Jazz Poet Sascha Feinstein

July 6th, 2000

 

Jazz and poetry seem intertwined somehow, not just because of its historical union, but because of their immense opportunity for self-expression. Sascha Feinstein has written extensively about jazz poetry, and most recently he has published Misterioso , a collection of his own work which won the Hayden Carruth Award. Sascha was kind enough to share his thoughts with Jerry Jazz Musician during a July, 2000 interview.

 

*

 

JJM  Was music a big part of your childhood? What is your first memory of music in your home?

SF  My father is a painter and my mother was a painter, weaver, textile designer (she had many talents). But neither really knew music. Mom could sing next to the stereo and miss every note; Dad often has the radio on when he paints, but he doesn’t notice if the station turns to static.  Still, they both enjoyed tunes, and, before I was born, my father used to hear jazz giants at famous (and now defunct) NYC clubs like Minton’s.  He and a good friend (the painter Thorpe Feidt) introduced me to jazz. I was a teenager, and the music consumed me.

JJM  Do you recall the first poem you ever read?

SF  I read all of the usual suspects (Shakespearean sonnets, Frost, Browning–the anthologized poems that usually get taught as dead artifacts) but they didn’t knock me in the head like William Carlos Williams’ Paterson, which I found by accident in the house. When I saw his words falling down the page–well, he introduced me to a new world naked.

JJM  You say that your work was shaped by your father’s philosophy of painting. Can you share a bit of his philosophy?

SF  First, there’s the belief that a work of art (painting, poem, composition–whatever) should become its own self-expression, fully independent of the artist. There are many other, more technical parallels (movement, cadence, focus, even color) that I have found invaluable as a writer, but that first point holds true for everything I’ve written–or at least the work that I consider to be finished.

JJM  What do jazz and poetry have in common?

SF  There are aesthetic connections, and historical ones, and I tried to discuss both with some depth in Jazz Poetry: From the 1920’s to the Present.

JJM What is the first example of “jazz culture as theme” used in poetry?

SF Carl Sandburg published “Jazz Fantasia” in Smoke and Steel (1920) and that’s probably the first famous poem to mention jazz, but Langston Hughes’ poems in The Weary Blues (1926) first explored with depth the issues of jazz culture.

JJM  When did you first connect music with your poetry?

SF  I wrote and played jazz in high school, but I didn’t consider the cross-overs until college, when I began to read writers such as Michael Harper and Al Young. Stephen Henderson’s anthology Understanding the New Black Poetry remains an outstanding introduction to jazz and poetry, and I feel personally indebted to that collection.

JJM  Do you write poetry while listening to music? If so, please give an example of a piece of music you feel inspirational to your writing.

SF  I don’t usually listen to music when I write poetry, though sometimes, if I need to break through with an idea or if I have begun to write about a particular tune, I will spend time listening–really listening–in between writing sessions.

JJM  Who was your hero?

SF I had and have too many to name. If pushed, I’d say: The anonymous sculptors of the Ellora Caves in India. Without ego, they created the most astonishing work in the world.

JJM  What poet was most inspirational to you when you found yourself having an interest in poetry?

SF Yeats. He’s now human to me, but when I really became interested in poetry, he was mythic–I mean, mythic like Thor.

JJM  How inspirational was Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and other beat writers and the associated culture to your work?

SF  I like the energy of the Beats, their revolutionary spirit and how wonderfully they embraced their sense of self, especially one’s most outrageous qualities. But my work has been much more influenced by my teachers (especially David Wojahn and Yusef Komunyakaa) and other contemporary figures (such as William Matthews, Al Young, Hayden Carruth, et al.)

JJM  Where and when was the first known “poetry reading” where jazz was also performed? Do you know who the poet was, who the musicians were, and the venue?

SF Kenneth Rexroth claimed he was the first to perform poetry with jazz in the 1930s, and I think Langston Hughes said he performed it in the 1920s.  I’m not sure if we’ll ever know with certainty who did it first, but, given that ambiguity, give the credit to Hughes.

JJM  You write about such eclectic artists as Sonny Criss to Stan Getz, Jo Jones to Zoot Sims and John Coltrane, Monk to Billie Holiday. I sense an almost spiritual devotion, for example, between you as listener and Sonny Criss as artist–as flawed human being. How do you get emotionally connected to these lives before writing such meaningful poetry about them?

SF  I do feel a spiritual devotion to those players, and many others (although I wouldn’t call them either “eclectic” or “flawed”). I heard some of these musicians live–sometimes frequently–and I’ve known many jazz musicians, and I’ve done a good deal of reading about jazz and a great deal of listening. But the main issue is this: I cannot imagine my life without jazz. It is literally unimaginable to me. Monk and Trane and Mingus and tons of others have been the soundtrack to my formative years–not just as a writer, but as a person. Their music brings me back to those years, grounds me in the present, and propels me into the possibilities of the future. So it would be unnatural for me not to write about jazz and jazz musicians.

