Hello friends,

It is my pleasure to tell you about a new publication that we’re pretty excited about: At Fault. This the newest venture of Loathe Publishing and it picks up right where LoatheCast ended … sort of. Like LoatheCast, each issue of At Fault is based around a theme and everybody is invited to participate.* But instead of music and spoken words, we’re working with images and the written word.

Another similarity to LoatheCast is that each issue is free to read online. However, if you want the full experience, a bound hard-copy can be sent to you for the amazingly low price of $2.

We’re still working on some details of the website, but you can go check it the first issue and let us know what you think of the newest Loathe endeavor. Remember, it’s At Fault and you can find it at www.atfault.info

Yours in Loathe,

JC/lmc

* however, there is an editing process and not everything submitted will be used. Use of content is at the discretion of the At Fault Editorial board.

Hello folks!

I recently finished up a video for my soon to be available album “Half Way There”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJz6Q5m-5u0

It’s a video for the first track called “Window On A Ride.”   The video uses only my original photography in a sort of animated photo-montage, and has a little bit to think about in it.

You can see the album cover art and hear the entire album “Half Way There” free here:

http://soundcloud.com/jdcasten/sets/half-way-there-lp

I hope I wasn’t too self-indulgent on this… and that it might please some other ears and eyes as well.

Thank you for your time,

—J.D.

Stick around for the chat / listening party at 6pm (PDT) TODAY (July 17, 2010).

Be there or be a dick.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

June 2009
60 minutes
Produced by Jason Chastain

* next month will be the series-ending clip show.

Yep.

This is a great time to order a copy today and get free shipping.

Audio only: Part 1 | Part 2

April 2010
70 minutes
Produced by Jason Chastain

Images by Regan Roberts:

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

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Images by Victoria Boyle:

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

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Images by Dave Boyle:

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

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3/24/10
I knew Jim Marshal and I was lucky to be called a friend by him. We had some fun together. A wild guy I must say. He had a reputation, not everyone’s cup of tea, but really the best rock and roll photographer there ever was and is.

He did it all and he will be missed. I am better for knowing Jim. I met him years ago when he was trying to pick up my girlfriend at an art opening. All i recall hearing was this “Hey darling, what’s your name mine’s Jim Marshal.” I swung around almost knocking my girlfriend over to get to Jim and shake his hand.

His attitude was …what the fuck, who are you? looking back on that it makes me laugh, as the time quite intimidating.

I told him I loved his work, he’d heard that a million times, but i was serious…. I introduced him to my girlfriend and we had a nice chat. I asked him if i could someday come over and see his work. He took my number and said he would call me. Later that week i was over at his studio drinking whiskey and looking through his archives. What a blast. I asked him about the Cash Finger photo, the Hendrix Monterey Pop shots, The Allman Bros. Fillmore East lp cover, Janis, Coltrane, Bill Graham and all the Dylan shots he took and on and on. I knew all his work. I loved it and what a thrill that day was. We became friends over the years and he treated me like a son. He could really be a sweet guy. His rep is a bad-ass and indeed i saw that too. Fuck with Jim and you were in a world of trouble. I was always careful. He protected his copyrights to the max. He went nuts when folk used his work without his permission.

Jim told the best stories, I ended up buying three photos that first day. He wanted cash, I knew why. He drove me to my bank and then we made a stop on the way and then he asked. “What are you doing today, you want to go drinking, it’s on me” I laughed and said, “Yes” Over the years we had many drinks and many tales were told. I could write a book of the stuff he told me. i bought many more photographs from him. I love looking at his work. It is so real. I own 2-3 Garcia shots that sparkle. A couple Janis, Coltrane, Cash, Dylan……

He told me once as i was always curious, as he had shot everybody, but who did he like, who did he respect. He told me 3 of his all time favorite folk he knew well, liked, hung out with and photographed, and he called them sweethearts. At the time 2 were still alive. Duane Allman, Miles Davis and Jerry Garcia. He loved Garcia.

Jim said he was always lucky to be in the right place at the right time. I believed him. The evidence was in his work. And he shot a ton more than music, he did so much. And he was still shooting and selling prints and making books. A new one just came out.

Once we were going to the Fillmore, one of the first of many shows i went with him. He was going to shoot some band I had never heard of at the time, i later of course did. As we approached the door, i started saying ….Jim, do we have tickets or a pass, I’ll pay if you want. He looked at me and laughed and said. “Are you kidding, pay? I’m fucking Jim Marshall”

He was Jim Marshall and I will sorely miss him. He did rock and roll a service beyond the call of duty.

