WOW our KHS65 Poet Laureate Alan Yount is honored with his 8th poem published at Jerry Jazz Musician the jazz musicians' website par excellence. This is Alan's 118th published poem too! Gosh! The new one was JUST published yesterday, so we are privileged to see it when it's hot off the presses. With a title like
"Listening to Charlie Parker, Play Jazz, In the Dark
For Charlie Parker with Strings"
it's no surprise it's about Charlie Parker, and Alan thinks it hits a "universal note about people listening to music."
Alan would be interested in working with a classmate who might want to publish a chapbook of jazz and music poems. Jack or Judge G, your names come to mind. He's easy to reach, just send me a note or write to him at aredboat at centurylink dot net.
Congratulations again to Alan - he's spending his retirement very productively!!! WAY TO GO, yet another KHS65 member making us all look sooo good!
Sunday, GEE, I just saw my own FB page post - I have NO idea where that photo of a Yount headstone w/ horn came from!!! Alan is alive and well! Here's the poem!
charlie parker
sits on the end
of my bed
holding his alto sax.
and for pete’s sake! mr. traps:
buddy rich was also there,
getting his drum kit ready
by the end of the bed.
then ray brown’s there
and making a move
to pick up my old kay bass
with birds eye maple!
and somehow the violins
have snuck in by the door
followed closely
by mitch miller on oboe.
… an oboe has an estranged sound.
(the word oboe … almost sounds
like the sound, when it’s playing),
but it definitely works itself in.
listening to jazz
in the dark at night
there’s a different dimension
bringing together all the notes …
so much closer
and closer.
and then all of a sudden
you … are … there!
playing along
with all of them.