Rob Shepherd

Rob Shepherd

Five Non-Traditional Tributes to Charlie ParkerFive Non-Traditional Tributes to Charlie Parker

Five Non-Traditional Tributes to Charlie Parker

On August 29, 1920, Charles Parker Jr. was born in a home at 852 Freeman Avenue, Kansas City, Kansas. The…

5 years ago
Review: Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah’s ‘Axiom’Review: Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah’s ‘Axiom’

Review: Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah’s ‘Axiom’

In the field of philosophical logic, an axiom serves as a starting point from which other statements are derived. It…

5 years ago
Review: Marcos Valle, Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad’s ‘Marcos Valle JID 003’Review: Marcos Valle, Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad’s ‘Marcos Valle JID 003’

Review: Marcos Valle, Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad’s ‘Marcos Valle JID 003’

In the year 1500, navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral claimed Brazil as a colony for the Portuguese empire. Despite the region’s…

5 years ago
Review: Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids’ ‘Shaman!’Review: Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids’ ‘Shaman!’

Review: Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids’ ‘Shaman!’

In the early 1990s, Allan Wilson and Rebecca Cann reached a scientific breakthrough in their testing of mitochondrial DNA. Their…

5 years ago
A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter VIII: Fortress in the Wings, 1972-1980A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter VIII: Fortress in the Wings, 1972-1980

A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter VIII: Fortress in the Wings, 1972-1980

After the destructive summer of 1971, George Wein wanted to keep the legacy of the Newport Jazz Festival alive but…

5 years ago
A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter VII: Memory of a Giant, 1970-1971A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter VII: Memory of a Giant, 1970-1971

A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter VII: Memory of a Giant, 1970-1971

In some ways, the near riotous circumstances at Festival Field in July of 1969 was a precursor of an event…

5 years ago
A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter VI: Electric Aquidneck Experiment, 1969A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter VI: Electric Aquidneck Experiment, 1969

A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter VI: Electric Aquidneck Experiment, 1969

At the time of the first Newport Jazz Festival in 1954, there were two primary ways to enter the city…

5 years ago
A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter V: The New Thing, 1965-1968A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter V: The New Thing, 1965-1968

A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter V: The New Thing, 1965-1968

Despite its rough shape, the new site was at a fantastic location. Near the JT Connell Highway, it had sufficient…

5 years ago
Review: The Regina Carter Freedom Band’s ‘Swing States: Harmony in the Battleground’Review: The Regina Carter Freedom Band’s ‘Swing States: Harmony in the Battleground’

Review: The Regina Carter Freedom Band’s ‘Swing States: Harmony in the Battleground’

American presidential campaigns are often very narrowly focused. One study showed that in the 2016 election a whopping ninety-four percent…

5 years ago
A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter IV: Revival, 1961-1964A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter IV: Revival, 1961-1964

A History of the Newport Jazz Festival – Chapter IV: Revival, 1961-1964

Following the riots of the prior summer, there was no Newport Jazz Festival in 1961. However, the city had not…

5 years ago