He passed away in his sleep the other night in New York City. I hope it was truly peaceful.

3/25/10
I do have a very funny (to me) story he told me years ago. He knew I was a huge Dylan fan, and gave me some cool shots of Bobby.

Jim never minded telling me stories that i thought he must have told dozens + times before. But i swear the way jim told them to me, he made me feel it was the first time. Jim knew Dylan from the early 60s on and they were friends and fairly close in the early days. Dylan liked his work and trusted Jim.

But he said there was a shift in Dylan at one point where he was harder to get near, he had become so insulated and often impossible to photograph.

I knew he had spent a lot of time with both Cash and Dylan separately and together and I asked him some tales of that ‘together’ time one eve. But he started with an amusing story of June Carter standing up for Jim up against one Bob Dylan backstage at a Johnny Cash show.

I may have wrote some of it before and have to figure out the time period. It may have been late in the tv Johnny Cash Show.

I have to google the JC show dates. I was/am a big Johnny Cash fan and I had a great opportunity to meet Cash in the late 1980s in NYC. I was so nervous when I walked up to Cash, I just went blank, thinking what will I say, can i even talk.

I felt like a little school kid doing his first play. So it came to me, and it just came, “I’m a friend of Jim Marshal…….” and before I could finish the sentence Cash said, “Ohhhh so how is ol’Jim?” I couldn’t believe it and that was the ice breaker and I looked at Cash, him looking at me and I answered him, feeling so suddenly relaxed and had a nice chat with him. He signed my drawing book and then he called June over and introduced me as friend of Jim Marshal.

What a gentlemen and what a sweet lady. To think they are all gone. He talked to me like i was the only one in the room.

Funny thing I did the same thing with Dennis Hopper a couple years later at one of his art opening in downtown SF that Jim was supposed to go with me, but punked out at the last minute. That coke shit again me thinks.

I really wanted Jim to introduce me to Hopper as I knew Dennis and Jim were old friends. The part Hopper played in Apocalypse Now was as Jim told me inspired by, a homage or say a reflection on Jim Marshal. There are tales Jim worked for the CIA, but that I would have to let others tell that tale. What he told me on that are better maybe forgotten about.

Jim was an ice breaker, as i realized so many loved him and his work. Many feared him too, he could be a dangerous guy.

So i walked up to Hopper when i could slide in front of him from all the gals trying to chat with him, and said. “Jim Marshal was supposed to be here tonight.” All of a sudden Hopper turned from his opening vibe to, “Oh man is Jim here?” I explained again.

Hopper another cool guy and smart and into painting, so we had a nice talk and ‘Ol Jim in many ways was there in many ways with us.

Will write that June tale down and send out soon.

3/26/10
Jim Marshall is quite a name and can see how you could know of three with the same name. Know of the Marshall Amplifier man of course.

Think I lost a portion of my hearing standing before those stacks at Winterland stage many a time. And as you know Hendrix’s real name is James Marshall Hendrix. Jim told me of some cool stories of JiM and Jimi talking about the amps and their similar name.

Jim was never a fake hype photoman, getting people to pose looking unreal. He shot them in their own environment, and he hung out with them got to know them. He was real and he could be sweet and he could be the meanest motherfucker you ever want to meet.

I swear i could write a book on his stories, but better to leave it to someone else he knew him longer and better.

His bio someday will be a cool read. Just wish jim was around to write is own Autobio.

You really should have talked to Jim and thrown my name out, but ya didn’t know and at least could have started a cool conversation.

What you said jim said is soooo Jim,
ha
what sentence

maybe one reason he and i got along as he did not think of me that way at all. he knew I loved history. we talked photography a lot and not the stars.

Plus i liked his work from the 60s an early 70s primarily and mostly the Bay Area groups and Johnny Cash of course. Have 3 Cash shots around of Jims.

I honestly stopped hanging out with him a few years ago. He drank a lot and he also was often too intense for me and maybe some folk might call cranky.

It was one of those deals when you knew when he would go off. Plus I was on the way to quitting drinking and truth be told if i was not was not drinking with jim, it would not be the same.

Not even sure he would care, but ya had to be a bit lit to hang with jim I thought. If i was with jim now i would be drinking, it was the thing. AND I have no idea and certainly hope his death had nothing to do with coke, but he at one time and i know as i saw it a lot, he loved that shit. That first day i met him, he took some of the cash i gave him and we stopped at his guys house. At that time, it was semi cool with me, I was not into, but if you were, that was your trip, now I just can’t stand being around it. In my business, the art business it exists, but truly i find it sad how many are still involved.

