The human brain is incredibly powerful. It controls every function of our bodies, allows us to reason, and permits us to both create and appreciate art. To do so, it uses 100 billion neurons, each of which fires around 200 times every second. Given its necessary complexity, it should come as no surprise how frequently the organ malfunctions. According to the US Center for … [Read more...]
Rob Shepherd’s Favorite Jazz Albums of the Decade
Compiling a list of the greatest works of the last ten years is an inherently difficult proposition. The first complication lies in the fact that so many of my musical memories from the last decade are tied to recordings released prior to the period. Some of my best memories include the Charlie Parker song from 1950 that played at my wedding, the New Year’s Eve I first stumbled … [Read more...]
Rob Shepherd’s Favorite Jazz Albums of 2019
We continue our Season of Lists with newly-minted Staff Writer Rob Shepherd’s Favorite Jazz Albums of 2019. Also have a look at Nextbop's Best Jazz Albums of 2019, Editor-in-Chief Anthony Dean-Harris' Favorite Jazz Albums of 2019, and Staff Writer Brian Kiwanuka’s Favorite Jazz Albums of 2019.Perhaps the most interesting takeaway from 2019 is the number of artists adapting m … [Read more...]
‘Louis Armstrong Live In Europe’ Reviewed
As Nextbop prides itself on presenting jazz of the present moment and the future, at first glance it may appear unusual for the site to review music recorded over sixty years ago. However, when provided with their proper historical contexts, the two previously unreleased live performances captured on Louis Armstrong Live in Europe, one from Nice, France on February 23, 1948 and … [Read more...]
Ben Williams’ ‘I AM A MAN’ Album Reviewed
On February 1, 1968, a malfunctioning garbage truck fatally crushed two black Memphis sanitation workers - Echol Cole and Robert Walker. Their passing was in many ways directly the fault of Henry Loeb, the city’s white supremacist mayor. Loeb previously served as the Memphis’ Public Works Commissioner, a role in which he undertook several steps to impose unduly harsh conditions … [Read more...]