May 25, 2015

It's Sunday evening here as I write my blog in Wisconsin.  It's  a cool, rainy, sleepy day, and good day to sit and watch the Indy 500.

My blog today takes a look at Jeff Beck, who I had the pleasure of photographing Friday night at Milwaukee's Riverside Theater. He is so good and my favorite guitarist.

We sat and watched Juan Pablo Montoya win the Indy 500 today! He was in last place for a bit, and then wins it all!! Congrats to him, wife Connie and family.

For fun, I have included my first ever Indy car photos from the Milwaukee 1971, Rex Mays Classic race at the Milwaukee Mile. Dad wouldn't take me, so the photos are done with a tripod and shot through the television!!! Bobby Unser won it and looks so young!  A.J. Foyt has a plain old white helmet with AJ written on it! Funny stuff to look at until you see the one photo of someone's car in flames on the track. Love the #1 Bardahl car of Joe Leonard!

Thanks and have a good week,

Rich Zimmermann

Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, at Summerfest's, Schlitz Country stage in 1972.

April 20, 2015

This week we look at the legend, Curtis Mayfield, who I photographed at Summerfest in 1973.

It's always fun to look at Summerfest's Main Stage on the grass hill here, where the speakers were held together with rope!

His bass player is shown here, throwing his guitar in the air while playing! Anybody remember his name?

Curtis, had a remarkable career, but had a very tough life. In 1990, at a show in New York, some lighting equipment fell on him, paralyzing him from the neck down.

This, did not stop him from writing songs! He would compose, sing and record while on his back!

Famous for being in The Impressions and doing soundtracks for movies like Shaft, he had a great career through a lot of hardship. He lost a leg due to diabetes and finally died from complications of the disease in 1999.

He had his own record label Curtom, and a recording studio, in Chicago for many years.

I will always remember him for his famous song, Superfly!

Miss you Curtis.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

Curtis Mayfield, at Summerfest in 1973.

April 13, 2015

Lately, I have featured some blogs from photographs that I have found, lost in a closet in the house here.

Today, I am featuring Willy Porter and his band from Summerfest in 2009. I found them lost in my digital closet here on the computer! They were in with a bunch of bands from Summerfest in 2009.

At Summerfest, I always try to photograph just about everyone I come across while I am there.

Sorry Willy, you, Carmen, and the band, have been lost for a while! Too many shows photographed at Summerfest by yours truly in 2009!

Willy Porter and Carmen Nickerson are one of Milwaukee's top music artists. Milwaukee is very fortunate to have such quality performers that tour nationally.

I didn't know about Willy, until I was at a gallery opening with my photographs in Minneapolis years ago. Willy and the band were playing in Minneapolis and a friend said that one of Milwaukee's top acts was in town that night. Sorry again Willy, I didn't know who you were!!

You and Carmen are exceptionally talented musicians that need more exposure and shouldn't be lost in a closet!!

So, everyone, enjoy some photographs of Willy, Carmen, and the band, from 2009 and get out there to see them sometime soon.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

Willy Porter, with Carmen Nickerson and the band at Summerfest in 2009.

April 6, 2015

Spring is finally here and I hope you all had a nice Easter with family and friends.

This week's blog, takes us back to March 28, 1973, for The Edgar Winter Group show at the Riverside Theater here in Milwaukee.

Edgar Winter, was enjoying great success at this time with his #1 hit song "Frankenstein". His other hit at the time "Free Ride", made it to #14 on the US Hot 100 chart.

At the end of 1972, he had formed The Edgar Winter Group with the late Ronnie Montrose, Chuck Ruff and Dan Hartman. This is the band shown here and they were really good!

Edgar, is the brother of the late, Johnny Winter, and is also known as the inventor of the keyboard body strap. This gave him great freedom to move around on stage and continue to play. I also have photographed musician Gary Wright, using this invention.

Take a look back to 1973 and enjoy the platform shoes and big bellbottom pants! Still have those in your closet?

Have a great week.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

The Edgar Winter Group, on March 28, 1973 at Milwaukee's Riverside Theater.

March 23, 2015

These photographs are from a few things that I have found in my closet lately!

Good seeing Steve Miller playing a beautiful and rare vintage Ibanez Artist 2623 guitar!

This period of Summerfest, was when the good old mainstage existed with the two big top tents and grass in front of the stage. It was a good time, except when it rained and turned Summerfest into Mudfest!

Steve Miller, on this particular evening was awesome and his band with Norton Buffalo was so good to listen to. The added benefit of Leslie West coming out to play was a great surprise.

Some of these images are not in the best of shape and if you know me, I don't Photoshop until purchased, due to theft on the web of my images. They are still good to look at to see Norton Buffalo, Steve Miller and Leslie West rockin' and rollin'.  I could listen to Norton Buffalo all day long!  If you don't know who Norton Buffalo is, he is pictured here in the first photo. He is a great harmonica player and a great all around musician.

Enjoy and let me know if you were there!

Please join me on Facebook at Rich Zimmermann Photography if you haven't already.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

Steve Miller and Leslie West at Summerfest in Milwaukee in 1977?