September 2009

Chez Victor, Willy Ronis, 1955

I'd like to honor briefly a few people who passed away in September 2009 whose life-work, if unfamiliar, is worth getting to know:

• Yesterday, the great Spanish classical pianist, Alicia de Larrocha left us with only recordings of her lush Mozart interpretations.
  
• Last week, the inestimable punk musician-poet Jim Carroll - who cleverly ensured a certain irony to his own death - met with other people who died.
  
• Two weeks ago, at the age of 99, the magnificent French photographer, Willy Ronis joined his beloved Marie-Ann.
  
• The Spanish-French photojournalist, Christian Poveda, shot in his car in El Salvador three weeks ago at age 30, shortly before the release of his documentary film, La Vida Loca.
  
• And Sam Carr, one of the great blues drummers and tractor-drivers of our time, went off yonder for a spell.

Place Vendôme, Willy Ronis, 1947