Obviously I am doing this for myself to remember Mark. At the same time I cannot help but know I am doing this for others as well. Mark, a dear friend to all of us, has passed away. He touched all of us with his warmth, smile, honesty, and the need to play trumpet.
Like most who will look at this blog, I met Mark at Paul Henry's Art Gallery in Hammond. For me it was the very early part of 2012. The first time we saw each other Mark came up to me and asked if he could get copies of the photos I just took. He said he really didn't have much of him playing his trumpet. The next week I gave the images to him on a CD. He was so happy that he gave me $20 for them. My first sale as a photographer. I saved that $20 in my dresser all these years. It is still there. Thinking now I may want to choose a photo from that JAM and frame it with the $20.
You will find from looking at the photos what Mark loved 2nd most. His trumpets and jazz. That is all he desired beyond family. It meant that much to him that he had a tattoo of a trumpet on his left arm.
His second family was musicians. All of us at Paul Henry's Thursday Night Jam were anxious when Mark arrived. He would softly play on the side while others were on stage as it were. Musicians would invite him up to play with them during their three song limit. So you see, Mark never had to sign up to do the three, he had unlimited access to play.
Enough said. If you want you can comment on your memories of Mark on this blog. Also if you want, I can add to this blog your remembrance of Mark with any photos you have.
The following photographs are not in any particular order.
May 3, 2012
May 24, 2012
I feel the need to go buy a trumpet now . . .
Though I am placing my copyright at the bottom, feel free to download from this blog post what you like. Give me photographer credit when you can. You can see more of the environment where these photographs were taken by going to my website StreetPhoto.ME and looking up Paul Henry's, near the bottom of that site. I mention all this because that is where I first met Mark. There is a lot of history there between us. A lot of fun with him there. His second family.
For more on what is upcoming in the NWI music scene check out NWI Jam.
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