Some people are born in clean, white hospitals. I was born on a bean bag chair in my mother’s house on a record hot day in Arizona. Instead of the sound of machines that I imagine hospital rooms contain, there was the soft music of my mother’s flute with the melody of my big sister’s violin upon my arrival into this World.

I was born into music.

The very reason my mother packed my sister and I up Mèxico bound in the early ’80ies was because she and my step father had been offered gigs playing at several different restaurants and hotels in Puerto Vallarta. They knew they did not want to live in the Gringo-Ville Mexican Port but realized that working in Vallarta could support their desire to live a simple and juicy life in Yelapa.

And so began my childhood of dancing on stage at the various restaurants my parents gigged at. And after dancing and occasionally singing my one-allotted jazz song, Common Ground, with my parent’s trio in front of sun-burned gringos fresh off the boat, I would fall fast asleep on couches under the love-filled supervision of the waiters, bartenders and the cajera Cristina who loved me the very most.

And so I am not a musician. My mother still tells anyone and everyone who cares to listen that I am a phenomenal upright bass player. It’s not true. I am not. I haven’t played the bass in over 13 years.

I am not a musician but I do know how to photograph musicians. My family is always in middle of producing and creating their latest CD. They love that they have an in-house-family photographer who deeply enjoys playing with them. And I love photographing them, too. A lot.

Beth and Phil are dear friends of mine. Del, the 3rd one, a new friend of mine. I have been massaging Phil for over 3 years now and he kept asking me to come see him play. After 2 years of inviting me to hear his band, Reno del Mar, I finally went one night last spring to take a listen. I was blown away…

So Reno del Mar has a new CD coming out and I have begun photographing them… We played in the Barrio Viejo de Tuson a few nights ago and here is a peak at what we came up with after a few shots of wild-crafted tequila and warm hugs.

I am not a musician, but i love to photograph them. I do.