Synopses & Reviews
The impulse to do
American Music, writes famed photographer Annie Leibovitz, "came from a desire to return to my original subject and look at it with a mature eye. Bring my experience to it...make it a real American tapestry." Her ambitious idea became
American Music, a stunning collection of photographs of the musicians, places, and people that enrich the landscape of American music.
As Rolling Stone's chief photographer for over thirteen years, Leibovitz created a legendary body of work. Her portraits of some of the world's most talented musicians capture more than the performer, they convey the art of making music. For American Music, Leibovitz traveled across the country to juke joints in the Mississippi Delta, honkytonks in Texas, and jazz clubs in New Orleans "to take pictures in places that mean something." In her signature style, she shares stunning portraits of American greats B.B. King, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Springsteen, Beck, Bob Dylan, Mary J. Blige, Jon Bon Jovi, Steve Earle, Ryan Adams, Miles Davis, Etta James, Pete Seeger, Emmylou Harris, Tom Waits, The Dixie Chicks, Dr. Dre, The Roots and many more.
American Music includes a commentary about the American Music project by Leibovitz, short essays by musicians Patti Smith, Rosanne Cash, Steve Earle, Mos Def, Ryan Adams, and Beck, as well as biographical sketches of all the musicians.
Review
"Leibovitz's approach to both celebrity and non-celebrity musicians is remarkably consistent....[Her] conception of glamour is anything but aloof. She situates her subjects right there in front of you." The New York Times
Synopsis
The famed photographer delivers this stunning collection of photos of the musicians, places, and people that enrich the landscape of American music.
About the Author
Annie Leibovitz is one of the most celebrated and admired photographers of our time. She began her work photographing for Rolling Stone magazine and quickly established a reputation as a chronicler of popular culture, eventually becoming a contributing photographer at Vanity Fair and Vogue. Her first book, Annie Leibovitz: Photographs, was published in 1983. In 1999 she published the bestselling Women, with a Preface by Susan Sontag, for which the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington exhibited a selection of portraits in conjunction with the hardcover publication.