The New York Second – Room for Other People

Street date – February 1st, 2025
Jazz
The New York Second – Room for Other People

If this album holds particular importance for me, it is because I am also a fine art photographer, deeply aware of how the intangible visual is frozen onto a medium, and a kindred spirit to all the arts—whether music, theater, literature, cinema, painting, or sculpture—all united by the essence and vision of the creator, poured forth in all their intensity.

Thus, upon discovering the project by Dutch pianist Harald Walkate, I was immediately captivated by the story behind this work.

Here is the story of Room for Other People: Vivian Maier devoted her life to photography alongside her work as a nanny, particularly in the streets of Chicago and New York, producing hundreds of thousands of sublime photographs that she stored away in boxes. It was only after her death, when these images were uncovered at an auction, that they brought her global recognition.

When Harald Walkate and photographer/ saxophonist Tom Beek discovered their shared admiration for Maier’s work, they agreed that what drew them in—beyond the evocative aesthetic of her images (predominantly in black and white)—was the sense that Maier photographed primarily for herself. They found a parallel between Maier’s artistic approach and their own: using music as a means to comprehend the world, while hoping to render it a touch more beautiful.

From my perspective, The New York Second offers a work that will undoubtedly appeal to jazz enthusiasts and classical music lovers alike. However, this is a creation that calls for a breadth of personal culture to fully immerse oneself in its eleven tableaux—though not in direct reference to Mussorgsky. These eleven pieces draw upon the themes of Vivian Maier’s photographs. I should perhaps share this brief documentary about Maier, which highlights the romantic poetry of her photography and provides greater insight into her life:

 

Listening to this album, I felt, in some way, at home—the photographer, shaped by diverse questions, casting a gaze upon every image he captures, driven by an imperative need that speaks only to his deepest intellect. A skilled photographer intuitively knows the right moment to press the shutter. Once done, the act defies explanation; the work exists, and one must simply let it resonate.

This is, in essence, the meaning behind these eleven compositions: artists’ visions of another artist, adding sublimity to beauty, all supported by an ensemble of outstanding musicians:

  • Harald Walkate | Piano, Composition
  • Teus Nobel | Trumpet, Flugelhorn
  • Mark Alban Lotz | Flute
  • Tom Beek | Tenor Saxophone
  • Vincent Veneman | Trombone
  • Rob Waring | Vibraphone
  • Max Sergeant | Drums
  • Lorenzo Buffa | Double Bass

With the arrival of 2025, we are witnessing a return to large-scale works in panoramic cinema and Dolby stereo sound. How I wish I could place filmed images alongside this music, creating a seamless continuation in response to Vivian’s art. Some of her works are profoundly inspiring, such as this Room for Other People, which naturally earns its place among our “Essentials.”

Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News

PARIS-MOVE, January 16th 2025

Follow PARIS-MOVE on X

::::::::::::::::::::::

To buy this album

Website