THE BANK OF BLUES
The color in me knows the blues,
it feels the hands deep pulling
to the surface the song of me.
Can’t wash away or drain out the
fullness crowding my insides
where its standing room only
in hallways and from chairs full of
listeners waiting for the pouring
over of what I got.
A song is a fingerprint, waiting for
horns and [...]
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Trio 3 | Oliver Lake, Reggie Workman, Andrew Cyrille | November 5, 2009 Outpost Performance Space, Albuquerque | Photos by Mark Weber
THE HURT SONG
The roots of the hurt song
snares the ankles of me, trapping me
in a tangle; the twisting binds me
tighter as the visions speak.
The arrows of my jazz strikes from
hotel room shadows; strange [...]
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Art Pepper Quintet with Bob Magnusson, John Dentz and guest Lee Konitz at Donte’s North Hollywood 1982 | Photo: Mark Weber
NIGHT SPIRITS
It’s a shame
mornings gotta come up with
a bright bleaching, extinguishing the dark,
sending stars into hiding
and the moon to the other side of the earth.
An up sun provides the aroma of
breakfast, drowning out the flavor [...]
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Rufus Reid 1979 | Photo: Mark Weber
A LINE OF STRINGS
A thickness of quiet pulled
the air into slow where it
begged to be filled.
A big muddy of thoughts spread
over the crowd, like the water
they were; wet collars, sweaty palms.
A low tide of moving hands
struck a line of strings,
releasing songs too heavy for corners,
to bright to hide.
The jazz [...]
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John Carter 1978 | Photo: Mark Weber
SOAKED ON JAZZ
Stormy jazz soaks the soul
like water rising over rivers edge,
bringing the cool flush of smooth
to your door.
A slapping bass and talking horn
capture your thoughts like candy
pressed into greedy hands,
opening the eyes to taste.
Piano fingers pull notes
like apples picked red and round
as the jazz worms a path to [...]
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Turk Murphy 1979 | Photo: Mark Weber
SORROW SONGS
Sorrow songs rise from campfires
in angry yellow jagged flames
pressing long shadows onto
fresh plowed dirt mixed with sweat;
the land cries blood with them,
under skies dark like them.
Clapping hands like angels wings
circle the smiles of dancers
swelling to a rhythm born
from shackles sounding
a call to lost lives drowned of youth.
Drums hammer [...]
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Kenny Burrell 1981 | Photo: Mark Weber
WALKING THE DIRT
The dust of towns, flat, lifeless.
Cold winds and red neon’s fill the need
of his searching as he walks the dirt.
A song with flavor branded in his head
and on his arm marches his feet to travel;
all places look the same.
His guitar breathes with sound; a crooked
smile slides from [...]
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Art Pepper 1976 | Photo: Mark Weber
PULLING AT ME
A late night moon full of cheese
pushes my threads under
a canvas umbrella of jazz.
On a summer stage a sax with devil
winds fishes for souls like mine.
Weak on strength, strong with needs
I surrender at the gates where hot
is bunched tight like roses
competing with the red of your
lipstick.
John Gruntfest [...]
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John Carter 1977 | Photo: Mark Weber
WEAK KNEES
The voice of her rises
chocolate moon thick;
my ears drown in a heaven
sweetness.
Black fingers rise as the fall
of man and woman
yield to her jazz;
weak knees kiss the altar of song.
Her message swings like a
summer clothesline
flapping pants
and shirts alive.
Tumbling waves
from her roll me,
scattering my things,
releasing weight
and burdens
into the stream of
her [...]
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Lewis Jordan 1978 | Photo: Mark Weber
FEAR OF LOSS
The taste of whiskey fills
my breath from you;
long passions run deep.
Gently my fingers walk over your face
creating warmth.a
The lavender of your eyes
marks the death in me.
My words stumble, drunken with lust;
foolish in the war of losing you.a
Mockingbirds pierce me with swords
of song.
Mornings struggle to open.
In my room [...]
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