JJM  Is there a common theme involving jazz artists that strikes you? Is it a story of loss? Drug abuse? Beauty? The music itself? In other words, what generally inspires you to write about a particular artist?

SF  Depends on the poem. I’m not interested in rewriting liner notes, in merely retelling history just for the sake of telling a straight ahead narrative; if I invoke a famous jazz anecdote, I do so in an effort to raise larger issues. We know, for example, that Coltrane suffered from severe tooth decay as well as heroin abuse, but what allowed him to play through that, and how many people in the world are able to transcend that kind of pain (much less create the astonishing level of artistry that he achieved)? Thinking about the man and listening to his music–both–I am brought to places worth exploring. But that’s just one example among many.

JJM  You connect jazz to emotionally charged events in your own personal life. For example, in your poem “December Blues”, your grandmother’s death puts you in a frame of mind that allows you to hear Basie’s “steady push of rhythm” instead of his “bluesy horn section”. Can you explain that?

SF  In that particular case, I’m talking about the intensity of rhythm over the harmonics and melody, how bass & drums can lock into our emotional system in unparalleled ways. But I was also making the connection between my grandmother’s loss of memory and Jo Jones’ sad deterioration.  I hope in the poem their independent lives act as a commentary on each other.

JJM  If you could turn the clock back and read a poem in front of any jazz musician, who would it be and what song would be playing? What poem of yours would you read?

SF  I’d like to hear the people I never had a chance to hear–almost anybody already mentioned, plus a host of others–and not read a thing. I’d let them play for as long as they would. Maybe I’d give them a copy of Misterioso.

JJM  What jazz event in history do you wish you could have attended?

SF  Do you realize how big your questions are? Just one?! Okay:  December 24, 1954–the “Bags’ Groove” sessions mentioned in my poem “Christmas Eve.” Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Milt Jackson, Percy Heath, and Kenny Clarke. What can I say? I’ll quote Hayden Carruth’s commentary about a session he wished he could have heard, one from 1944:

I druther’ve bin, a-settin there, supernumerary

cockroach i’ th’ corner, a-listenin, a-listenin,,,,,,,

than be the Prazedint ov the Wuurld.

—————————————

Sascha Feinstein is an Associate Professor of English at Lycoming College in Williamsport, PA.  His poems have been published in Ploughshares, Crazyhorse, New England Review, Denver Quarterly, North American Review, Green Mountains Review, Missouri Review, and elsewhere.  Essays of his have been published in The Southern Review, Paideuma, African American Review, The Wallace  Stevens Journal, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and elsewhere. He is the founding editor of Brilliant Corners: A Journal of Jazz and Literature, and co-editor of Jazz Poetry Anthology Vol.1 and Vol. 2, as well as author of A Bibliographic Guide to Jazz Poetry and Jazz Poetry: From the 1920’s to the Present.

 

Misterioso

*

 

Sascha Feinstein products at Amazon.com

 

 

 

_______________________________

If you enjoyed this interview, you may want to read our interview with Richard Wright biographer Hazel Rowley.

 

 

 

 

Share this:

Comment on this article:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

In This Issue

"Nina" by Marsha Hammel
A Collection of Jazz Poetry — Winter, 2024 Edition...One-third of the Winter, 2024 collection of jazz poetry is made up of poets who have only come to my attention since the publication of the Summer, 2023 collection. What this says about jazz music and jazz poetry – and this community – is that the connection between the two art forms is inspirational and enduring, and that poets are finding a place for their voice within the pages of this website. (Featuring the art of Marsha Hammel)

The Sunday Poem

The cover of John Coltrane's 1958 album "Soultrane"
“Soultrane” by George Held

Poetry

Proceeding From Behind: A collection of poems grounded in the rhythmic, relating to the remarkable, by Terrance Underwood...A relaxed, familiar comfort emerges from the poet Terrance Underwood’s language of intellectual acuity, wit, and space – a feeling similar to one gets while listening to Monk, or Jamal, or Miles. I have long wanted to share his gifts as a poet on an expanded platform, and this 33-poem collection – woven among his audio readings, music he considers significant to his story, and brief personal comments – fulfills my desire to do so.

Feature

Jamie Branch's 2023 album "Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war))"
On the Turntable— The “Best Of the ‘Best Of’” in 2023 jazz recordings...A year-end compilation of jazz albums oft mentioned by a wide range of critics as being the best of 2023 - including the late trumpeter Jamie Branch's Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((world war))

Poetry

Ali Yahya ayahya09, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
“Black Coffee Blues” – a poem by Mary O’Melveny

Essay

"Lester Leaps In" by Tad Richards
"Jazz and American Poetry," an essay by Tad Richards...In an essay that first appeared in the Greenwood Encyclopedia of American Poetry in 2005, Tad Richards - a prolific visual artist, poet, novelist, and nonfiction writer who has been active for over four decades – writes about the history of the connection of jazz and American poetry.

