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The Two Louis: "Pops" and "The Wildest"

New Orleans' two great Louis, Armstrong and Prima, were formed by their hometown and its culture; though both left the city, it never left them or their music. They were both artists and entertainers, gifted musicians, and unabashed crowd-pleasers.

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Say It Loud! 100 Great Protest Songs: Part 1 - Beethoven to Janis Ian

PopMatters has scoured the musical spectrum for the best examples of the protest song form, including anthems of great popularity and obscurity alike. Stay tuned all week as we unveil the top 100.

Music

'The Jazz Ambassadors': When Dizzy and Satchmo Diplomacy Swung the Cold War

Filmmaker Hugo Berkeley, historian Penny M. Von Eschen, and musician Darius Brubeck talk with Will Layman about the State Department's decision to send Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong, and others around the world to help win the Cold War.

Film

Finding the Sublime in Jazz, an Argument for Abstraction

Jazz columnist Will Layman presents seven pieces of music as evidence of the beauty and urgency of pure sound in instrumental jazz.

Music

Dr. John: Ske-Dat-De-Dat: The Spirit of Satch

Not all the guest artists fit, and sometimes the connection to Satchmo seems tenuous indeed. But when it works, as it mostly does, the album delivers much pleasure and pleasant surprises.

Music

Kermit Ruffins: We Partyin' Traditional Style! (take 2)

After two decades, the New Orleans trumpeter finally figures out how to bring his live energy into a studio setting. The result is one of the best jazz releases of the year to date.

Music

What James Bond Can’t Teach You About British Music History

If you want lessons in womanizing, dressing to the nines, or ordering martinis, James Bond is your man. If, however, you’re looking for a review of British music history over the last 50 years, the world’s favorite secret agent has no idea what he’s doing.

Film

Ten Great Musical Gifts for the Holidays

This year saw the release of many truly stellar box sets and re-issues from the Holy Grail of Western pop music (the earliest Louis Armstrong recordings and the Beatles remasters on vinyl) to indie heroes like Sugar and folk pioneer Woody Guthrie. Here's ten of our faves.

Music

Que Pasa, New York?

How do artists get their work done in other cities of the world? Where is it viable to live? It's probably silly to begin our investigation in New York. Just 30 years ago, New York was still opening its arms to the tired, poor, huddled masses of creatives. But now?

Film

Louis Armstrong: Hello, Louis! The Hit Years (1963-1969)

Nobody can explain why “Hello Dolly” hit #1 in 1964. But then, nobody can explain why Louis Armstrong didn't hit #1 all the time.

Music

Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong

Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong - Terry Teachout – Houghton Mifflin Harcourt [$30.00]

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Follow Your Heart: Moving with the Giants of Jazz, Swing, and Rhythm and Blues by Joe Evans

It's fun discovering that Jackie Wilson used to be a prizefighter or imagining band members waking up a drugged-out Charlie Parker right before his solo.

Books

Louis Armstrong: Live in 59 [DVD]

Armstrong’s smiling countenance is the perfect foil for his remarkable technical skills; his interaction with both audience and band is wonderfully disarming, making the music even more accessible.

Reviews

Louis Armstrong: Jazz Moods: Hot

A selection of 14 tracks from The Complete Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings, which is to say a thin slice of one of the sweetest cakes that was ever baked.

Will Layman

Music

Pop Ten

The 25 Best Classic Progressive Rock Albums

The 100 Greatest Alternative Singles of the '80s: Part 1: 100 - 81

Jackie Chan's 10 Best Films

The 20 Best Metal Albums of 2019

The 100 Greatest Alternative Singles of the '90s - Part 1 (100 - 81)

The 100 Greatest Alternative Singles of the '80s: Part 5: 20 - 1

The 20 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2019

The 100 Greatest Alternative Singles of the '80s: Part 2: 80 - 61

The 70 Best Albums of 2019

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Mixed Media

Collapse Expand Mixed Media

PM Picks

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The Two Louis: "Pops" and "The Wildest"

New Orleans' two great Louis, Armstrong and Prima, were formed by their hometown and its culture; though both left the city, it never left them or their music. They were both artists and entertainers, gifted musicians, and unabashed crowd-pleasers.

'The Jazz Ambassadors': When Dizzy and Satchmo Diplomacy Swung the Cold War

Filmmaker Hugo Berkeley, historian Penny M. Von Eschen, and musician Darius Brubeck talk with Will Layman about the State Department's decision to send Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong, and others around the world to help win the Cold War.

Finding the Sublime in Jazz, an Argument for Abstraction

Jazz columnist Will Layman presents seven pieces of music as evidence of the beauty and urgency of pure sound in instrumental jazz.

Dr. John: Ske-Dat-De-Dat: The Spirit of Satch

Not all the guest artists fit, and sometimes the connection to Satchmo seems tenuous indeed. But when it works, as it mostly does, the album delivers much pleasure and pleasant surprises.

Kermit Ruffins: We Partyin' Traditional Style! (take 2)

After two decades, the New Orleans trumpeter finally figures out how to bring his live energy into a studio setting. The result is one of the best jazz releases of the year to date.

What James Bond Can’t Teach You About British Music History

If you want lessons in womanizing, dressing to the nines, or ordering martinis, James Bond is your man. If, however, you’re looking for a review of British music history over the last 50 years, the world’s favorite secret agent has no idea what he’s doing.

Que Pasa, New York?

How do artists get their work done in other cities of the world? Where is it viable to live? It's probably silly to begin our investigation in New York. Just 30 years ago, New York was still opening its arms to the tired, poor, huddled masses of creatives. But now?

Louis Armstrong: Hello, Louis! The Hit Years (1963-1969)

Nobody can explain why “Hello Dolly” hit #1 in 1964. But then, nobody can explain why Louis Armstrong didn't hit #1 all the time.

Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong

Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong - Terry Teachout – Houghton Mifflin Harcourt [$30.00]

Follow Your Heart: Moving with the Giants of Jazz, Swing, and Rhythm and Blues by Joe Evans

It's fun discovering that Jackie Wilson used to be a prizefighter or imagining band members waking up a drugged-out Charlie Parker right before his solo.

Louis Armstrong: Live in 59 [DVD]

Armstrong’s smiling countenance is the perfect foil for his remarkable technical skills; his interaction with both audience and band is wonderfully disarming, making the music even more accessible.

Louis Armstrong: Jazz Moods: Hot

A selection of 14 tracks from The Complete Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings, which is to say a thin slice of one of the sweetest cakes that was ever baked.

Louis Armstrong: The Essential Louis Armstrong

Louis Armstrong: Swing Legends: 24 Classic Hits,1936 to 1950

Tipping the Swear Jar: How mewithoutYou Used the F-Bomb to Say More Than the F-Word

Star Parks Go for the Immediate with "Something More" (premiere)

Electro's Sotomayor Merge House and Merengue on "Menéate pa' mí" (premiere)

Gab De La Vega Turns and Faces the Familiar, Strange on "YYZ" (premiere)

British Soul/Blues Artist Izo Fitzroy Asks for "Blind Faith" (premiere)

Fell Runner Celebrate the Strange Dreams of an Unlikely Hero with "Jeffrey" (premiere)

The James Hunter Six's "Brother or Other" Asks to Spread the Love in a Time of Division (premiere)

Crowhurst + Gavin Bryars Demonstrate the Powers of Collaboration With "Dead Swans of Dreams" (premiere + interview)

Matt Wilson and His Orchestra Consider Memory, Mortality With "When I Was a Writer" (premiere + interview)

Robert Vincent Considers the Human "Conundrum" (premiere)