My other artistic love growing up was the language of cinema. I was lucky enough to come of age in the 1960’s and 1970’s when American cinema was going through a significant change. For a short period, the artists were given free reign before the conglomerates and corporations took back control. In that time, however, mainstream cinema became experimental again. It was raw. It was risky and it demanded that audiences meet it halfway.
Cinema grew as an experiential genre and, in many ways, it mirrored music in that it could tap directly into the subconscious, both the subconscious of the artist and audience. As the great filmmaker, Stanley Kubrick, once stated, “A film is - or should be - more like music than like fiction. It should be a progression of moods and feelings. The theme, what’s behind the emotion, the meaning, all that comes later.” This concept has guided my approach to most artistic endeavours from filmmaking to writing to photography.
For most of my life, my artistic passions for cinema and music remained somewhat separate. I became a filmmaker, a screenwriter in Hollywood. I always loved the cinematic language, the ability to tell a story through image and movement. The framing, the composition, the lighting, the design of each shot to tell a rich and detailed story long before words ever entered in to further enhance and expand the experience.
However, it wasn’t until I was in my 50’s that I finally combined these two passions.
In 2016, I released my second feature film as director titled JAZZ NIGHTS: A CONFIDENTIAL JOURNEY. JAZZ NIGHTS was a documentary about a group of Los Angeles-based jazz musicians who came together to perform a unique two-year musical residency that, for me, was the embodiment of musical risk, expression and community. It tapped directly into both the heart and history of jazz, as well as the power of improvisation and exploration, both musically and humanistically.
THIS IS AN EXCERPT FROM: Visual Rhythms: From sound to image: A personal photographic journey through improvisation from the Grateful Dead to jazz
Read more: /p/visual-rhythms
For anyone who is free tonight, one of my favorite pianists in the world, Dayramir González, is performing for FREE tonight with Cuca Roseta at the ACLAM Club in Barcelona! I will be there. Come if you can and help spread the word. I promise you, this is going to be an incredible night of passionate music-making. Seeing Dayramir González is an absolutely monumental experience.
Para quienes tengan tiempo libre esta noche, uno de mis pianistas favoritos del mundo, Dayramir González, actuará gratis con Cuca Roseta en el Club ACLAM de Barcelona. ¡Yo estaré allí! Vengan si pueden y ayúdenme a correr la voz. Les prometo que será una noche increíble de música apasionada. Ver a Dayramir González es una experiencia inolvidable.
@dayramirgonzalez_piano@halmasonbergphotography@garbo.musicmanagement
My love of music led me at a young age to discover the power behind improvisational music. What happens when you combine risk and music-making? When each participant is along for the ride, is part of an ongoing musical conversation that thrives on unique and expressive voices that are given full freedom of expression in unison?
My love for improvisational music started at the age of 12 when I was introduced to the live music of the Grateful Dead. The Grateful Dead (1965-1995) were a band that explored multiple genres of American music from rock to folk, to jazz, to R&B, to traditional, to country, to sea shanties and beyond. They wove a tapestry unlike any other. Bassist Phil Lesh referenced Miles Davis and John Coltrane as the fundamental inspiration for the band’s exploratory and improvisational approach to live music-making.
As a result, no song was ever played the same way twice, no two shows were ever the same. They created a sense of adventure, an exploration, a journey that we were all invited to participate in. Band and audience created a symbiotic relationship, feeding one another, reacting and responding to one another. There were times in these live musical journeys when band and audience hit unexpected heights of joy, of ecstasy, the band as much along for the ride as the audience. “When the music plays the band” as the saying goes.
This approach to music-making moved me like no other. It still does. And because the roots of Grateful Dead music came from so many other musical genres, they opened a door for me to these many influences, expanding my musical palette and sending me on a journey that still continues to this day. One of the most influential musical genres the Grateful Dead led me to was jazz. The Grateful Dead taught me how to hear jazz, to understand the musical conversations taking place and the beauty and power of musical dissonance. As a result, I dove head first into that genre and never looked back…
THIS IS AN EXCERPT FROM: Visual Rhythms: From sound to image: A personal photographic journey through improvisation from the Grateful Dead to jazz
Read more: LINK IN BIO: /p/visual-rhythms
@thehalblog
Such a beautiful musical afternoon celebrating the music of cinema at MEAM with Romina Krieger, Sergey Maiboroda & Graham Lister. It was the perfect combination of so many of my favorite things all wrapped into one stellar and inspiring concert. And in such beautiful setting! What a joy!
