March is Women’s History Month, and what better way to celebrate locally than by recognizing and supporting the art of Jini Dellaccio, a Northwest treasure and living piece of music history.
If you grew up listening to rock ‘n’ roll in the 1960s and ’70s, or you’re familiar with Seattle’s rock history from that period, chances are you’ve been exposed to her work. During the time when rock music was just beginning to forge its identity, Dellaccio was a pioneering female photographer in a field dominated by men. Dellaccio, now 93, held her own as a rock photographer and is responsible for some of the most recognizable album covers and portraits from that era.
Her camera has captured iconic figures ranging from Neil Young (check out this amazing Dellaccio shot) to Pete Townshend as well as regional icons such as The Sonics, The Wailers, and Paul Revere and the Raiders. You know the cover for The Sonics “Boom” record? That’s a Dellaccio shot. If you’re too young to recall The Sonics, or if that particular image isn’t ringing a bell, chances are you’ve seen her work on display at The Crocodile, where a dozen giant-sized Dellaccio prints hang in the storied Belltown venue’s showroom.
A documentary about Dellaccio’s life and career is in the works, and according to the film’s website it “weaves behind-the-scenes stories of her stunning photography with Jini’s own reflections on her work.” Above is a video of some footage from the documentary where Dellaccio shoots her first band photosession since the 1970s. The band in the session is Guerrilla Candy favorites the Moondoggies.
You can get an early glimpse of the film Saturday (March 12) when an extended trailer will be shown at the Northwest Film Forum. The event is free but is aimed at raising money to help complete the project. The filmmakers will be on hand to discuss the movie and take questions from the audience — as will Dellaccio, who is attending as the guest of honor. While the event is free donations of a minimum of $50 are being accepted by Northwest Film Forum. All of the money raised will go towards post-production costs for the film and the minimum of $50 is set because it is the minimum amount NWFF can process.
The movie is being produced by Five Star Films and directed by Karen Whitehead, a UK documentarian who has teamed up with local filmmaker John Jeffcoat for this project. Jeffcoat is best known for the film Outsourced, which was adapted into an NBC sitcom, and for the series of “Amplified” documentaries that were released last year as part of MTV’s $5 Cover: Seattle.
