and rightly would have wanted his cut of the money :)).

http://www.allmusic.com/album/fireball-mw0000793794

AllMusic Review by Michael G. Nastos 

If you own jazz recordings by saxophonists Harold Land or Curtis Amy, you may be familiar with trumpeter Dupree Bolton. Amidst his numerous arrests and incarcerations, Bolton was a fine modern jazz player beyond the lyrical tone of Lee Morgan and just shy of Freddie Hubbard. Where his personal story, beginning circa 1929 in Oklahoma City and ending at the Marina Convalescent Hospital in Alameda in 1993, is a tragic one of ignorance and drug addiction, Bolton's playing in his prime should be considered as good as any in the early '60s. This is a curious collection featuring previously unissued material from a Los Angeles radio broadcast with Amy's sextet, two tracks for the Pacific Jazz label with a co-op sextet, and a tenet from 1980 recorded at the Joseph Harp Correctional Center in Lexington, OK. Hard and post-bop form the centerpiece, but you get some contemporary original soul funky sounds as well. Bolton's sound is faithfully represented, a solid tone that expresses a vocal quality, not particularly flashy, but strong melodically. The Winter 1963 selections from the Frank Evans hosted program Frankly Jazz are bookended by Bolton's theme and the emcee's announcements, including a short "Summertime" with Amy up front and Bolton sublimated. But the trumpeter steps up on Amy's famous quintessential hard bopper, "Katanga," with short thematic phrases leading to solid solos. Pianist Dolo Coker is included, and sounds great with his two-handed power chords and wealth of ideas surrounding the horn players, while guitarist H. Ray Crawford delicately strums or plucks rhythmic strains expertly and tastefully. A basic "Blues for Amy" in the vein of Horace Silver, and a ballad feature for Bolton "Laura," expand the concept of this excellent combo. 

The other tracks from June 1963 feature a front line of Bolton, the obscure alto saxophonist Earl Anderza , young tenor saxophonist Hadley Caliman, and pianist Roosevelt Wardell's trio. Anderza has a strained legato sound that underscores the post-bop track "Joe & I," while Bolton's completely sad brass sound identifies the 100-percent regretful "Midnight Lament." It should come as no surprise that Bolton and Anderza were clashing, battling for solo time. In Oklahoma, eight inmates including Bolton join music director and artist in residence Dr. Paul Brewer (at the time of this writing employed at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI) and bassist Elisha Martin for four numbers. Brewer penned the unsteady "Monk's Tunnel" and doubles on trombone or Fender Rhodes piano as Bolton and fellow trumpeter Monty Boyd ease into a modern swing. "John's Tune" is co-written by Brewer and John Pemberton, one of two guitarists in the ensemble, as the trumpeters sing in unison for a contemporary funk piece. "Shackle Blues" is "All Blues," but even more stripped down than the original basic melody while adding phrases from "Coltrane's Blues," and "Chano" hints at Latin music, but adopts a swampy danceable contemporary blues beat. Drummer Jerome Nelson (spelled incorrectly in the credits) is in this band, the only other musician with any professional credentials, having worked with Richard "Grove" Holmes. Boyd is also a fine musician who keeps up with Bolton and doubles on flute, while alto and tenor saxophonist Gene Smith could have also been notable on the scene had he not had his run-ins with the law, contributing a fine solo during "Shackle Blues." This recording is rare in that Dupree Bolton's discography is scant, but it remains a curio in that it only scratches the surface as to the kind of artist he might actually have been. He remains a missing link in the annals of jazz until a more comprehensive recording surfaces, but a very informative 40-page booklet does tell the larger story of his trials and travails where his biography is more telling and intriguing than his music...for now.

LAST, Last Ambrotype Buy, Old Lady Lace Head Scarf

I need to pay for everything then shut down my eBay, but before I do that I bought one final, final Ambrotype, cost $48 USD including shipping. I found this image simply stunning, had to get it. This is the last one for now! Check out how delicate the image on glass is when removed from the black background.

Update* Got my first 3 Ambrotype auction boxes (5 pictures) today in the mail, have them at work tonight. I spent my 12 hour shift looking at them again and again, love them!

Old lady with lace head scarf, gold tone trim

Links: David Burnet And His Aero Ektar Lens

World class photojournalist David Burnett made some intriguing photos with the Ektar Aero at the London Olympics. Here is a link.
David Burnett Photographs The Olympics with Speed Graphic and Aero Ektar

Heare Mr. Burnett talk about his gear, including his Speedgraphic Aero Ektar.
NY Times, David Burnett Speaking

David Burnett with his Speed Graphic Aero Ektar lens combo, photo by Mike King

Link: More Kodak Ektar Aero Lens Fun!

