Music
All musical observations as well as info on my band, DOG GONE.
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Hal Masonberg Photography August-December 2023 Photo Compilation Video Part 2: The Jazz Dance
Here is part 2/2 highlighting some of my photos from the past few months documenting the jazz scene (and other various styles of music) here in Barcelona and surrounding areas. You can see the first part here. Barcelona has such a vibrant music scene. My main concentration here as a photographer is in documenting the… Continue reading
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The Pure Unadulterated Vibrancy and Energy of Late 80’s Grateful Dead: Hampton Coliseum, Virginia, March 27, 1988
PLAY THIS ONE LOUD! The Grateful Dead had so many sounds and styles and periods and influences. Each show was its own unique animal. Each tour had its own style and energy and personality. As did each year. This was a band constantly reinventing itself. Or, more aptly, refusing to stagnate. With some exceptions… By… Continue reading
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The Intrepid Musical Journeys Of Cuban Pianist and Composer Dayramir González in Barcelona
MY ARTICLE ON DAYRAMIR GONZÁLEZ ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN SPANISH IN THE PRINT VERSION OF THE DECEMBER 2023 EDITION OF MAS JAZZ MAGAZINE. I ASK THAT YOU CONSIDER PURCHASING A PRINT COPY OR A PDF COPY TO SUPPORT MAS JAZZ. THANK YOU. THE FOLLOWING IS THE ARTICLE IN ITS ORIGINAL ENGLISH. The are some musicians who… Continue reading
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Celebrating Community, Joyful Exchange, and Healing Through Music Photography
With so many horrors taking place in the harsh light of day across the globe, it is important to be reminded that there is also the human capacity for connection, empathy, communication, joy, peaceful interaction, transcendence, non-violent spirituality, and the celebration of life. In spaces both small and large, both bright and dim, musicians and… Continue reading
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A Photographic Celebration of The Palau de la Música Catalana
Every venue has its own energy, its atmosphere. The people that have been in there, the music and art that has been shared in that space, the ritual of live music that has taken place again and again over time. It holds a residual energy and each new performance adds to the richness and texture… Continue reading
Andrea Motis, Èlia Bastida, Carolina Alabau, Christoph Mallinger, Clasijazz Orchestra, Daahoud Salim, Dianne Reeves, Esteve Pi Ventura, hal masonberg photography, Jon Herington, La Locomotora Negra, Madeleine Peyroux, Marco Mezquida, Maria del Mar Bonet, Melissa Aldana, Michel Camilo, Palau de la Música Catalana, Ramón Cardo, Reuben Rogers, Tomatito, Wayne Esoffery -
Music Photos: Anggie Obin Quintet at Jamboree, Barcelona, August 18, 2023
There are some musicians who conjure pure joy, pure somatic bliss. They are beacons of light that, along with their fellow bandmates, channel the heavens themselves. It is, for me, the very essence of intrepid music-making and communal ritual at its best. There are a few that come instantly to mind: Nduduzo Makhathini, Shana Tucker,… Continue reading
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Day 9 – The Days Between: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Above photo by Herb Greene. Day 9: The Days Between/Dia 9 – Els dies entre: Déu descansi, senyors feliços Catalan translation below the English/Traducció al català per sota de l’anglès. On this anniversary of the passing of Jerry Garcia (in body, but certainly not in spirit or legacy), I would like to play some examples… Continue reading
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Day 8 – The Days Between: Jerry Garcia, The Blues, and Ron “Pigpen” McKernan
Above photo by Herb Greene. Day 8: The Days Between/Dia 8 – The Days Between: Jerry Garcia, The Blues i Ron “Pigpen” McKernan Catalan translation below the English/Traducció al català per sota de l’anglès. One can’t talk about the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia and not talk about Grateful Dead-founding member Ron McKernan, aka Pigpen.… Continue reading
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Day 7 – The Days Between: Traversing the Folkloric Universe of the Grateful Dead
Day 7: The Days Between/Dia 7 – The Days Between: Recorrent l’univers folklòric dels Grateful Dead Catalan translation below the English/Traducció al català per sota de l’anglès. The name “Grateful Dead” comes from a genre of folktales which “involves a traveler who encounters a corpse of someone who never received a proper burial, typically stemming from… Continue reading
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Day 6 – The Days Between: Eyes Of The World and Birdsong
Day 6: The Days Between/Dia 6: Els dies entre Catalan translation below the English/Traducció al català per sota de l’anglès. Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter, in my opinion, wrote some of the most beautiful songs in the world together (music and lyrics respectively). Many of those songs became the jumping off point for some serious… Continue reading
About Me
Filmmaker, live music photographer, writer, film/video editor, acting teacher, traveler and political junkie who finally realised that the United States government and its two ruling parties has undergone what Chris Hedges refers to as “a corporate coup d’etat in slow motion.”
This site is dedicated to my thoughts, observations and inspirations regarding politics, film and music.
Recent Posts
- Quote Of The Week: “We Celebrate Our Religion, Our Nation, Our Identity, Our Superiority, By Negating And Erasing Yours.”
- The Staggeringly Dangerous Language Of An Empire In Collapse: How Anti-Genocide Protestors Are Framed As Anti-Semitic Terrorists – And What You Can Do About It
- The Real News Cancels Chris Hedges’ Show Because of his Criticism of the Biden Administration and its Role In Committing Genocide: How the United States Purges Its Most Courageous Voices
- The Biden Administration, Israel, and NATO Race Toward World War While American Citizens Shrug Their Shoulders, Tighten Their Blindfolds, and Repeat “But Trump”
- Appalling Quote of the Day: The Existential and Violent Artifice of Hillary Clinton
THE HAL BLOG 