Tom Asp & Ray Stiles
2008 Induction of Tom Asp
"Supportive of the Blues — Photographer"
Introduction by Ray Stiles
Thank you, Mickey, The Greater Twin Cities Blues Music Society, the board of directors, everyone involved in setting this up, including the staff here at the Eagles club and last year's inductee in this category, KFAI radio.
I am honored tonight to present for induction into the Minnesota Blues Hall of Fame in the "Non-Performer Supportive of the Blues" category, my blues partner, my friend, blues photographer, Tom Asp.
As most of you know, Tom has been a constant and loyal supporter of the blues over the past two decades here in the Twin Cities and upper Midwest, and in more ways than just his photography.
You have seen him in front of the stage at many of the clubs around town or up in the photo pit at Bayfront or Mill City, Cedarfest, Heart and Soul, and many other local festivals over the years as well as down in Memphis at the WC Handy awards & Blues Challenge.
His photographs have appeared in local and national magazines and newspapers including the Twin Cities Blues News, City Pages, MN Monthly, Blues Revue, Guitar Player and Rolling Stone as well as many blues websites including Blues on Stage.
I first met Tom when I was writing reviews for Kurt Koehler and the Twin Cities Blues News back in the mid 90s.
We were at, I think it must have been Brew Baker's, where Kurt was having a get together for contributors to the Blues News and Tom asked Kurt why he didn't have more photos to go along with all the reviews.
Kurt pointed my way and said go talk to Ray. The next weekend Tom and I were out together at a show. And we have been blues partners ever since with Tom making my reviews much more enjoyable to look at. Thank you Tom!
By the way, I got a call from Kurt this morning. His band is playing out of town today so he couldn't make it but he wanted me to be sure and pass along his congratulations to Tom and mention that Tom was the most published photographer in the TCBN and that all those issues are archived at the MN History Center in St. Paul.
Tom always goes the extra mile. In everything he does. He has given away copies of his photos to many artists. He has volunteered both his time and money over the years supporting the blues. And he has featured his work at exhibits around the upper Midwest including: the Blues Saloon, Sativa Blues, Narrows North, Muddy Waters, Doc Powell's, as well as on many LP and CD covers.
Tom takes great care in preparing his prints as well as preparing for a show.
Now, anyone can pick up a camera and snap a picture. Heck I can even do that and have attempted to on occasion. But what sets Tom apart from most everyone else is how he goes about it. I can take a picture. Tom is an artist.
He mostly uses high speed, black & white film because of the low light in most of the clubs we are at. He doesn't use a flash. He doesn't want to intrude on the performer. And he gets a better picture with black & white film under those low light conditions.
Tom goes to great lengths in preparing for his shoots. He will even visit a club ahead of time to get a feel for the layout, the staff, the stage-setting, the lighting & sound system, and anything else that may come into play. He's even been here at the Eagle a few times getting ready for tonight... and he's not even taking pictures.
Some of the clubs he's spent a lot of time at include: the Blues Saloon, Blues Alley, Bunkers, Whiskey Junction, the Cabooze, Orries, Brew Baker's, Biscuits & Blues, Mn Music Café, Famous Dave's, Schuller's, Neumann's, Mayslack's, The Cedar, First Ave., The Narrow's, and so many more I can't even begin to name them all. Many not around any longer either.
All of those clubs have different set-ups, different stages, and different lighting to contend with. And I think some may even have a cot set aside for Tom to use he's around so much.
And the festivals! Bayfront, Blues-on-the Range, Apple-River, St. Paul, Mill City, Cedar Fest, Heart and Soul, Hinckley Grand Casino and many more. they all require something different to prepare for. Some with restrictions: like only taking pictures during the first song where Tom had to scramble with a bunch of other photographers to get any shot, let alone trying to get a good one.
On the night of the show Tom will usually arrive early to check out the place again, get permission if it's needed, and then watch the performers up there on stage. Watch them to see how they move. Notice their expressions. See where the lights are in relation to the performer.
He will take the time to compose his shot. And then he will wait... for the perfect shot. He will get himself set-up where he wants to be. Frame the shot and artist. Make sure the background is just right... the lighting is just right... everything is just right... And he will also expect the unexpected to happen... because it usually does.
And then he will either react at the perfect moment to the unexpected or just wait... for the perfect moment to come to him.
He will wait for that one expression, that one grin, that one pause, that one gesture, that one look, that one twinkle in the eye... and sometimes he will wait all night for just that one special shot.
And more often than not, because of his preparation, and attention to detail, he gets that special shot. as you can see from some of the pictures here on the walls tonight.
And he has captured the essence of so many performers... like... Big Walter, Big George, Big John, Big Bob, Big Al, Big James.
Little Ed, Little Charlie, Little Milton, Little Feet, Little Brian, Little Slim, Magic Slim, Magic Dick, Slim Hippos. Long John Hunter, John Primer, Dr. John, Studebaker John, Johnny Winter, Johnny Rawls, Kid Johnny Lang & the Big Bang.
Luther Allison, Bobby Rush, Otis Rush, Otis Clay, Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, Jimmy Rogers, Son Seals, Lonnie Brooks, Eddie Clearwater, RL Burnside, Bo Diddley, Anson & Sam Myers, Guitar Shorty, Matt Guitar Murphy, Luther "Guitar Jr." Johnson.
