‘The Chaser Years’: The photographic Art of Pete Williams.

Suitably held on Redchurch Street, a hub of London culture dedicated to art and live music, the stunning photography of Pete Williams will be displayed in the Maverick showrooms this week in, ‘The Chaser Years’. Synchronising with the International Jazz festival and in preparation for William’s major exhibition next summer these images are a joy to behold.

‘The Chaser Years’ features his work for staunchly independent music magazine ‘Straight No Chaser’. Williams remembers:

“It was the late Eighties, and the job at hand was to photograph some of London's most exhilarating Jazz Dancers”.

Rather than shooting in a chaotic club Pete opts for grander settings, lifting art from one cultural context to another. His powerful and spiritually infused portraits, grounded in today’s global club culture feature the likes of, DJ Shadow, the Roots, Courtney Pine; as well as jazz legends Miles Davis and Nina Simone. Williams has even captured global figures such as the former Brasilian Minister for culture and Maskanda queen Busi Mhlongo.

Praised for his “Filmic eye” Pete Williams has an ability to genuinely engage with anyone he photographs. His command of the situation allows the subject to virtually forget the presence of the camera, and it shows. Pete is willing to improvise, to bend the rules and go with the moment.

Particularly good pieces include his portrait of Herbie Hancock. Williams writes “the previous day I got stuck into a furious argument with Herbie over a sound check photo misunderstanding”. Herbie and he later reconciled over a conversation about film maker Michelangelo Antonioni, with Hancock remarking, “Man that Italian dude was wild”. From that moment hostilities disappeared and the photo below is one of many exquisite pictures the artist took that day.

Another interesting story lies behind William’s portrait of Nina Simone. He writes, “The atmosphere is brooding, dark, unsettling and powerful... I turned on a couple of table lamps. She said “you may take my picture now”. Such spontaneity is lacking from today’s celebrity photographers, who are more like vultures than artists.

Some of the pictures were less effective with one of DJ Shadow in an alleyway after his gig. Pete wrote the location “just felt right”. However, the piece lacked the imagination of his more creative works.

The show was accompanied by a jazz performance from ‘Out There’ featuring Orphy Robinson, Otto Fischer and guests. ‘The Chaser Years’ is more than just a photography exhibition; it is an art exhibition that celebrates great music and culture, taken by one of the best photographers of his time.

Exhibition open 12^th- 20^th November ‘Maverick Showroom’