The Sunday Poem: “Lady Day and Prez” by Henry Wolstat
At the bar of the
Towne Tavern, once
Toronto’s finest jazz club,
stage facing me,
sipping my one beer,
knowing even then
in my twenty-third year
I was witness to
a never forgotten gig.
At the bar of the
Towne Tavern, once
Toronto’s finest jazz club,
stage facing me,
sipping my one beer,
knowing even then
in my twenty-third year
I was witness to
a never forgotten gig.
Forty poets describe their experiences with the tumultuous events of 2025, resulting in a remarkable collection of work made up of writers who may differ on what inspired them to participate, but who universally share a desire for their voice to be heard amid a changing America.
...An ongoing series designed to share the quality of jazz poetry continuously submitted to Jerry Jazz Musician.
...What are your hopes, anxieties, expectations for 2025? How do you see it playing out? 50 readers respond to the question, What one song best represents your expectations for 2025?
.... . This space on Sunday is generally reserved for a single poet to read one of their works, but this week’s issue -Father’s Day – features 23 poets who weigh in on the complexity of their relationship with their father, revealing love, warmth, regret, sorrow – and in many cases a strong connection … Continue reading “The Sunday Poem(s): 23 Poets remember their father…”
...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 these virtual pages.
...Takes on love and loss, and memories of Lady Day, Prez, Monk, Dolphy and others…
...Earlier this year I invited poets to submit jazz-themed poetry that didn’t need to strictly follow the 5-7-5 syllabic structure of formal haiku, but had to at least be faithful to the spirit of it (i.e. no more than three lines, brief, expressive, emotionally insightful).
This collection, featuring 22 poets, is a good example of how much love, humor, sentimentality, reverence, joy and sorrow poets can fit into their haiku devoted to jazz.
...“Community Bookshelf” is a twice-yearly space where writers who have been published on Jerry Jazz Musician can share information about their recently authored books.
...This edition features poetry chosen from hundreds of recent submissions, and from a wide range of voices known – and unknown – to readers of these collections. The work is unified by the poets’ ability to capture the abundance of jazz music, and their experience with consuming it.
...This is the 14th extensive collection of jazz poetry published on Jerry Jazz Musician since the fall of 2019, when the concept was initiated. Like all previous volumes, the beauty of this edition is not solely evident in the general excellence of the published works; it also rests in the hearts of the individuals from diverse backgrounds who possess a mutual desire to reveal their life experiences and interactions with the music, its character, and its culture.
...A sampling of recent submissions from six poets who, until now, have not had their work published on Jerry Jazz Musician
...
Click here to read about plans for the future of Jerry Jazz Musician.


”Dear Aretha” by J. Stephen Whitney
The Sunday Poem is published weekly, and strives to include the poet reading their work...
J. Stephen Whitney reads his poem at its conclusion
Click here to read previous editions of The Sunday Poem





































Dear Readers:
I am determined to publish this website commercial free.
If you enjoy Jerry Jazz Musician and want to see it continue, your donation will help me cover the time and expense required for publishing it.
If you’d like to make a contribution, information regarding how to do so is found by clicking here.
To bypass this window and access the content on Jerry Jazz Musician, simply click on the “close” tab.
Thank you!
Joe Maita
Editor/Publisher
,

