February 29, 2008

Kim Clarke

Beats bass with mad face
Opening for Clash you'd think
she might crack a smile

-- Eric Beaumont

Billy Strayhorn

Hillsborough, N.C.
light, wind down the ravine --
color and sound one

-- Dan Hanrahan


Kahil El Zabaar

lion of rhythms
sky fills with roars of freedom
perfect percussion

-- Kate Ryan Hudson

Billie Holiday

Happy Blues, Sad Blues
Singing her life, her own beat
close your eyes, listen.

-- Beverly Slaughter

February 28, 2008

Yusef Lateef

slow Nile blues
to lotus flower hymns --
soar worlds in song

-- Dan Hanrahan



OutKast

Whence flocketh our young
to empty designer shelves
just to be theyselves?

-- Eric Beaumont


Horace Silver

bluesy bossa bop
topping Newport '58
all soul all the time

-- Kate Ryan Hudson

February 27, 2008

Nod to the saxman
adjust hat, the mute in the bell --
Ellingtonia

-- Dan Hanrahan

Hurricane

He shaves old "Sharach,"
bludgeons Black Oak and stabs Sly
Bodies fall from sky

-- Eric Beaumont

February 25, 2008

Blood Ulmer

solo wah-wah blues
in meadow: shadows & breeze
six string duende

-- Dan Hanrahan

Harvey Scales

The sixth vocal note
of "Spend the Nite Forever"
-- "rrreeEEEALLL..." -- hair stands on end.

-- Eric Beaumont

February 24, 2008

The avenue's leaves
fall as clarinet lines --
Ellingtonia

-- Dan Hanrahan



Adekola

Moon this, June-spoon that.
No more. Uh-uh. Yoruba
chants is where it's at.

-- Eric Beaumont

February 23, 2008

Kool Keith

Mere profanity
cannot mask humanity,
madd'ning sanity.

-- Eric Beaumont


yawp

hey dey stomp some rump
kaleidoscopic swampum
Wild Tchoupitoulas!

-- Kate Ryan Hudson


Yusef Lateef --
Forbidden City blues
on clay pipe and drum

-- Dan Hanrahan

February 22, 2008

Gulls above the Hudson
the benches covered in snow --
Lester Young stops, smokes

-- Dan Hanrahan



mighty mingus

wrestling wood box
chewin puffin fat cigars
the one shifts and drops

-- Phil Spirito

Herbie Hancock (3)

beautiful reaches
atmospherical ether
energies of jazz

-- Kate Ryan Hudson

William Parker and Hamid Drake

percussive beat strings shift
rhythms kaleidoscopes
grooves surge fast as the ear

-- Michael Clark

Puma Jones

Center stage depth charge
South Cacka grad school expat
kicked over damned door

-- Eric Beaumont