Gosh I could have got my Kodak Ektar Aero 178mm F2.5 lens for $79.50 USD back in the day. The government 1939-45 cost was supposedly $360 ($800 for the lens with camera), wonder how much that works out to in 2016 dollars?

Advert selling WWII surplus to the public

Here is link to a bunch of super cool info on this historic lens.
https://lommen9.home.xs4all.nl/aero/

Bought Me A Kodak Aero Ektar 178mm F2.5 Lens

I know I said no more buying stuff but I could not resist this last gear buy. This purchase is something I have wanted for years. I bought a good condition Kodak Aero Ektar 178mm (7inch) F2.5 lens. This lens is world  famous because of its amazing bokeh at f2.5. My hope is to use this buy on my "Lost Innocence" brothel worker portrait series. I could also use it in wet plate and regular film photography, the cost was $1250 USD plus shipping. Another possible use could be to do 4x5 dump portraits in Mae Sot.

These lens were originally designed for aerial reconnaissance photography during World War II. At one point my lens helped find things to kill and or destroy. Lets now use this same lens to create something visually important and beautiful. Time to redeem your self Mr. Lens and redefine your purpose.

I will have many options on how to use this lens. I can use it in a Speed Graphic (with wind up focal plane shutter). I can use it with the Linhof 2000 4x5 camera (longer bellows = closer focusing) or with my 8x10 Masterview and 4x5  reducing back (possibly the 5x7 reducing back if there is enough coverage). I can use this film or wet plate photography. I might attach this lens to a separate shutter. SK Grimes will probably be able to do that for me.

This is the lens I bought and some incredible online bokeh Aero Ektar pics I found.

My new-used Aero Ektar 127mm F2.5 lens

Portrait made with Kodak Aero Ektar F2.5,  photographer F Peilesiak

Portrait made with Kodak Aero Ektar F2.5, photographer Kiran Bhat

Portrait made with a Kodak Aero Ektar F2.5, photographer Zach Boumeester

Portrait made with Kodak Aero Ektar F2.5, photographer Florien Weiler

Oh yes I should mention, this buy turned into quite a good deal. I bid quite a bit higher than the number I paid (Bid $2201 USD, probably a crazy high bid), so was very happy to pay $1250.

Here is the sellers advert and everything that is included in this one auction. (The seller turned out to be a very nice polite fellow).

AERO EKTAR SPEED GRAPHIC FINE ART 4 LENS KIT WITH LINHOF GRIP. AMAZING CAMERA!!!!

SPEED GRAPHIC IN EXCELLENT CONDITION [crack in the ground glass ,still perfectly usable]  FOCAL PLANE SHUTTER IN EXCELLENT CONDITION ,FABRIC AND SPEEDS ALL GOOD.

AERO EKTAR 178MM F2.5  MOUNTED ON A SPEED GRAPHIC LENS BOARD.     VERY GOOD USABLE CONDITION ,TAKES MARVELOUS SHOTS . BEAUTIFUL PORTRAIT AND LANDSCAPE LENS .MMM BOKEH . VERY CLEAR LENS , NOT BROWN LIKE SOME OF THEM .

TELE -XENAR 360 MM , F5.5  MOUNTED ON A SPEED GRAPHIC LENSBOARD     GOOD USABLE CONDITION ..LOVELY LANDSCAPE AND PORTRAIT LENS .WORKS REALL WELL ON THE SPEED GRAPHIC .

ANGULON 90MM, F6.8 .MOUNTED ON A SPEED GRAPHIC LENSBOARD  GREAT LANDSCAPE LENS IN A LINHOF GRADE PRONTOR -S SHUTTER .GOOD CONDITION 

SKINK PINHOLE ON SPEED GRAPHIC LENSBOARD .2 INTERCHANGEABLE PINHOLES .

LINHOF ANATOMICAL GRIP IN GOOD CONDITION FITTED TO THE SPEED GRAPHIC .

5 DOUBLE FILM HOLDERS IN GOOD CONDITION . LOADED WITH VELVIA 100.

50 SHEETS EFKE ASA 25 .DATED 2010 ,COOL STORED . 

ALL PACKED IN AN ALUMINUM CARRY CASE 

THIS IS AN AMAZING KIT THAT I HAVE USED FOR 20 YEARS AND MADE MY BEST PHOTOGRAPHS WITH .IT IS MORE FUN AND MORE INSTRUCTIVE THAT ANY CAMERA I HAVE EVER USED . A CRACK IN THE GROUND GLASS WHICH DOES NOT AFFECT USABILITY IS THE ONLY FAULT .

