Rob Shepherd

Rob Shepherd

Observations from Day Two of the 2021 Newport Jazz FestivalObservations from Day Two of the 2021 Newport Jazz Festival

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…

4 years ago
Observations from Day One of the 2021 Newport Jazz FestivalObservations from Day One of the 2021 Newport Jazz Festival

Observations from Day One of the 2021 Newport Jazz Festival

After a year canceled by COVID-19, audience members on July 31st, the first day of the 2021 Newport Jazz Festival…

4 years ago
Newport Jawn: A Conversation with Christian McBride (Part Two)Newport Jawn: A Conversation with Christian McBride (Part Two)

Newport Jawn: A Conversation with Christian McBride (Part Two)

We continue our conversation with Christian McBride by discussing his thoughts on the connection between music and sports, his work…

4 years ago
Newport Jawn: A Conversation with Christian McBride (Part One)Newport Jawn: A Conversation with Christian McBride (Part One)

Newport Jawn: A Conversation with Christian McBride (Part One)

From its founding in 1954 until 2019, the Newport Jazz Festival had been canceled only once, for a single year…

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

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…

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

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…

4 years ago
Review: Questlove’s ‘Summer of Soul (… Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)’Review: Questlove’s ‘Summer of Soul (… Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)’

Review: Questlove’s ‘Summer of Soul (… Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)’

Far too often concert films depict performances as just an insular moment in time. While Jazz on A Summer’s Day,…

4 years ago
Review: Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog’s ‘Hope’Review: Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog’s ‘Hope’

Review: Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog’s ‘Hope’

Nobel physicist Erwin Schrödinger once noted that “[i]f a man never contradicts himself, the reason must be that he virtually…

4 years ago
A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter XIII: Echoes of the Past, 2004A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter XIII: Echoes of the Past, 2004

A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter XIII: Echoes of the Past, 2004

An intense and unceasing downpour left a twenty-eight-year-old George Wein with the difficult question of whether to abruptly cancel his…

4 years ago
Five Genre-Defying Selections from the Newport Jazz Festival’s 2021 LineupFive Genre-Defying Selections from the Newport Jazz Festival’s 2021 Lineup

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…

4 years ago