Devoted to Jazz and 20th Century America
two hepcats scat sing
drum the hippest
of hip music
advertise “Love for Sale”
in wild musical riffs
dancing through air
nothing held back
all is passion
imagination
total physical commitment
I saw the nod of the piano-man —
Launched into the written introduction
Of melody & theme weaving practiced notes
Inside and around the bass & percussion’s tempo.
Delightful eight bars — an in-unison quartet
You were reading Bukowski.
The trio was playing Imagine.
Pretty sounds for our satisfaction.
I said Bukowski was a tough mother.
Like syrup on pancakes,
His solos pour out,
Languid and melodic,
Effortless at any tempo.
A sweetheart tone,
Ilya Bernstein, Freddington, Michael L. Newell, Stephen R. Walsh and Dan Franch contribute to this fine collection of poetry… […] Continue reading »
From discarded crumbs,
like falling stars onto stage
horns and strings form dreams
from blues and tears, where fear has
no place and lies
provides promises past midnight while
jazz makes people hungry
and rhythm
Time is all time
for the player in cosmic space.
Undo the bolts & let fly
or jump back in the box
and die.
These are your reality implications
on any day of earth-clinging.
But as to the progressive continuance
of organic life on this orb,
charlie parker
sits on the end
of my bed
holding his alto sax.
and for pete’s sake! mr. traps:
buddy rich was also there,
getting his drum kit ready
by the end of the bed.
then ray brown’s there
and making a
In early morning silence,
breathing is audible.
Steam rises from tea.
A train’s whistle moans
in the distance, and I
whisper to the night
secrets I share with
there’s new Coltrane out
lost recordings tootin’ the devil’s horn
and while I’ve been leery
of these “new” releases, how
wrong can John Go?
even John on scat is pure
Interview with Bing Crosby biographer Gary Giddins, author of the new book "Swinging on a Star: The War Years, 1940 - 1946"
Karl Marlantes, author of "Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War" talks about his landmark book, and his experience in Vietnam (and after)
Eight poets — John Stupp, Aurora Lewis, Michael L. Newell, Robert Nisbet, Alan Yount, Roger Singer, dan smith and Joan Donovan — write about the era of World War II
This edition tells the story of Lester Young getting high with Jack Kerouac, and his overall influence on his generation...Excerpted from Bop Apocalypse: Jazz, Race, the Beats, & Drug, by Martin Torgoff
Known early in his career (when with Chick Webb, pictured) as a Louis Armstrong sound-alike both on trumpet and on vocals, his recording of “On the Sunny Side of the Street” sounded so much like Armstrong’s live version that people actually thought it was Armstrong who was copying this trumpeter. Who is he?