Jim loved his coke and I always wished he didn’t. I will be sorely bummed if in the final obit they mention drugs. They say he died in his sleep. I hope it was that way. That sounds better to me, and I will miss that old scalawag.

a response to David Gans..KPFA….Dead to the World radio show..3/25/10
I have to write something about Jim Marshall. You knew Jim, so thought i would write you. I was watching a movie, I can not even recall what it was now, when i got the call of Jim’s passing, I just ended up standing up and wandered to my computer.

I felt a bit ill and dizzy and I was compelled to write something. I felt anxious and pissed off. You know Jim did so much for the Dead and visa versa. You know that Woodstock Dead End shot Jim took of Garcia? I always thought that was staged and it was not. He told me the story.

Garcia was behind the Woodstock stage smoking, hanging out and just about to go on to play their set or maybe a rehearsal (can not recall that part) Jim had taken some ‘medicine’ to keep him up. He said he never slept at Woodstock, was up for 4 days straight, saying “I couldn’t sleep, there was too much happening. I did not want to miss anything.” He knew Santana…he dug Carlos so much, The Airplane, Hendrix, the Dead, and so many more and he said he was just was percolating around the stage shooting and shooting. Bill Graham was there and gave him full access to his bands and Jim pretty much had free reign in those days anyway. Baron Wolman was there too along with others. But I truly think Jim took some of the deepest realest shots those days.

Jim came around the corner of the tents backstage and was on a bit of riser, maybe 5 feet above the ground and spotted Garcia sitting on the ground, then he saw the Dead End sign laying beyond under a truck and Garcia seeing Jim was just about to get up and grab his guitar case and tune up, Jim called out to Garcia, he froze and looked up and snap. There is one other shot taken moments after that one where Garcia has his guitar out of the case and squatting and tuning up.

Another cool shot.

It still is a shock to me. Today Jim was on the front page of the Chronicle. They used the grinning/beaming Janis photograph at The Fillmore shot holding a full bottle of Southern Comfort, ‘the happy shot’ Jim called that one. Another photo later taken in the evening of Janis all alone sitting on the same couch with the bottle half empty, Janis looking so sad and alone. I am glad I heard before, then finding out by seeing that obit in the Chrony.

Another tale he told me that i asked about years ago. How the famous Johnny Cash giving Jim the finger occurred. Cash liked Jim a lot and Jim the same to Cash and June. Will write later a great June Carter Bob Dylan story. June was a tough gal. This one is hilarious.

Jim was along for Johnny Cash’s prison shows, shooting both the 1969 San Quentin and Folsom shows. Jim was famous for always wandering around stages with 2-3 Leicas (his fav camera) around his neck, clicking away. Back then he said he had total 100% access to everything, now he in his own way of telling it, ‘the fucking managers run everything, and now it is all controlled, whicj marshall never liked or stood for much.

At SQ and Folsom Jim took fantastic shots at both concerts. One or two were the covers of the Lp sthat eventually came out and also many liner shots in subsequent releases and more releases that are still coming out of those shows.

In this instance Cash was playing on stage with his band and saw Jim shooting the crowd and as a tease leaned down in this rather offensive stance and got Jim’s attention and with that classic pissed off look and a raised hand and giving Jim the finger. All done in split seconds, and Jim like so many of his shots knew the second to click and got the pik. The next second Cash had a huge grin on his face and winked at Jim and went back to playing. All that done in 3-4 seconds. Just horsing around, and the photo maybe one of Jim’s may Iconic shots. Most people do not even think of it as a photograph, they think of it as an image embedded in their memory of Johnny Cash and his style, his reputation. I bought that photo from Jim years ago and have it right hear in my office. Today both of them are gone and it is truly sad. But the vibe of that shot is so real, a pissed off Cash flipping the bird. I saw the contact sheets to a lot of his blackand white shots and indeed on this one he shot quite a few before and after, but that one was “IT” and circled on the contact sheet.

Johnny Cash 1969 San Quentin Prison……the real deal Jim was

My brain on all this is head-achy and will send a few more stories later. Think I need some advil or an anvil. This is all just sad. Another gone. That whole era is disappearing.

Jim Marshal loved The old Grateful Dead and shot the hell out of them over the years.

here is Jim’s site, they closed down purchasing today, but sure you can look

Jim lived a good artistic life….he was 74 and lived to see alot, a big life and he was lucky he made it that far, and so glad he did.

RIP JIM

- Mark