Billie Holiday, 1915-1959 By Suzanne Cerny Jazz Chick by Bob Kaufman Music from her breast, vibrating Soundseared into burnished velvet. Silent hips deceiving fools. Rivulets of trickling ecstacy From the alabaster pools of Jazz Where music cools hot souls. Eyes more articulately silent Than Medusa’s thousand tongues. A bridge of eyes, consenting smiles reveal her presence singing Of cool remembrance, happy balls Wrapped in swinging Jazz Her music… Jazz Hello, and welcome back to Poetry Wednesday 10/21/09. You can sign in today and take the … Continue reading →

Jazz Band By Frank Marshall Davis Play that thing, you jazz mad fools! Boil a skyscraper with a jungle Dish it to ’em sweet and hot- Ahhhhhhhhh Rip it open then sew it up, jazz band! Thick bass notes from a moon faced drum Saxophones moan, banjo strings hum High thin notes from the cornet’s throat Trombone snorting, bass horn snorting Short tan notes from the piano And the short tan notes from the piano Plink plank plunk a plunk Plink plank plunk a plunk … Continue reading →

  Jazz Fantasia Carl Sandburg, 1919 Drum on your drums, batter on your banjoes, sob on the long cool winding saxophones. Go to it, O jazzmen. Sling your knuckles on the bottoms of the happy tin pans, let your trombones ooze, and go husha- husha-hush with the slippery sand-paper. Moan like an autumn wind high in the lonesome treetops, moan soft like you wanted somebody terrible, cry like a racing car slipping away from a motorcycle cop, bang-bang! you jazzmen, bang altogether drums, traps, banjoes, … Continue reading →