"Finding James"

"Finding James" | By Gabriel Tellez

Mr. Mojo risin'.

Ray and James met again by coincidence around mid-July 1965 on Venice Beach, right down from Fraser Avenue, where Ray and his girl, Dorothy, lived. James skipped his UCLA graduation and told Ray he was planning to go to New York. However, in the last few months, James had been residing at a friend's rooftop at Speedway St., where he was getting high and writing songs extensively from a concert he kept hearing in his head while looking at the sea.

Ray asked him to sing some of his songs; James hesitated; Ray listened, and then Ray proposed to form a Rock & Roll band - "that's what I want to do!" said James. So he moved into the Fraser Av. apartment, and they started work on James' singing while Dorothy was working to support them. Ray had no keyboard at home, so part of the routine was to travel to UCLA's rehearsal rooms in the basement of the Schoenberg Music Hall to work on the songs written on Venice's rooftop.

Ray said on that beach: "There's only one problem; what do we call the band?"; "The Doors", James answered; "is that about The Doors of Perception book by Huxley?" asked Ray; "yes!" replied James.

Ray invites someone from his meditation class to jam with them on the drums- John. The latter brings his long-time friend Robby to play the guitar, which has been playing the electric guitar for a short time. The traditional guitar is his specialty, particularly flamenco.

The rest is history.

The Doors' music was unique, addressing controversial topics such as sex, drugs, and social justice issues while exploring themes of rebellion, freedom, and self-discovery. The band's popularity grew during great social and political turmoil in the USA and the world as the counterculture movement emerged, challenging mainstream values and norms.

After recording their final album (L.A. Woman) with The Doors, James decided to travel to Europe. The possible reasons for his departure may have been his conviction for "indecent exposure" at a Miami concert, The Doors' concert cancellations, and the desire to get clean. Unfortunately, after several months of alcohol & drug abuse, his girlfriend, Pamela Courson, discovered him dead in his apartment's bathtub. James passed away on July 3rd, 1971, at the young age of 27, with heart failure listed as the cause of death. During his last days, he resided in the city of his literary heroes, and it's known that he enjoyed visiting Père Lachaise, where he frequently paid his respects to the graves of Molière, Wilde, and other notable figures he admired.

James, Ray, John, and Robby were considered (Jim Ladd, 2002) "highly-educated, well-read, smart people" who recorded six studio albums and became one of the most controversial yet more influential rock bands of the 1960s. 

Their music sounded -and keeps sounding- like no one else's.

Strange days found us.

After recovering from a suicide attempt in 1991, my brother became a rebel and a bigger fan of The Doors' music - probably because in March of that year, The Doors movie by Oliver Stone was released. Even though it received critics for its historical inaccuracy, including how James was portrayed, many people think the film brought back The Doors and Jim Morrison into popular culture. Including also going against the established authority & rules - in my brother's case: high school & my dad's. 

Suddenly my brother was constantly listening to "Light My Fire", "Roadhouse Blues", or "Touch Me", wearing my dad's Ray-Ban shades and his leather jacket and showing erratic behavior that my parents didn't have any experience with how to deal with. Those were strange days for us, and especially for me as his youngest and closest sibling. Essentially, he was going through adolescence with a mix of bipolar disorder on the horizon.

Back in the day of 1991, if you cranked up the radio, you'd catch the likes of Freddie Mercury belting out with Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody", Kurt Cobain's raw vocals from Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit", Metallica's shredding guitars in "Enter Sandman", Michael Stipe's haunting melodies in R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion", and Axl Rose's raspy screams in Guns N' Roses' "November Rain".

That same year, the Gulf War had just wrapped up, with many glued to their television sets watching the intense live coverage. Meanwhile, Mexico, the USA, and Canada were in the early stages of NAFTA talks, laying the groundwork for increased trade and economic cooperation. But it wasn't all heavy news - in May of that year, history was made when a Mexican beauty queen was crowned Miss Universe for the first time. 

Still, one place to go.

