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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