I spent New Year's Eve 2014 in much the same way I spent most of the year: photographing great music. During Evanston's First Night celebration, I hopped from one downtown cathedral to another, in and out of the cold, to catch some killer jazz ensembles, as well as slam poet extraordinaire Marc Smith doing his thing. Here are some of my favorite shots from the evening, the last pictures I took in 2014, and some of the first of 2015.
![Alfonso Ponticelli and Swing Gitan](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53273e1de4b0eeecbb689b43/1421621729053-5VWR64O47CDO58TCKNZC/FirstNightEvanston_12.31.14_by_ElliotMandel-39.jpg)
Alfonso Ponticelli and Swing Gitan
![Steve Gibons (violin) with Alfonso Ponticelli and Swing Gitan](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53273e1de4b0eeecbb689b43/1421621725299-LDZSHK394R7PORL73L4R/FirstNightEvanston_12.31.14_by_ElliotMandel-11.jpg)
Steve Gibons (violin) with Alfonso Ponticelli and Swing Gitan
![John Bany (bass), Alfonso Ponticelli, Alex Udvary (cimbalom)](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53273e1de4b0eeecbb689b43/1421621933910-N3B1PJR5PFOQ5RF10DUW/FirstNightEvanston_12.31.14_by_ElliotMandel-38.jpg)
John Bany (bass), Alfonso Ponticelli, Alex Udvary (cimbalom)
![Howard Levy and Chevere](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53273e1de4b0eeecbb689b43/1421621995130-7ZPOF4TBSN0XF946AVWU/FirstNightEvanston_12.31.14_by_ElliotMandel-16.jpg)
Howard Levy and Chevere
![Joe Rendon (percussion), Ernie Denov (guitar) with Chevere](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53273e1de4b0eeecbb689b43/1421621994585-OC9E7DMDD6WRUF88OOR7/FirstNightEvanston_12.31.14_by_ElliotMandel-17.jpg)
Joe Rendon (percussion), Ernie Denov (guitar) with Chevere
![Howard Levy and Alejo Poveda](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53273e1de4b0eeecbb689b43/1421622036215-2RKRVT309N6ZUVUW3HDC/FirstNightEvanston_12.31.14_by_ElliotMandel-21.jpg)
Howard Levy and Alejo Poveda
![Ruben Alvarez](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53273e1de4b0eeecbb689b43/1421622036182-3Z5CWBDPWYI845S2UUB2/FirstNightEvanston_12.31.14_by_ElliotMandel-26.jpg)
Ruben Alvarez
![Ernie Denov](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53273e1de4b0eeecbb689b43/1421622038551-KI8U6KJGOWJ64OLRNCZ7/FirstNightEvanston_12.31.14_by_ElliotMandel-28.jpg)
Ernie Denov
![Steve Eisen (sax), Mark Ohlsen (trumpet)](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53273e1de4b0eeecbb689b43/1421622125955-XHAOW0HZMTAP3EB6DXZX/FirstNightEvanston_12.31.14_by_ElliotMandel-24.jpg)
Steve Eisen (sax), Mark Ohlsen (trumpet)
![Chevere de Chicago](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53273e1de4b0eeecbb689b43/1421622073991-VRBGS2X66VY5F3CJ97U0/FirstNightEvanston_12.31.14_by_ElliotMandel-31.jpg)
Chevere de Chicago
![The Slam Papi, Marc Smith (so what).](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53273e1de4b0eeecbb689b43/1421622447055-PPWUJVPW2WUSNDNRZ8IY/FirstNightEvanston_12.31.14_by_ElliotMandel-34.jpg)
The Slam Papi, Marc Smith (so what).
![Marc Smith](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53273e1de4b0eeecbb689b43/1421622447081-U6ZG5AVBW77UFNZ5S3B1/FirstNightEvanston_12.31.14_by_ElliotMandel-36.jpg)
Marc Smith
![Regina Carter](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53273e1de4b0eeecbb689b43/1421622737615-HRL5KLT3Z3I95GGOOP3P/FirstNightEvanston_12.31.14_by_ElliotMandel-58.jpg)
Regina Carter
![Regina Carter](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53273e1de4b0eeecbb689b43/1421622626934-Y0T9YAMJQNRD44Z0QHPY/FirstNightEvanston_12.31.14_by_ElliotMandel-57.jpg)
Regina Carter
![FirstNightEvanston_12.31.14_by_ElliotMandel-52.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53273e1de4b0eeecbb689b43/1421622737222-ZEWWEOPQPDULOHENNFX5/FirstNightEvanston_12.31.14_by_ElliotMandel-52.jpg)
![FirstNightEvanston_12.31.14_by_ElliotMandel-60.jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53273e1de4b0eeecbb689b43/1421622771012-ZUQG7MFODCGDH80PENH6/FirstNightEvanston_12.31.14_by_ElliotMandel-60.jpg)
![Regina Carter and Southern Comfort](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53273e1de4b0eeecbb689b43/1421622770872-EVYBSXW758N1814KGECJ/FirstNightEvanston_12.31.14_by_ElliotMandel-65.jpg)
Regina Carter and Southern Comfort
![Fire Jamming](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53273e1de4b0eeecbb689b43/1421622828221-V6W0KWLKF4OIGWVFTUX7/FirstNightEvanston_12.31.14_by_ElliotMandel-67.jpg)
Fire Jamming
![Fire Jamming](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53273e1de4b0eeecbb689b43/1421622828214-6CX6JCE9Y682J93PWX0L/FirstNightEvanston_12.31.14_by_ElliotMandel-70.jpg)
Fire Jamming