A collection of short jazz poems – Vol. 1

January 27th, 2023

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The Artist

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Russell duPont is an artist and author whose artwork is included in a number of public and private collections. He has published two novels, two books of poetry; and two non-fiction chapbooks.

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Poet biographies are listed in alphabetical order

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Jerrice J. Baptiste has authored eight books, and is a poet in residence at the Prattsville Art Center & Residency in New York.

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Byron Beynon‘s poetry has been featured in several publications, including Black Fox Literary Magazine, The London Magazine, Wasafiri, Poetry Ireland Review, Poetry Wales and the human rights anthology In Protest.

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Daniel Brown is a retired special education teacher who began writing as a senior. His first poetry collection, Family Portraits in Verse, will be published in early 2023.

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Patricia Carragon is a widely published poet who hosts Brownstone Poets, and is the editor-in-chief of its annual anthology. She lives in Brooklyn, NY.

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Molly Larson Cook is an award-winning Oregon writer, writing coach, and artist.

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Brooklyn-born Arlene Corwin is a harpist, pianist, singer and poet who has published 19 poetry books. In the 1950s her mother owned a jazz club in Hempstead, Long Island with Slim Gaillard. She currently lives in Sweden.

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Prior to this recent foray into Haiku, Dayna Genevieve writes prose poetry in the Beat tradition. Her work has been included in various journals and Anthologies. When not writing she curates readings with improvisational jazz accompaniment and hosts concerts of all musical styles on her ranch in Northern California. 
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John Kendall Hawkins is an American freelance writer currently residing in Australia. He is a former winner of the Academy of American Poets prize. 

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George Held’s work has appeared in numerous publications, published 22 books of poetry, and has received eleven Pushcart Prize nominations. 

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Sean Howard is adjunct professor of political science at Cape Breton University, and writes a monthly ‘War & Peace’ column for the Cape Breton Spectator.  He is the author of five books of poetry.

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D. H. Jenkins‘ plays have been staged in California, Arizona, Australia, and Japan. His poems appear in the art films “Call From a Distant Shore” and “Our Autumn,” and in The Tiger Moth Review and Jerry Jazz Musician.

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Michael Keshigian has been published in numerous national and international journals, and has received seven Pushcart Prize and two Best of the Net nominations.

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Michel Steven Krug is a Minneapolis poet, fiction writer, former print journalist from the Johns Hopkins Writing Seminars, and he litigates. His poems have appeared in many journals and online publications. 

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Catherine Lee is a widely published neo-Beat who reads solo and performs with improvising musicians “on poem” when she can. Joint gigs with her mentor, poet/hipster tedjoans in 1986-87 got her started on this journey. 

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Aurora M. Lewis is a retiree, having worked in finance for 40 years.  Her poetry has been published on several online publications, and her first book of poetry, Jazz Poems: Reflections on a Broken Heart, was published in 2021. 

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photo by Alice Mello

Jim Mello is a counselor and clinical supervisor in the substance use disorder field. He has published three books of poetry.

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CJ Muchhala has absolutely no musical ability but a great deal of appreciation for and love of jazz and blues. She does, however, try to make music with words which have found their way into a number of journals, anthologies, and art/poetry exhibits.

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Michael L. Newell’s most recent book is Don’t Fret (Jazz Poems), published by (www.cyberwit.net). Newell lives in Florida.

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Mary K O’Melveny is a retired labor-rights lawyer who has authored three poetry collections, and her award-nominated poetry appears in print and on-line literary journals, anthologies and national blog sites.  She lives with her wife near Woodstock, NY and Washington DC. 

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Martha Patterson‘s work has been published in more than 20 anthologies and journals, and her plays have been produced in 21 states and eight countries. She  lives in Boston, Massachusetts. 

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photo Roger Gordy


Steve Paul, a onetime jazz DJ and longtime journalist, writes cultural commentary, literary biography, and poems in Kansas City, MO. He’s currently at work on a biography of the poet William Stafford.

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Dr. David Rudd is an emeritus professor of literature who wrote academic prose for 40 years before letting his imagination run loose.  His work has appeared in many publications, among them  Altered Reality, Bandit Fiction, Bewildering Stories, and Black Cat Mystery Magazine.

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Bernard Saint is a U.K. poet who has published in U.K. and United States literary magazines since the 1960’s.

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photo by Mya Smbg

Moe Seager has published six poetry collections, and is a jazz & blues vocalist who sings his poems on stages in Paris, New York and elsewhere.  He founded and hosts “Angora Poets World Café,” in Paris, and also hosts “100 Thousand Poets for Change,” Paris.   