Thorogood, Thackery, Trout, Mayall, Bernard Allison, Kenny Neal, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Jelly Bean, Keb Mo, Debra Coleman, Debbie Davies, Sue Foley, Alberta Adams, Joanna Connor, Susan Tedeschi, Kelley Hunt Sista Monica.
Eddie Floyd, King Floyd, Rod Piazza, Carey Bell, James Cotton, James Solberg, James Harmon, Etta James, Gary Primich, Kim Wilson, Teddy Morgan, William Clarke, W.C. Clark, Dave Hole, Tinsley Ellis, Jimmie Vaughan, Phillip Walker, Mighty Joe Young, Elvin Bishop, Jeff Healey, Honeyboy, Lockwood, Townsend.
Hubert Sumlin, Willie Walker, Wilbur Cole, Wilson Pickett, Robert Ward, Tommy Ridgley, Clarence Carter, Fenton Robinson, Preston Shannon, Snooks Eglin, Robert Cray, Ray Charles, Chubby Carrier... and YES even Weird Al Yankovik and Jessie the Body Ventura.
Or, Shemeka Copeland, Koko Taylor, Barbara LeShore, Betty Lavette, Lavelle White, Renee' Austin, Marcia Ball.
The Holmes Brothers, Neville Brothers, Keller Brothers, Bingham Brothers, Hayes Brothers, Larsen Brothers, the Brothers Curtis?
The Blind Boys of Alabama, Lazy Lester, Shirley King, Don King, Earl King, Eddy King, B.B. King.
Koerner, Ray & Glover, Charles & Ed, Mick Sterling & The Stud Brothers, The Combo, The Butanes, Boogiemen, Lamont Cranston, The Hoopsnakes, Soul Mates, Senders, Blues Kings, Cool Disposition, Rockin' Daddy & the Rough Cuts, Texas Red, Joe T. Cook, T. Albert, RJ Mischo, Curtis Blake, Boom Boom Steve V, Terraplane, Inside Straight, Jean Verstraete, Ross William Perry, Mojo &, Jo Jo, (Buford & Williams).
Cornbread, Willie, Papa John, Beach, Burns, Black, McCabe, McCormick, Mayasich, Prime Time, Hye Pockets, the Barking Ducks, Bronko, Schwalbe, Juliano, Franken, Jeremy, Curt, Rob, Jim, Moses, Lonnie, Biscuit, Testa, Scottie, Hunter, Wenger, Weisser, Everett, DuChaine, the Hook...
The list of names goes on. and there's no way I can name everyone. And I really don't mean to leave anyone out. This is just a small example of how many blues people Tom has taken pictures of.
And if Tom hasn't taken your picture yet, hey, give him time, he's retired now.
And of course we remember... Percy Strother, Rick O'Dell, Doug Nelson, Andy Bailey, Mugsy Lawson, Dave Ray, Mike Nichols, Joel Johnson, Steve Babbit, and so many others no longer with us...
Tom has captured all of them.
And we did have a lot of fun times working together at these shows and festivals, didn't we?
The first time we saw Storyville at the Cabooze with Malford Milligan and Double Trouble, it was so packed in there, shoulder-to-shoulder, like sardines, I could have lifted my legs and not moved an inch up or down. And yet Tom was still able to get some great pictures under those conditions.
I remember when we saw Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise for the first time at the Fine Line. Tom was down in front of the stage watching Robert, trying to get his attention, motioning for him to move over slightly so he had the back lighting just right. Until he realized that Robert couldn't see him, he was blind.
I know Tom has a story of a show at the Cabooze (Elvin Bishop).
And at Bayfront. We had so many different experiences. Sometimes he would be casually walking around taking candid pictures of the audience or the chair makers. Or other times he would be scrambling here and there to catch different things going on. Like Little Ed who had just jumped up on the shoulders of his bass player and was out walking in the audience.
Or the time they lowered Jimmy Carter of the Blind Boys of Alabama off the stage into the crowd and Tom had to work his way through all those people to get his shot.
Or to guess which side of the stage to be on to catch Buddy Guy as he flashes that million dollar smile of his and talks about playing so funky you can smell it.
Or timing it just right to catch Mick Sterling as he climbs up on the speaker stacks at Bayfront or Heart and Soul.
We did have some fun times...
I know Tom has many stories from Bayfront...
What about your lucky pair of shoes?
Or remember the time at the Mn Zoo. About half way through his set R.L. Burnside leaned over and whispered something to Kenny Brown, got up from his chair and walked off stage. Kenny and Cedric just continued to play as if nothing out of the ordinary was going on and a few minutes later R.L. rejoined them saying, "I had to talk to a man about a horse you know."
And Tom was down front with his camera just shaking his head and totally breaking up.
Most anyone can take a picture... Tom Asp is an artist. And his pictures are helping to preserve the blues, and keep the blues alive, especially here in Minnesota.
It's with great pleasure that I present your new Minnesota Blues Hall of Fame inductee, Mr. Tom Asp.
This Page Last Updated: Friday, January 13, 2012
