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Review: Aaron Parks’ ‘Little Big II: Dreams of a Mechanical Man’

In ancient Greek mythological lore, Hephaestus, the god of technology, created a giant bronze automaton named Talos who was powered by ichor, the blood of the gods. It was Talos’ job to protect the island of Crete from invaders by throwing boulders at incoming ships and crushing anyone who washed ashore. He was programmed to […]

Observations from Day Two of the 2021 Newport Jazz Festival

2020 was a pivotal year in the history of civil rights. While a prominent case, George Floyd’s murder was no more the beginning of the struggle than his killer’s conviction was its end. Racial justice has served as a central impetus throughout much of the lineage of Black American Music, from Fats Waller’s “Black and […]

A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter XV: Passing the Torch, 2009-2016

For most music festivals, the loss of a longtime sponsor could be a death knell.  After all, organizers killed the Newport Rhythm and Blues Festival due to its inability to maintain a steady sponsor. The death of the company hosting the event on top of it would be – for most – a certain end. […]

A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter XIV: Destinations, 2005-2009

With the success of the 50th Anniversary event, Festival Productions Inc. quickly began work on the 2005 Festival. Like the immediately preceding year, George Wein would be unable to attend the Fort’s proceedings. This time it was not due to his own health but that of his wife’s. Joyce Wein was a brilliant woman. Originally […]

Five Genre-Defying Selections from the Newport Jazz Festival’s 2021 Lineup

After a year canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic, the historic Newport Jazz Festival has announced it will be presenting the 2021 Festival at its home for the past four decades, Fort Adams State Park. To ensure safety, however, it will be scaled back from its usual scope. Four stages will be reduced to two, and […]

Jazz from A to G: Sullivan’s Travels, 2020

It’s 1941, the world is up in flames, fascism has a chokehold, racism and imperialism are the fundaments of effective governance.  Where does that leave artists?  What is their role in creation during life-threatening and stressful times? Sullivan’s Travels (Paramount, 1941) was movie director Preston Sturges’ response that year: A comedy?  A drama?  A faux-documentary? […]

Review: Michael Olatuja’s ‘Lagos Pepper Soup’

It can be incredibly difficult to be creative at the culinary arts. Insufficient attention to detail or excessive or inordinate amounts of particular ingredients potentially create a bland or inedible product. Masterful creation requires a background on how to best use materials and a desire to mix them in the best way possible. When done […]

Review: ‘Impulse! Records: Music, Message & The Moment’ and Sons of Kemet’s ‘Black to the Future’

In 1960, Creed Taylor founded Impulse! Records, which he dubbed “The New Wave in Jazz.” While over time, Impulse! established itself as one of the premier labels in the genre, it was always happiest around categorical edges. Ray Charles’ Genius + Soul = Jazz (Impulse!, 1960) blurred lines between the two styles. Later, Yusef Lateef – as […]