Jazztory

Piano rolls through stride

and boogie, bop and dissonance,

flatted fifths, the vapors

of a world gone Jazz.

 

At the Philharmonic it was black

and white in rhythm, a Bean

and Mulligan stew. Flathat cats

and hi hats. Four four and minor

 

keys, tenor moans and gutbucket

vamps, a call response and now

Sir Oscar gone to join the royalty

where gates swing open to Pops

 

and Duke, Prez and Arvil, Little Jazz

and all those sophisticated ladies,

songbirds in silk and gardenias.

 

Listen:

A sailboat in the moonlight

is trailing past the stars.

Reviews

[Blackbirdsong]

I really love the "Mulligan stew" feel of this poem...you throw so much into this poetic stew of musical terms and people and it really works perfectly...or should I say "tastes"? The ending was gorgeous and succinct. It's great to read a poem about music where the author really knows their subject like this...this give the sense of what you write here and it feels so smooth.

[Tim McGovern]

I love the " bean and Mulligan stew"
some great wordplay and phrasing in this, it has a skippy rhythm and the last verse/ lines are perfect.
Nicely edited sweetie

Namaste'
Tim