A MARVELOUS PHOTOGRAPHIC FINE ART TOOL .MAKES PHOTOGRAPHS UNLIKE ANY OTHER CAMERA I HAVE EVER USED .A SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY FOR A SPECIAL PHOTOGRAPHER ..GOOD LUCK .

All the gear in the won auction

More Dupree Music

Found and bought some more music from my old friend Dupree Bolton. This time the music is on CDs, I guess there was a reissue-remaster of his music a few years back.

I was thinking this morning I might be one of the few people left alive that knew him, that heard his music live. Strange how life is. What could this man have created without the heroin addiction? At least the music I bought survives. That is what is really cool about art and artists. Long after you die, your art can live on. Dupree is long dead but his albums live on. In a sense he will never die, his trumpet playing will loved for generations, maybe forever.

Here are the 2 Cds I bought this morning. Both of these date to I think around 1959-63:

Harold Land with Dupree Bolton "The Fox"

Dupree Bolton "Fireball"

More On Dupree

I just found this link info and photo on Dupree Bolton. Here it is:
https://sites.google.com/site/sqjazzband/dupreebolton

 Dupree Bolton (1929-1993) ran off from home at an early age to play with bands travelling through his native Oklahoma. He joined the band of Buddy Johnson, then played briefly in New York City with the Benny Carter orchestra. Back in Los Angeles, where his family had migrated when he was still a teenager, he became a fixture of the jazz club scene, where tenor saxophonist discovered him and asked him to play with him on The Fox.

Dupree was incarcerated in San Quentin from March, 1960 to November, 1962. He joined saxophonist Curtis Amy's formation, with whom he recorded the Katanga! album - named after a tune he'd written while in San Quentin two years before. That same year - 1963 - he recorded a few tracks with singer Lou Rawls, and two tracks with  former San Quentin inmate Earl Anderza for an album that was to be released under both their names - but never got that far.

Dupree Bolton then drifted in and out of jail for the best part of the next thirty years, and ended his life as a street musician in San Francisco. He died in Oakland, California, in 1993.

Dupree's San Quentin Mug Shot 1960 (?)

Memory Flash Mr. Dupree Bolton

I found something tonight that brought back a flood of memories from my past. When I was 21 I went down to California in my parents motor home. In San Francisco I met and photographed a man playing trumpet on the streets of Chinatown, his name was Dupree Bolton. Over time we became friends of a sort, I remember how skinny and wasted away he was, when we met he was around 56 but looked to be 70. He used to played "Misty" for the dimes and quarters he got from tourists. I would hear it over and over again. I asked him why, he told me he played it because the tourists liked it and he could make more money.

Dupree was a talented jazz trumpet player but also a heroin addict, his addiction dominated his personality,  feeding that addiction was the most important part of his day. He still played music for himself thou, I remember one time sleeping or trying to sleep as he and a piano player did an impromptu session where I was staying. They played for over 1 hour, gosh I wish I had taped it. After words he asked me how I liked it, I had been the only audience. Even thou the drug use ruled his life he was always a decent and kind person to me, never asking me for money and always treating me with respect. He liked the fact I came from Canada and was not American. I guess being a Canadian white guy made me less racist in his mind.

Dupree introduced me to another man Sonny Land (ex prize fighter) who became my very close friend. Sonny showed me his life in West Oakland, a ghetto area. It was a all quite a shock for a naive, young, white boy from Edmonton Canada. I was completely out of my element but felt safe with the men I met there, my friends, ironically most of them had spent time in San Quentin prison, including Sonny and Dupree.

I spent lots of time with Dupree and Sonny that first trip to California. During my second trip  5 years later, Dupree was missing. I tried to contact him but he was in a rehab-care center of some kind and they would not let me speak to him, they would not even admit he was in the facility (I guess fearing I was a drug buddy or something of the sort). Dupree Bolton died in 1993 at age 64 about 3 years after I tried to telephone him that last time. I was told (not sure if it was true) later by Sonny that Dupree had died of AIDS. He might have got HIV from a shared needle while shooting up.

Doing some searches today I accidentally found one line about my old companions life on Wikipedia. I also found a album, photos and even some video that was recorded when he was younger and much healthier. I remember photographing the album cover shown below. I walked with Sonny to his friends place, borrowed the album, lodged it in a wire fence and photographed it (saw those negs again a few months back). Remember doing that like it was yesterday, memories are strange things, 30+ years have past but it seems so close in my mind. I found that same album today on eBay (a CD version is also available). I bought an EX condition LP copy from Japan for $40 CAD (including shipping). Lots of money for a vinyl record, the most I have ever paid. I bought it for old time sake, I bought it to remember Dupree by. I can now work in the darkroom printing the "Dump and Dad" photos while listening to my old friend, remembering my time with him, Sonny and my other Oakland adventures, back when I was young.

