Americana Portrait Sessions

by Jeff Fasano, Mary Gauthier (Foreword by), Edd Hurt (Introduction)

Overview

Americana Portrait Sessions is the first photography book to take a comprehensive view of contemporary Americana music. The collection features intimate portraits that reveal the strength, heart, and soul of nearly two hundred great artists from the big tent that is Americana music, all shot through the expert lens of Jeff Fasano.

Fasano's unparalleled access to Americana artists like Sheryl Crow, Rhiannon Giddens, Vince Gill, Keb' Mo', Judy Collins, John Oates, The Avett Brothers, The McCrary Sisters, Lucinda Williams, Margo Price, Blind Boys of Alabama, and Kris Kristofferson gives Americana Portrait Sessions the kind of authority that comes from true reach into the breadth of the genre. But this collection is as important for the artists few fans know as for the ones with successful careers behind them. While the book champions the diversity of race, gender, sexuality, and age inherent in Americana music, it also spans career arcs to bring lesser-known acts into the spotlight.

Americana Portrait Sessions brings you backstage to the greenrooms and quiet corners where artists like The War and Treaty, Jewel, Jason Isbell, and The Wooten Brothers aren't just artists performing, but people hanging out.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780826505835
Publisher:	Vanderbilt University Press
Publication date:	04/15/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	228
File size:	226 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Jeff Fasano is a photographer based in Nashville, Tennessee.

Read an Excerpt

Every person can find their deepest passion and express that in their lives.

One night when I was leaving my corporate job in New York City, sitting on the 1 train heading uptown, it hit me like a slap across the face. I realized that I was not enjoying my life. It was time to grow up and change it. So I went home, took my suit and tie off, got comfortable, found one of those yellow legal pads and a pen, sat down and wrote at the top of the page “What do I want to be when I grow up?”

I began making a list by writing down what I liked doing and all the things I could do. Photography was in the mix. I kept at it, adding more to the list, for an hour or two and then put it down. I took a break, ate some dinner and then picked it up again. It was at that moment that PHOTOGRAHY leapt off the page—hit me in my heart and I realized how much I loved taking pictures. I found my passion. I knew it deep in my soul. It was then that I made the choice to dedicate every waking moment in my life to the craft of photography. I was 33 years old.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Mary Gauthier
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction by Edd Hurt
Americana Portraits

Editorial Reviews

Jeff Fasano’s photographs have the unerring ability to stop time. That, coupled with his love of American Roots artists over the years, makes for a deep and rich chronicle of the genre.”
—Jessie Scott, program director at WMOT Roots Radio

“Jeff Fasano’s photographs have the unerring ability to stop time. That, coupled with his love of American Roots artists over the years, makes for a deep and rich chronicle of the genre.”
—Jessie Scott, program director at WMOT Roots Radio

“Jeff has captured the essence of Americana artists in his carefully curated portraits. For a decade now, his photo sessions at AmericanaFest have been a highlight for our community.”
—Jed Hilly, executive director of the Americana Music Association

“Jeff has captured the essence of Americana artists in his carefully curated portraits. For a decade now, his photo sessions at AmericanaFest have been a highlight for our community.”
—Jed Hilly, executive director of the Americana Music Association

From the Publisher