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M. G. Stephens is author of 27 books, most recently the novels King Ezra and Kid Coole (both published by Spuyten Duyvil in 2022), and History of Theatre or the Glass of Fashion, prose poems and poetry (MadHat Press, 2021). 

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Laura Trigg is a retired physician, jazz and blues fan of many years, and amateur poet. Her poems are influenced by the music and culture of the American South.

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photo by Jack Underwood

Terrance Underwood has been listening to recorded jazz music since he was 5-6 yrs old. One of his first memories is listening to a 78 version of “Cherokee” by Charlie Barnett.

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Judith Vaughn lives in Sonoma, California. She attended New York City College, John F. Kennedy University, and Dominican University. She is a member of Poetic License Sonoma.  Her poetry has been published in several online journals. 

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Anthony Ward derives most of his inspiration from listening to classical music and jazz since it is often the mood which inspires him. He has recently been published in Jerry Jazz Musician, Synchronized Chaos, Literary Yard, Mad Swirl, Shot Glass Journal and Ariel Chart.

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Rodney Wood has published two books of poetry and is widely published.  He also co-hosts a monthly open mic in Farnborough in the UK. 

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Click here  to read the fall/winter 2022/23 collection of jazz poetry

Click here  to read the summer 2022 poetry collection

Click here  to read the spring 2022 collection of jazz poetry

 

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Click here  for information about how to submit your poetry

Click here  to subscribe to the quarterly  Jerry Jazz Musician newsletter

Click here to help support the ongoing publication of Jerry Jazz Musician (thank you!)

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4 comments on “A collection of short jazz poems – Vol. 1”

  1. Sir Joseph,

    Thanks for a fine collection of short poems. Many of these poets are new to me, and are most welcome discoveries.

  2. Joe, I’m so impressed by the poems, the poets and of course your idea to feature short verse. By all means burn away those peripherals.

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Calling All Poets…Submissions guidelines for the anthology “Black History in Poetry”...We are currently seeking poetry from writers of all backgrounds for Black History in Poetry, an anthology scheduled for publication in the Summer of 2026. The anthology will be a means of celebrating and honoring notable Black Americans by offering poetry that teems with imagery, observation, emotion, memory, testimony, insight, impact, and humanity. Our aim is to give readers a way to visualize Black history from a fresh perspective.

In This Issue

Monk, as seen by Gottlieb, Dorsett and 16 poets – an ekphrastic poetry collection...Poets write about Thelonious Monk – inspired by William Gottlieb’s photograph and Rhonda R. Dorsett’s artistic impression of it.

Publisher’s Notes

A dispatch from Portland, 2025 – and Boston, 1969...Peaceful protest is nothing new to America. It is happening every day in Portland, where I live. It is what makes our country great. And those of us who grew up in the 1960’s probably have a history of protest – some turning violent – ourselves. The poet Russell Dupont shares text and photos from his experience while photographing the October, 1969 March against the [Vietnam] War in Boston, when plainclothes Federal officers attempted to confiscate his camera.

The Sunday Poem

”hush for the sax” by j.lewis

The Sunday Poem is published weekly, and strives to include the poet reading their work.... j.lewis reads his poem at its conclusion


Click here to read previous editions of The Sunday Poem

A Letter from the Publisher

The gate at Buchenwald. Photo by Rhonda R Dorsett
War. Remembrance. Walls.
The High Price of Authoritarianism– by editor/publisher Joe Maita
...An essay inspired by my recent experiences witnessing the ceremonies commemorating the 80th anniversary of liberation of several World War II concentration camps in Germany.

Poetry Collection

21 jazz poems on the 21st of October, 2025...An ongoing series designed to share the quality of jazz poetry continuously submitted to Jerry Jazz Musician. This edition features poems inspired by the late Chuck Mangione, several on other trumpeters, the blues, and nods to Monk, Ornette Coleman, Coltrane, and Sonny Rollins.

Interview

Interview with Tad Richards, author of Listening to Prestige: Chronicling its Classic Jazz Recordings, 1949 – 1972...Richards discusses his book – a long overdue history of Prestige Records that draws readers into stories involving its visionary founder Bob Weinstock, the classic recording sessions he assembled, and the brilliant jazz musicians whose work on Prestige helped shape the direction of post-war music.

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"Swing Landscape" by Stuart Davis
“Swing Landscape” – a poem by Kenneth Boyd....Kenneth Boyd writes poetry based on jazz paintings. “Swing Landscape” is written for a Stuart Davis painting of the same name.