Eventually, my brother recovered and joined the local gym, where he discovered Arnold Schwarzenegger (as a bodybuilder), making him his new idol. After being stable for several years and graduating in Economics in 2000, he gained independence from my parents. Then, however, he went into a manic episode while working at his first job, requiring immediate hospitalization. Unknown to us, this condition was called manic-depression, and in the early 2000s, my brother was finally diagnosed with bipolar I disorder. 

Despite this setback, he earned an MBA and later became a personal trainer, earning a Bachelor's in Physical Education in 2017. With time, my brother acknowledged that he had a disorder but thought he'd be able to fight it without medication - this was wrong. A few months after my mom died, he went into a profound depression, and suddenly, in April 2018, he went into a manic episode. However, he developed psychosis this time, resulting in a nasty beating by angry people on the street and a five-day disappearance. Thanks to the missing person's bulletin on Facebook, we were very fortunate to find him and bring him back to reality. 

Bipolar disorder usually emerges in late adolescence (teen years) or early adulthood, with symptoms varying over the years, requiring constant family support, therapy, and a prescribed lifelong treatment plan to improve the quality of life and manage the symptoms. However, the disorder is degenerative and ultimately attacks the patient's cognitive abilities. 

Since the 1990s, The Doors' music, along with my brother's bipolar disorder, has constantly been in my life. So in 2022, while scrapbooking my brother's suicide attempt from 32 years ago, I started to read into the band's history, only to discover that we live 6.6 miles away from where everything started. This sparked a new quest to find James, which involved using my dad's Yashica FX-1 1970s camera and shooting primarily in B&W film.

The photos & text presented here are a glimpse at my "Finding James" quest, which, at the same time, represents an attempt to understand things I wasn't aware of when I was eight, and my brother was fifteen. 

I'll finish this with an extract from Rolling Stone magazine from April 4th, 1991: 

"The Doors' lead singer - who only two years before had been one of rock's smartest, scariest, and sexiest heroes - was now a heart-rendering alcoholic and clownish jerk. He needed help; he did not merit cheap veneration, and he certainly did not deserve the horrid, moralistic brand of jail-house punishment that the state of Florida hoped to impose on him. Of course, Morrison never received - or at least never accepted - the help that might have saved him."

This photo essay is dedicated to my brother Roberto and his challenging yet rewarding life.

...Strange days have found us
Strange days have tracked us down
They're going to destroy 
Our casual joys
We shall go on playing 
Or find a new town...

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BIO

Gabriel Tellez is a software engineer and a photographer drawn to architecture, engineering, and history. Lately, he has been traveling & documenting nature, architecture, and people. Gabriel, his wife, and one boy reside in Playa del Rey, CA.

Instagram: @gabtyz / Website: koken.gabrieltellez.mx

"Le Tandem"

"Le Tandem" | By Gabriel Tellez

Close your eyes.

Transport yourself to France and imagine the delicious aroma of a meal being prepared for you, whether on a sunny summer day or a rainy winter evening. In Annecy, the place to experience this magic is Le Tandem, a cozy restaurant owned by Marie and Matthieu, two long-time friends to satisfy their customers with delicious meals and pizzas full of locally-grown and produced ingredients.

As orders are taken, and pizzas are prepared, the local brewery eagerly awaits their deliveries. In less than five minutes, Matthieu puts on his helmet, takes a couple of pizza boxes, places them in an insulated food carrier, and jumps on his bike to deliver the pizzas.

I have known Matthieu since 2006, and he has been my roommate and best man. He is a restless, straightforward, and funny person who taught me how to cook vegetable soups, quiche sans pote, and gateau au yaourt. He once told me how he got into the pizza-making business as a delivery guy and eventually became the manager of two pizza places in Normandy. After completing his studies, he moved to Mexico and eventually returned to France, where he worked at La Société Générale S.A., eventually becoming a Directeur d'agence bancaire. However, after ten years, he felt the need for a change and decided to start his own business with Marie.

Le Tandem opened in June 2018 at 54 Av. de Genève, and after four years, they have established a loyal customer base due to their great food and dedicated attention to their customers. 

