Fab's Music Café: An interview with Jazz Photographer, Adriana Mateo.

Here's Adriana's Bio.
"I am born in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

At an early age I began taking photographs with a still camera, following the family steps of my father, the award-winning Director of Photography Roberto Mateo.

At 23, I began working on feature films and advertising commercials as an Art Director for Phillip Morris on the Marlboro campaigns around South America. By 1992, my passion for camera work and film led her to move to New York City. After completing my degree in Film at the New York University Film School in 1996 y continued my studies in Lighting with Directors of Photography Andrew Laszlo and Rob Draper (ACS) at the International Feature Film & Television Workshops in Maine.

I had a passion for music, particularly Jazz, Opera and classic Rock my whole Life. However, my full attention and interest towards only Jazz developed in the year 1989 after meeting Roy Hargrove ( October 16, 1969-November 16, 2018) with whom I became very close friends until the day of his death.

Approximately by 2005 I began photographing for the Hot House Magazine for the Zinc Bar until 2016, that gave me the great opportunity to immortalize all generations during those ten years.I also expanded my photography for major independent CD covers , music labels and portfolios. Between the years 2003- 20120 I had photographed most American and International renowned Jazz musicians many whom had passed lately including Dave Brubeck, Jimmy Heath, Cedar Walton, Frank Wess, Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Lee Konitz, Mulgrew Miller, Branford Marsalis, Jeff Tain, Christian Mc Bride, Benny Green, Roy Hargrove, Wallace Rooney, Marcus Belgrave, Lew Sollof, Dwayne Burno, Randy Weston, Ellis Marsalis, Harold Mabern ,Jonathan Batiste, Chick Corea, Brian Blade, Esperanza Spalding, Wynton Marsalis ,Ron Carter, Kenny Barron, and many , many others from the fourth young generation

My work is part of the collection of the Museo Palazzo della Penna (2017 & 2018) Perugia, Italy; at the Comune di Padova, Padova, Italy (2016); in Munich, Germany (2018) and , in my beloved New York in galleries and throughout traveling exhibitions in Europe (2018 and 2019).

My first photography book, “AM JAZZ Three Generations Under The Lens”, with five thousand copies released and published in Europe in 2016. And three thousand five hundred copies (3500 were released in the United States by 2017. The book is sold out as of 2020

I have been awarded for Best Photographer of the Year 2019 by the Jazz Journalist Association for the last photograph taken of Roy Hargrove at Umbria Jazz festival, Perugia Italy. And, finalist for best photo at Jazz World Photo (Europe)

Over my career, besides photography, I have produced countless of HD professional videos. In 2010 a short video sponsored by Powell and Sonare Flutes. In 2014 I earned a nomination by the Jazz Journalist Association as a finalist for best short Jazz video. I had as well produced 35mm and 16mm Private Service Announcements.

I have a passion for was is called “The Geometry Of God” which led me to create images in Fine Art with Hasselblad medium format of gigantic stone and iron structures such as the iconic Manhattan Bridge, Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty and Tour Eiffel. Some of them with International nominations . This Art Photography can be found in the best Art Galleries in NYC and Paris.

I currently reside in Manhattan, New York and I work as a freelance professional Photographer and Cinematographer."

EXHIBITIONS:

2015 - PALAZZO MORONI, COMUNE DI PADOVA , PADOVA, ITALY "AM JAZZ Three Generations Under The Lens" book release and exhibition.

2016- THE JAZZ GALLERY, NEW YORK , USA "AM JAZZ Three Generations Under The Lens" book release and exhibition.

2017- WBGO Jazz Public Radio from the Jazz Capital of the World, New York City "AM JAZZ Three Generations Under The Lens" exhibition.

2017- MUSEUM PALAZZO DELLA PENNA, PERUGIA, ITALY "L'Imagine del Suono" exhibition.

2018- MUSEO di PALAZZO della PENNA, PERUGIA UMBRIA, ITALY solo exhibition July 12th -september 15th

2018- BAYERISCHEN-HOF HOTEL, Munich, Germany solo exhibition July 21st-July 28th

AWARDS

2019 BEST PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR JAZZ JOURNALIST ASSOCIATION

2019 FINALIST WORLD JAZZ PHOTO, PRAGUE, CHECK REPUBLIC