Jazz Poems

ForewordVAMPING (Early Jazz Poems)LANGSTON HUGHESJazzonia Jazz Band in a Parisian Cabaret The Cat and the Saxophone (2 a.m.) Trumpet Player CARL SANDBURGJazz Fantasia HELENE JOHNSONPoem VACHEL LINDSAYThe Jazz of This Hotel E. E. CUMMINGS“god pity me whom (god distinctly has)”WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMSOl’ Bunk’s Band STERLING A. BROWNCabaret MAXWELL BODENHEIMBringing JazzMURIEL RUKEYSER Homage to Literature FRANK MARSHALL DAVISJazz BandGWENDOLYN BROOKSWe Real Cool SWINGING (Jazz Origins, New Orleans & Ellingtonia)ROBERT SARGENTTouching the Past WILLIAM MATTHEWSThe Buddy Bolden Cylinder LUCIEN QUINCYIn Praise of Buddy Bolden ANDY RAZAFBlack and Blue (What Did I Do to Be So Black and Blue?)ERNST MOERMANLouis Armstrong A. B. SPELLMAN“Jelly wrote” HAYDEN CARRUTHThe Fantastic Names of Jazz PHILIP LARKINFor Sidney Bechet DANA GIOIABix Beiderbecke (1903–1931)HAYDEN CARRUTH“Sure,” said Benny GoodmanJAYNE CORTZRose Solitude BILLY STRAYHORNLush Life ELIZABETH ALEXANDERBilly Strayhorn Writes “Lush Life” Four Bongos: Take a Train CLARENCE MAJORThe Syncopated Cakewalk NTOZAKE SHANGEMood Indigo BOP (Bird & Beyond)BOB KAUFMANWar MemoirWalking Parker Home Crootey Songo STERLING D. PLUMPPEleven from Velvet Bebop Kente Cloth WARING CUNEYCharles Parker, 1920–1955 DAVID LEHMANMay 12OWEN DODSONYardbird’s Skull (for Charlie Parker) ROBERT CREELYChasing the BirdCATHERINE BOWMANCharlie Parker Birthday Celebration, Tompkins Square ParkDIONISIO D. MARTINEZCharlie Parker: Almost Like Being in LoveKING PLEASURE (CLARENCE PETERS)Parker’s Mood ROBERT PINSKYVictrola LAWSON FUSAO INADAFilling the GapHORN SECTIONFRANK LONDONJazzTED JOANSJazz Is My ReligionLester Young TED BERRIGANString of PearlsAMIRI BARAKA (LEROI JONES)Pres Spoke in a LanguageAL YOUNGPrez in Paris, 1959 FRANK O'HARAPersonal Poem GREGORY CORSOFor MilesDARRELL BURTONBlue in Green PATRICIA SPEARS JONESThe Blues of This Day KYLE DARGANMelody ForensicMARK DOTY Almost Blue EDWARD HIRSCHArt Pepper QUINCY TROUPESnake-Back Solo CHARLES WRIGHTBody and Soul II PAUL BLACKBURNListening to Sonny Rollins at the Five Spot YUSEF KOMUNYAKAAFebruary in Sydney SHEETS OF SOUND (Coltrane & Co.)A. B. SPELLMANJohn Coltrane MICHAEL S. HARPERDear John, Dear Coltrane Here Where Coltrane Is Reuben, Reuben JEAN VALENTINEColtrane, Syeeda’s Song FluteMATTHEW GRAHAMAfter the War; When Coltrane Only Wanted to Play Dance Tunes CORNELIUS EADYAlabama, c. 1963: A Ballad by John Coltrane William Carlos WilliamsSEAN SINGER Photo of John Coltrane, 1963 CALVIN HERNTONFall Down ETHERIDGE KNIGHTFor Eric Dolphy HAKI MADHUBUTI (DON LEE)Don’t Cry, Scream AMIRI BARKA (LEROI JONES)Am/Trak KAMAU BRATHWAITETrane WILLIAM MATTHEWSBlues for John Coltrane, Dead at 41 PHILIP LEVINESoloing NATHANIEL MACKEY“John Coltrane Arrived with an Egyptian Lady” RHYTHM SECTIONANGELA BALLJazz WILLIAM MATTHEWSMingus at the Showplace Bud Powell, Paris, 1959 PAUL ZIMMEROne O’Clock Jump KEORAPETSE KGOSITSILEFor Art Blakey and the Jazz MessengersMARTÍN ESPADAShaking Hands with Mongo YUSEF KOMUNYAKAACopacetic Mingus Elegy for Thelonious CHARLES SIMICCrepuscule with NellieBILLY COLLINSSnowWILLIAM CORBETTThelonious Sphere Monk LAWSON FUSAO INADAListening Images AL YOUNGRuby My Dear FREE JAZZJOHN KEENEDark to Themselves MAJOR JACKSONLeaving Saturn THULANI DAVISC.T.’s Variation KENNETH REXROTHfrom Written to Music HARRYETTE MULLENMusic for Homemade Instruments N. H. PRITCHARDGyre’s GalaxAMIRI BARAKA (LEROI JONES)Epistrophe MUTING ( for Billie Holiday)LANGSTON HUGHESSong for Billie Holiday LEWIS ALLENStrange FruitBILLIE HOLIDAY and ARTHUR HERZOG, JR.God Bless the Child KEVIN YOUNGStardust C. D. WRIGHTThe Secret Life of Musical Instruments TERRANCE HAYESLady Sings the Blues TONY HOAGLANDPoem in Which I Make the Mistake of Comparing Billie Holiday to a Cosmic WasherwomanSONIA SANCHEZFor Our Lady JANET M. CHOIWhat I’m Wild For FRANK O'HARAThe Day Lady Died RITA DOVECanary LAWON FUSAO INADAThe Journey List of Authors Acknowledgments