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Jean-Paul Vellotti

Jazz and performing arts photographer based in New York City.

About Me

My first jazz memory was sitting outside as a toddler in the mid-70s and hearing my neighbor play his saxophone. Sometimes I would go next door to visit and I can remember seeing that shiny instrument in the hands of a giant man. I mean, Gerry Mulligan was a big man, but when you looked up to him as a little kid, he was as big as it gets.

Perhaps that's where the seeds of jazz where planted, because years later during the Hair Metal 80s and Seattle Grunge 90s, I worked as a stage photographer and exclusively photographed most of the rock and metal bands of that period. I had no interest in jazz, and as a drummer, Gretsch drums were for Phil Collins, Harvey Mason and I'm not sure who else. But not me.

About five years ago, I learned from the errors of my ways and took up jazz drumming. Although I never really got off the ground as a drummer, the deep dive learning—and listening—to jazz day and night gave me a new appreciation for this art form. Since I'm unlikely to ever become a jazz musician, the next best thing is to photograph jazz musicians and I have found this is a very rewarding pursuit. There's a certain genuineness that you can capture on film (or digital) of a musician performing only a few feet away from you that is hard to replicate in “the pit” of an arena while jammed together with ten other photographers who are all competing for the same shot. Plus, it's a lot easier on the ears, as my tinnitus can attest.

As a photojournalist, I've been a staff member of the The New York Times and contract photographer for The Washington Post, Newsweek, Newsday, National Geographic and many other national and international newspapers, magazines and websites. I have an undergraduate degree in journalism and in 2002, completed master's work in Photojournalism and Documentary Photography at the International Center of Photography (ICP) in New York City. I was also selected that year to Barnstorm: The Eddie Adams Workshop and was mentored by him along with other Pulitzer-winning photojournalists including Nick Ut, Carl Mydans and Joel Rosenthal, plus so many others too numerous to list. However, while on the topic, I would be remiss to not mention Joe Sia, a well-known stage photographer who really helped me along my journey while I worked as his assistant, or associate, as he always would say.

Lastly, while I finally did buy that Gretsch jazz drum set, I sold it soon thereafter and purchased a Leica after realizing the best instrument for my hands will always be a camera.