In the fall of 2023, I pitched the idea of an “American Songbook”-themed photo portfolio, inspired not only by my love of music but also by the magazine’s long history of celebrating artists and photography. So many legends are still with us, writing songs and performing live. At the same time, younger performers are making music just as groundbreaking as the all-time greats, and I wanted to do something that would bring all these trailblazers together. What began as an idea turned into a fully realized celebration of these amazing artists and their life’s work. Photography and video for our The 30 Greatest Living American Songwriters took over eight months to produce. We commissioned Stefan Ruiz for the portraits and Joshua Charow for the video interviews, while working alongside our editors, designers and writers. The portrait shoots and video interviews took place in various cities across the country, with filming taking place at locations related to each songwriter’s history and creative process. We filmed Mariah Carey in her music room at her home. Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne took us to the renowned Bluebird Cafe in Nashville. And Nile Rodgers met us at Power Station in Manhattan, where he recorded classics for Chic, Diana Ross, Madonna and more. It’s not every day you get to sit down with some of the greatest artists of all time. I’m honored that they allowed us to do so and am thrilled that this project is now a visual record of this moment in music history. Stay in touch: Like this email? Forward it to a friend and help us grow. Loved a story? Hated it? Write us a letter at magazine@nytimes.com. Did a friend forward this to you? Sign up here to get the magazine newsletter.
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