For sure, Le Tandem will stay authentic and unique and remain an enjoyable dining experience for the years to come.

Le Tandem

- Cuisine Maison & Pizzeria -

54 Avenue de Genève, 74000 Annecy. France.

https://www.letandem-annecy.fr/

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This work was Iliana's idea, and it was great. I enjoyed spending time at Le Tandem, where the magic happens. 

This photo essay is dedicated to Marie, Matthieu, Le Tandem employees, customers, suppliers, and the town of Annecy. 

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BIO

Gabriel Tellez is a software engineer and an amateur photographer drawn to architecture and engineering. Gabriel, Iliana, and Benjamin reside in Playa del Rey, CA. 

Instagram:  @gabtyz / Website: koken.gabrieltellez.mx

“Rio de Los Angeles”

“Rio de Los Angeles” | By Gabriel Tellez

Even though “El Rio De Nuestra Señora La Reina De Los Angeles De Porciuncula” it’s one of Los Angeles’ most under-appreciated resources, the L.A. River has been a handy location for the Hollywood film industry. With its urban wasteland appearance and flat concrete riverbed, it’s been an ideal location for shooting; think about those car chases through the river in Grease, Terminator 2, Gone in 60 Seconds, The Dark Knight Rises, and The Italian Job (remake). In addition, the views of the L.A. downtown skyline and the urban, industrial feel have given films the cool minimalist look they need.

Twelve historic bridges designed in the art deco style over the river have been registered on the National Register of Historic Places. Their construction speeded the development of the residential area east of the river by providing streetcar transportation and an elevated automobile roadway over the river & the tracks of the Southern Pacific railroad.

The Los Angeles River runs for approximately 51 miles, of which about 70% has a concrete bed, and passes through 17 cities. The river -primarily fed by rainwater, snowmelt, and treated water- was channelized by the Army Corps of Engineers in the early 20th century after a series of devastating floods.

Along the river, there are only 3 locations (the Sepulveda Basin, the Glendale Narrows, and the Long Beach Estuary) with no concrete at the bottom, where nature grows freely and provides food and habitat for approximately 1,200 species of animals.

But like everything, there’s a downside; the L.A. River faces significant challenges, like pollution (mainly plastic waste and industrial discharge), the lack of wetlands since it was channelized, and an increasing homeless population along its banks & its islets, to mention a few. Luckily, there’s always hope, and residents, non-profit organizations, and local governments have been working together to alleviate some of these problems.

For the past 31 years, FoLAR (“Friends of the L.A. River”) has been conducting summer cleanups of the L.A. River, and this year only, approximately 2,000 volunteers picked up a total of 18 tons of trash at 11 sites. Of course, cleanups alone may not solve the plastic or waste problem. Still, they can increase awareness, change people’s behavior, and help future generations – participation in those cleanups is an eye-opening experience.

Another promising initiative -where participation among the community is critical- is the 2020 revision of the original 1996’s L.A. River Master Plan. Its purpose is to optimize & enhance the river to make it more accessible to the social, cultural, and ecological communities while enriching the quality of life for residents and recognizing the river’s primary purpose for flood control.

Who better than someone growing up on the banks of the Mississippi River like Robert Crais to describe in The Last Detective, the river: “The Los Angeles River is small, but mean. People who don’t know the truth of it make fun of our river; all they see is a tortured trickle that snakes along a concrete gutter like some junkie’s vein. They don’t know that we put the river in concrete to save ourselves; they don’t know that the river is small because it’s sleeping and that every year and sometimes more it wakes.”

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BIO

Gabriel Tellez is a software engineer and an amateur photographer drawn to architecture and engineering. Lately, he has been documenting the diversity of the Los Angeles River, including nature, architecture, engineering, and its current challenges. Gabriel, his wife, and one boy reside in Playa del Rey, CA.

Instagram: @gabtyz / Website: koken.gabrieltellez.mx

Photo Essay edited by Alejandra Martínez Moreno

Initially published in Burn Magazine in September 2021