Jazz Poetry

Left Wall Balcony

by Mike Jurkovic
August 1, 2026

Pinwheel Pete on cowbell was a philharmonic all his own His tones like a fishwife's virgin murmurs rush the front rows then the left wall balcony w/a wave of clarion richness only Pete conjures in concert On stage his song and dance his lavaliere dreams of disrepair become bop become blues Holds the groove through all ...

Learning to Listen (for Faruq)

by Marc Beaudin
June 6, 2026

“Listen to the reed and how it tells a tale, complaining of separation" --from Mathnawi by Rumi translated by Faruq Z. Bey (1942--2012) With dusk descending on Marcus Garvey Park suffused w/ the tones and stones of Harlem surrounded suddenly from within by your music Having heard the news just before boarding a plane Having heard the news that your sax was in its case the case closed and ...

Subway Music

by George Wallace
December 13, 2025

The subway is full of high driving music tonight -- round eyed men & women jazzified in the hot wet tunnel --eyes flashing hips moving in & out of the crowd moving in & out like a slide trombone --at 14th street it's the flyaway boys from the foothills of North Carolina playing some gospel banjo--next stop West 4th St--cool, some very strange cats have set up shop they've got brass instruments & are wailing an up-tempo version of 'Don't blame me' by the light of the A train --the steps go ...

New Jazz Haiku

by Mike Jurkovic
December 7, 2025

two bricks from Trane's Dix Hills holds the blues basic blues of woman of man whipping wild car chase bass drums sax breaks script dancers scatter bing bang boom hip and full of head space starburst arpeggios run wild eighty eights pelo's fajitas spice the air down near Mezzrow's where the dancers stir modal dialogue

Requiem Improvisation #2 After Charles Lloyd – Kindred Spirits (From The Lobero)

by Roger Aplon
October 25, 2025

Here Take my hand We'll suggest a moment To remember Was it that place among the stars you used to recall As if It were Just-around-the-corner Maybe An affair Left a fracture Too sharp To heal Quickly if-at-all Don't be tempted Follow close-by Don't ever Be Easily Dismissed Remember You Deserve To Be Counted If not Celebrated. Was it that first time? I only ask to be a part of ...

Head Chart

by Mike Jurkovic
May 24, 2025

As rain falls on Gethsemane angels on the highway crew fix the roads in heaven Sing acapella big band Head chart Blue Trane Hoist a shot head for home Headlong into the headwinds Sans the dismal river The smoke dust sky The steady indictment of time ...

Miles Runs The Voodoo Down

by Ronald Bremner
April 5, 2025

Miles boils his bitches brew in a night of worlds much blacker than black His demons and angels let out slack for pharaohs dancing into the true Miles runs the voodoo down and serves it up with the taste of free for those whose spirits would otherwise drown without such wild, mad sanctuary. ...

A Little Rain In Arkansas

by George Wallace
April 5, 2025

Professor fear & his longhair piano sat on the bandstand he was just about to play some boogie-woogie when somebody fresh from pontchartrain with a three-piece suit walked in--did you see that thing go down, bartender? Walked right in & the door slapped shut tight as a tornado behind him a man in a three piece suit & he walked right up to ruby (some people called her needle of smoke) who was addicted to jazz & yes he was a handsome man, a blues pantomime, ...

6jazzhaiku

by Mike Jurkovic
January 25, 2025

Mingus and the moon over Mohonk the myths the mountain melodies in small rooms without windows the high humor of comrades lost in jazz crescent moon hangs low above brooklyn saxophone blues a sad guitar Trane blowing truth to every corner of the room big blue westside moon Dolphy and winter's first snow Dolphy's blue flute and the winter's first snow

Solo Monk: A Poem By Steve Kowit

by AAJ Staff
November 13, 2022

One day back in the '60s, Monk was sitting at the piano, Charlie Mingus pulling at his coat how Monk should put the word in so the Mingus group could play the Five Spot, seeing as how Monk's already legendary gig down there was ending--Mingus all persuasion & cajolery, ran it down for twenty minutes till he capped it with the comment: ..."Dig it, Thelonious, you know we Black Brothers ...GOT to ...