Down to the River: Portraits of Iowa Musicians

In 1987 photographer Sandra Dyas moved to Iowa City and began documenting the area’s vibrant live music scene, with its distinctive combination of folk, blues, roots/Americana, and rock sounds. The sixty photos in Down to the River capture her twenty years of photographing live music venues and shooting portraits of musicians in and around the city, resulting in a collection of images as compassionate and honest as the music itself.Dyas’s photographs present both the sweaty intensity of live performances and the more contemplative moments of individual portraits. They are complemented by Chris Offutt’s empathetic essay, which also encapsulates the experience of connecting with a new home through its music. A companion CD with eighteen tracks by Iowa’s finest singer/songwriters, including Dave Moore, Greg Brown, Bo Ramsey, David Zollo, and Pieta Brown, add up to an unmatched perspective on Iowa music and musicians.CD Tracks1. Iowa Crawl, Joe Price2. Poor Back Slider, Greg Brown3. Parnell, David Zollo4. #807, Pieta Brown5. Wheels of Steel, Radoslav Lorkovic6. Down to the River, Dave Moore7. Lucy and Andy Drive to Arkansas, Kevin Gordon8. Chuck Brown, Mike and Amy Finders9. Nobody But You, Joe Price10. Earleton, BeJae Fleming11. Ceremonial Child, High and Lonesome12. Sidetrack Lounge, Bo Ramsey13. On the Edge, Pieta Brown14. One Wrong Turn, Greg Brown15. Not in Iowa, Kelly Pardekooper16. Living in a Cornfield, Bo Ramsey17. ’57 Chevy, Tom Jessen’s Dimestore Outfit18. Roll on John, the Pines