I never did get a chance to say goodbye to Dupree before he died, maybe this blog is my way of paying tribute to the man I knew. A person with great talent who became yet another unfortunate casualty of heroin. Jazz is filled with many such stories of terrible waste and loss.

"Goodbye Dupree, I'm happy I had the chance to meet and know you. From Gerry in Canada."

I was thinking about what material I have of him. Possibly the following (if I can find it):

- 35mm b/w negs of him playing on the streets of San Francisco Chinatown

- 35mm image or images of him after he did drugs (some light damage to those negs).

- Possibly some cassette tape of him speaking not playing (not sure if I have this).

- A beta video tape of him stooped over and wasted. I tried to get him to play for me so I could record it on tape but he would not do it after he shot up on heroin, even thou he told me he would.  I became pissed and angry at him when he would not play. The whole video he just sleeps slumped over. That was my last chance to record his music, and it went unfulfilled, still pissed at that!

- Possibly some written diary notes about him from that time we were together.

- And of course a bunch of vivid mostly fond memories. Going with him to a drug center to get methadone, talking to him about his music in Chinatown,  going to buy clothes with him at a used store, him playing for me that one day, me making a naive stupid unintentional racial remark to him about him not needing sunscreen and his reaction (he sarcastically replied to me "Yeah I don't need sunscreen!"), his reaction (he looked at me with kindness and surprise) to my talking to him about my hopes to take him to the movie "Round Midnight" which was showing in the theatres when I was there (movie is about a white young man, respecting and trying to help an old Jazz sax playing African American recover his life). I think he realized at that moment I cared for him and wanted to help him, the look he gave me I will always remember fondly. So so many memories from 30+ years ago.

Update* I forgot to mention earlier I known for many years that Dupree had passed because I received a phone call at my parents home in Edmonton Canada from my friend Sonny Land when it happened.  The phone call came several years after my 2nd trip to West Oakland and the people who lived there. Sonny phoned to tell me because he knew that Dupree was important to both of us, maybe more so to us than anyone left at least in the Oakland-San Francisco area. It was a nice phone but a short one and the last time I talked to Sonny, I miss both him and Dupree.

Here are links and photos to that wonderful album about Mr. Dupree Bolton

Katanca! , Curtis Amy and Dupree Bolton

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dupree_Bolton

Music from the album, Dupree is the one playing trumpet.
"You Don't Know What Love Is"
"Native Land"

More on Dupree Bolton and Curtis Amy. Including video of Dupree playing.
http://keepswinging.blogspot.ca/2010/08/curtus-amy-forgotten-west-coast.html

Dupree earlier in life before I knew him

Dupree in 1989 about 4 years after I met him, I remember this jacket, photographed him in it.

The Last Wet Plate Buys

My last 2 wet plate auctions went through today. I made payment, the scary Ambrotype of the women dressed all Victorian went for $46 USD, and the tintypes of the 2 men and spooky child went for $9.95 USD. These items were from the same seller, combined shipping was $10 USD. These will be my last buys of these type items for a while, I need to save money again. Am happy I got these thou, the woman I find intimidating and a bit frightening, like something out of Dickens, the child haunting and seemingly forgotten.

Update* How would you like to have gotten the Victorian lady angry at you? Especially if you were a young child in the novel David Copperfield! She seems so cold and harsh, and her dress so stiff and rigid.

Ambrotype of Victorian dressed woman

Baby child and 2 men tintypes

Digital Trip Photos #2

Here are some of the Canon 5D Mark II photos from the last trip. I decided to keep all these digi photos in their original colour configuration (partly because I suck at photo editing software). The only adjustments in photoshop elements was to add a bit of saturation, vibrancy, dodging and burning. Now that I am buying my friend Larry's used Mark III I plan on taking it with me every trip, to shoot both video and stills. Hopefully I can eventually upgrade to a Mark IV and Mark 5 etc. It looks like it will be film for all my b/w work and digital for all the colour (except for the colour film I still have in my freezers).

Child in the dump at night, Mae Sot Thailand April 2016

Khune Anapon cooking under the freeway, Klong Toey slum Bangkok Thailand April 2016

Khune Ooh in her under the freeway room, Klong Toey alum Bangkok Thailand April 2016

Old man walking in dump, Mae Sot Thailand April 2016

Young boy fishing in dump water, Mae Sot Thailand April 2016

Khune Anapon, homeless man, Klong Toey slum, Bangkok April 2016

Young boxers hitting bags,  Klong Toey slum gym, Bangkok April 2016

Young boxers wrestling, Klong Toey slum gym, Bangkok April 2016

70 years old sailor showing his protective amulets, Thailand April 2016