Una tarde musical tan hermosa que celebra la música del cine en MEAM con Romina Krieger, Sergey Maiboroda y Graham Lister. Fue la combinación perfecta de muchas de mis cosas favoritas, todas en un concierto estelar e inspirador. ¡Y en un entorno tan bonito! ¡Qué alegría!
Romina Krieger – voice
Sergey Maiboroda – violin, piano
Graham Lister – piano, voice
See more photos from this concert: LINK IN BIO: /meam-saturday-classics-romina-krieger-sergey-maiboroda-graham-lister-meam-barcelona-catalunya-spain-may-9-2026/
@halmasonbergphotography@meammuseum@romina_krieger@sergey_maiboroda_violin@lister3786@meammusica
#jazz #musicphotography #barcelona #halmasonbergphotography #liveconcertphotos #musicianphoto #concertphotographers #gigphotos #musicianportrait #loveofphotography #concertshots #livemusicphotos #jazzlife #photographerforhire #liveconcertphotography #MEAM #rominakrieger
This Friday! The great Dayramir González returns to Barcelona!!! This time accompanied by Cuca Roseta at the ACLAM Club. Two shows: 20:00h i 22:15h. This is going to be an absolutely tremendous night!!! I hope to see you there!!!
¡Este viernes! ¡El gran Dayramir González regresa a Barcelona! Esta vez acompañado por Cuca Roseta en el Club ACLAM. Dos shows: 20:00h y 22:15h. ¡Será una noche increíble! ¡Espero veros allí!
Viernes, 15 de mayo de 2026
Primera sesión: 20:00h
Segunda sesión: 22:15h
Aforo limitado
Entradas anticipadas: 40€ (+ gastos de gestión).
Taquilla: 50€ (+ gastos de gestión)
Tickets: LINK IN BIO: https://www.aclamclub.cat/en/activities/dayramir-gonzalez-cuca-roseta/
@dayramirgonzalez_piano@cucaroseta@garbo.musicmanagement@aclamclub@halmasonbergphotography
#jazz #musicphotography #barcelona #halmasonbergphotography #liveconcertphotos #musicianphoto #concertphotographers #gigphotos #musicianportrait #loveofphotography #concertshots #livemusicphotos #jazzlife #photographerforhire #liveconcertphotography #dayramirgonzalez #cucaroseta #aclam #garbomanagement
This is the original English language version of an article I wrote that was first published in Catalan in Sonograma Magazine on January 28, 2026. You can visit Sonograma Magazine and the original article here: LINK IN BIO: /2026/01/del-so-a-la-imatge/.
Visual Rhythms is a quarterly series I write for Sonograma Magazine. I will be reprinting the English language versions here on my Substack page.
LINK IN BIO: /p/visual-rhythms
@thehalblog@substack
#halmasonberg #musicphotography #jazz #GratefulDead #improvisation #sonogramamagazine #barcelona #jazzphotography #jamband #photography #livemusic #concertphotography
What a glorious afternoon of music and camaraderie at the MEAM with the multi-talented Romina Krieger, Sergey Maiboroda & Graham Lister. I love what I do! Grateful. 🙏❤️
Thanks, Romina, for sending me this photo! And thanks to whoever took it! ❤️
Stay tuned for my photos from this incredible celebration of cinematic music.
@halmasonbergphotography@romina_krieger@sergey_maiboroda_violin@meammuseum@meammusica
#jazz #musicphotography #barcelona #halmasonbergphotography #liveconcertphotos #musicianphoto #concertphotographers #gigphotos #musicianportrait #loveofphotography #concertshots #livemusicphotos #jazzlife #photographerforhire #liveconcertphotography #MEAM #rominakrieger
