Barry Wallenstein

Barry Wallenstein: Tony's Blues

by Vernon Frazer
July 1, 2001

Barry Wallenstein’s recordings of jazz poetry surpass the idiom’s all too typical offerings, e.g., the mediocre poet droning angst while his accompanists overpower him, or the resonant baritone booming cliches of urban crisis whose urgent accents stamp away from the pulse intended to power the recitation. Wallenstein’s first-rate poetry conveys the hipster’s quick intelligence. His upper-range tenor infuses his poems with a jazz vocalist’s phrasing and an everyman’s approachability.

Tony’s Blues matches the high standard Wallenstein established in his previous ...