Short Fiction

Short Fiction Contest-winning story #69 – “My Vertical Landscape,” by Felicia A. Rivers...Touched by the stories of the Philadelphia jazz clubs of the 1960s, a graffiti artist transforms an ugly wall into something beautiful – meaningful, even.

Poetry

photo via Wikimedia Commons
Jimi Hendrix - in four poems

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“Escalator Over the Hill – Then and Now” – by Joel Lewis...Remembering the essential 1971 album by Carla Bley/Paul Haines, inspired by the writer’s experience attending the New School’s recent performance of it

Poetry

“Still Wild” – a collection of poems by Connie Johnson...Connie Johnson’s unique and warm vernacular is the framework in which she reminds readers of the foremost contributors of jazz music, while peeling back the layers on the lesser known and of those who find themselves engaged by it, and affected by it. I have proudly published Connie’s poems for over two years and felt the consistency and excellence of her work deserved this 15 poem showcase.

Short Fiction

“Heroics” – a short story by Michele Herman...The story – a short-listed entry in the recently concluded 69th Short Fiction Contest – is about brothers coping with an angry father whose solution for dealing with a family crisis is to take them to a Howard Johnson’s for ice cream.

Feature

Jazz History Quiz #184...Maurice Ravel (pictured) acknowledged basing his Bolero on an improvisation of this clarinetist, who was also influential in the careers of Benny Goodman and Nat Cole, who made famous this musician’s theme song, “Sweet Lorraine.” Who is he?

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Trading Fours, with Douglas Cole, No. 26: “Bougainvillea Sutra”...An occasional series of the writer’s poetic interpretations of jazz recordings and film. In this edition, his inspiration comes from the guitarist John Scofield’s 2013 EmArcy album Uberjam Deux, and specifically the track titled “Scotown.”

Short Fiction

photo via Wikimedia Commons
“Apparitions” – a short story by Salvatore Difalco...The story – a short-listed entry in the recently concluded 69th Short Fiction Contest – is about a Sicilian immigrant with an interesting history in traditional string instruments and Sicilian puppet theater.

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Creatives – “This is our time!“…A Letter from the Publisher...A call to action to take on political turmoil through the use of our creativity as a way to help our fellow citizens “pierce the mundane to find the marvelous.”

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Excerpts from David Rife’s Jazz Fiction: Take Two– Vol. 16: Halloween on Mars? Or…speculative jazz fiction...A substantial number of novels and stories with jazz music as a component of the story have been published over the years, and the scholar David J. Rife has written short essay/reviews of them. In this 16th edition featuring excerpts from his outstanding literary resource, Rife writes about azz-inflected speculative fiction stories (sci-fi, fantasy and horror)

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“With Ease in Mind” – poems by Terrance Underwood...It’s no secret that I’m a fan of Terrance Underwood’s poetry. I am also quite jealous of his ease with words, and of his graceful way of living, which shows up in this collection of 12 poems.

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William Gottlieb/Library of Congress
“Lester Young Cools a Village” – by Henry Blanke...On the origins of cool, and the influence (and greatness) of Lester Young.

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“Sensual Autumn” – a poem (for September) by Jerrice J. Baptiste...Jerrice J. Baptiste’s 12-month 2025 calendar of jazz poetry winds through the year with her poetic grace while inviting us to wander through music by the likes of Charlie Parker, Hoagy Carmichael, Frank Sinatra, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Sarah Vaughan, Melody Gardot and Nina Simone. She welcomes September with a poem of love that brings to mind the music of Joe Pass.

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“Is Jazz God?” – an essay by Allison Songbird...A personal journey leads to the discovery of the importance of jazz music, and finding love for it later in life.

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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

Interview with John Gennari, author of The Jazz Barn:  Music Inn, the Berkshires, and the Place of Jazz in American Life; Also, a new Jazz History Quiz, and lots of short fiction; poetry; photography; interviews; playlists; and much more in the works......  Also, a new Jazz History Quiz, and lots of short fiction; poetry; photography; interviews; playlists; and much more in the works...

Interview Archive

Ella Fitzgerald/IISG, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Click to view the complete 25-year archive of Jerry Jazz Musician interviews, including those recently published with Judith Tick on Ella Fitzgerald (pictured),; Laura Flam and Emily Sieu Liebowitz on the Girl Groups of the 60's; Tad Richards on Small Group Swing; Stephanie Stein Crease on Chick Webb; Brent Hayes Edwards on Henry Threadgill; Richard Koloda on Albert Ayler; Glenn Mott on Stanley Crouch; Richard Carlin and Ken Bloom on Eubie Blake; 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.