Interview

photo of Pepper Adams/courtesy of Pepper Adams Estate
Interview with Gary Carner, author of Pepper Adams: Saxophone Trailblazer...The author speaks with Bob Hecht about his book and his decades-long dedication to the genius of Pepper Adams, the stellar baritone saxophonist whose hard-swinging bebop style inspired many of the top-tier modern baritone players.

Poetry

Three poets and Sketches of Spain

Interview

IISG, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Interview with Judith Tick, author of Becoming Ella Fitzgerald: The Jazz Singer Who Transformed American Song...The author discusses her book, a rich, emotionally stirring, exceptional work that explores every element of Ella’s legacy in great depth, reminding readers that she was not only a great singing artist, but also a musical visionary and social activist.

Poetry

Trading Fours with Douglas Cole is an occasional series of the writer’s poetic interpretations of jazz recordings and film. This edition is influenced by Stillpoint, the 2021 album by Zen practitioner Barrett Martin

Review

Jason Innocent, on “3”, Abdullah Ibrahim’s latest album... Album reviews are rarely published on Jerry Jazz Musician, but Jason Innocent’s experience with the pianist Abdullah Ibrahim’s new recording captures the essence of this artist’s creative brilliance.

Short Fiction

Christerajet, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Short Fiction Contest-winning story #64 — “The Old Casino” by J.B. Marlow...The author's award-winning story takes place over the course of a young man's life, looking at all the women he's loved and how the presence of a derelict building informs those relationships.

Feature

George Shearing/Associated Booking Corporation/James Kriegsmann, New York, via Wikimedia Commons
True Jazz Stories: “An Evening With George,” by Terry Sanville...The writer tells his story of playing guitar with a symphony orchestra, backing up jazz legend George Shearing.

Short Fiction

photo via PxHere/CC0 Public Domain
“An Un-played Instrument” – a story by Terry Sanville

Poetry

The poet Connie Johnson in 1981
In a Place of Dreams: Connie Johnson’s album of jazz poetry, music, and life stories...A collection of the remarkable poet's work is woven among her audio readings, a personal narrative of her journey and music she considers significant to it, providing readers the chance to experience the full value of her gifts.

Short Fiction

“Sayir” – a short story by Ron Perovich

Poetry

"Jazz Trio" by Samuel Dixon
A collection of jazz haiku, Vol. 2...The 19 poets included in this collection effectively share their reverence for jazz music and its culture with passion and brevity.

Poetry

“Remembering Mose,” a poem by John Kendall Hawkins

Jazz History Quiz #170

photo of Dexter Gordon by Brian McMillen
This bassist played with (among others) Charlie Parker, Erroll Garner, Nat King Cole and Dexter Gordon (pictured), was one of the earliest modern jazz tuba soloists, and was the only player to turn down offers to join both Duke Ellington’s Orchestra and the Louis Armstrong All-Stars. Who is he?

Community

FOTO:FORTEPAN / Kölcsey Ferenc Dunakeszi Városi Könyvtár / Petanovics fényképek, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
.“Community Bookshelf, #1"...a twice-yearly space where writers who have been published on Jerry Jazz Musician can share news about their recently authored books. This edition includes information about books published within the last six months or so…

Contributing Writers

Click the image to view the writers, poets and artists whose work has been published on Jerry Jazz Musician, and find links to their work

Coming Soon

An interview with Tad Richards, author of Jazz With a Beat: Small Group Swing, 1940 - 1960;  an interview with Laura Flam and Emily Sieu Liebowitz, authors of But Will You Love Me Tomorrow? An Oral History of the 60's Girl Groups;  a new collection of jazz poetry; a collection of jazz haiku; a new Jazz History Quiz; short fiction; poetry; photography; interviews; playlists; and lots more in the works...

Interview Archive

Eubie Blake
Click to view the complete 22 year archive of Jerry Jazz Musician interviews, including those recently published with Richard Carlin and Ken Bloom on Eubie Blake (pictured); Richard Brent Turner on jazz and Islam; Alyn Shipton on the art of jazz; Shawn Levy on the original queens of standup comedy; Travis Atria on the expatriate trumpeter Arthur Briggs; Kitt Shapiro on her life with her mother, Eartha Kitt; Will Friedwald on Nat King Cole; Wayne Enstice on the drummer Dottie Dodgion; the drummer Joe La Barbera on Bill Evans; Philip Clark on Dave Brubeck; Nicholas Buccola on James Baldwin and William F. Buckley; Ricky Riccardi on Louis Armstrong; Dan Morgenstern and Christian Sands on Erroll Garner; Maria Golia on Ornette Coleman.

Site Archive