For more than two decades, I have photographed jazz musicians in performance. I am drawn not only to the music, but to the moments when concentration, emotion, and the physical act of making music become visible.

I work only with available light and try to remain as unobtrusive as possible. Jazz is spontaneous, and so is photographing it. I cannot direct the musicians or ask them to repeat a gesture or expression. I watch, listen, and wait.

The photographs in this exhibition were made in clubs, concert halls, and festivals since 2000 to present. They are my record of musicians absorbed in the act of creating—moments of intensity, joy, reflection, and connection that appear briefly and then disappear.

These photographs are my attempt to preserve some of those moments.

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Since 2002, Steven Sussman has passionately photographed jazz musicians in concert, capturing the essence of their music through his lens. By day, Sussman is radiologist in New York City, specializing in imaging the human body. However, it’s behind the camera where he expresses his deep appreciation for jazz, transforming moments on stage into vivid visual tributes. He is a regular contributor Downbeat and his photography has appeared in Jazz Times, Jazziz, The NY Jazz Record, Jazz Inside, Jersey Jazz, The Hartford Courant, The NY Times, and Vogue.