In his early writings, philosopher Søren Kierkegaard utilized various pseudonyms to present distinctive viewpoints and to interact with each other in complex dialogues. Throughout its history, jazz musicians have also adopted similar approaches - particularly relying on cosmic iconography - to better push their personal creative boundaries. One recent example is the three … [Read more...]
Support The Royal Krunk Jazz Orkestra’s GoFundMe Campaign
Enlightened trumpeter Russell Gunn took it upon himself to bring truth to the world by way of his large ensemble, The Royal Krunk Jazz Orkestra. Earlier this year, the group released Pyramids, a succinct yet powerful opus which serves as the second part of a trilogy that did not start out as a trilogy. “I did not know I was making a map until the map was complete. Past, … [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 … [Read more...]
Brian Kiwanuka’s Favorite Jazz Albums of 2019
Tuesday we unveiled Nextbop's Best Jazz Albums of 2019, which was compiled by our staff as a whole. Yesterday, we published Editor-in-Chief Anthony Dean-Harris' Favorite Jazz Albums of 2019. Today, we continue our Season of Lists with Staff Writer Brian Kiwanuka's Favorite Jazz Albums of 2019. 10. Brandee Younger - Soul Awakening (Self Release) The harp is a spellbinding … [Read more...]