Poet Laureate Alan Yount and son Arlen writing poetry together - doesn't get much better than this especially on Father's Day!

 From my Facebook post of today, 18 June 2023:

Oh my goodness, KHS65 folks AND anyone interested in jazz music, Duke Ellington, trumpets or just easy listening, check this out. I've been waiting for 2 months to post this today but had to wait until it was first published on Jerry Jazz Musician website. Our class poet, Alan Yount (The Count from our high school dance band years), and his son have written poetry together. It is published today as Sunday Poem but really it's a series of several, about Alan and his dad's visit to a performance of Duke Ellington in 1964. Even if you're not a big poetry fan, you should read it. Read it with your father or son if one is at hand. At the end of the poems Arlen and Alan read the poetry so you can hear the words. There is a blurb about each one of them at the very end. I am so excited to be able to bring this to you all. Alan had a serious heart attack awhile back and can't travel much, and if you read my posts you may have seen that Alan's mom recently died at age 102; dying of natural causes very peacefully and not in any pain or distress. Check back a couple of months on my FB posts. A wonderful family, and Alan is still playing that trumpet! Think back to the dances on Friday nights at the KHS cafeteria OR the gym when his band played for our dances! Fond memories -

congratulations to US for having such talented contemporaries, still making a difference! Enjoy and again Happy Father's Day!  The below link takes you to the page where you'll see Sunday Poem on the right then scroll down a bit to see the beginning of the poem on the left....then keep reading until you've seen the short bios of both Alan and Arlen.

 

https://jerryjazzmusician.com/the-sunday-poem-duke-ellingtons-big-band-orchestra-live-at-basin-street-east-new-york-city-summer-1964-by-alan-and-arlan-yount/

The Sunday Poem: "Duke Ellington’s Big-Band Orchestra: Live at Basin Street East, New York City. Summer 1964" - by Alan and Arlan Yount - Jerry Jazz Musician

The poet Alan Yount and son Arlan write about a live 1964 performance by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra

Duke Ellington’s Big-Band Orchestra:
Live at Basin Street East, New York City.
Summer 1964.

.

One: Inside The Club

We got inside the club, early,
…………..and dad said:
“let’s try and get a table
…………..right in front of the band.”

He said: “we will hear, & feel,
…………..as though we are in the band.”

(you won’t believe this)

…………..We sat down
at a table for two, in the front row.
…………..It must have been six feet away from
where the sax section would be.

.Two: Duke Plays

Duke’s piano
…………..was just a couple
of feet to our left.
…………..We were close indeed.

All the musicians began
…………..to come out.
When Duke came out
…………..to the piano,

he gave a slight, sophisticated
…………..nod and bow, before sitting down.

At once he “touched those
…………..ivory keys,” as they say.

You knew for sure
…………..the melody he started was his theme song:
“Take the A train,”
…………..written by his great friend,
Billy Strayhorn.

.Three: Billy Strayhorn is Introduced

Billy Strayhorn
…………..was invited out to the stage
by Duke,
…………..after he played “Take the A Train.”

He gracefully acknowledged
…………..that Billy wrote the song
(the two of them had written
…………..several other songs together).

“Take the A Train” became
…………..“the opener”
and the main theme song
…………..for the band.

.Four: Johnny Hodges Plays

Johnny Hodges played the lead
…………..alto sax.

Sounding so low
…………..with tones – absolutely haunting…

How could you play
…………..in one song, solitude!
Deftly, desolate
…………..and so, so, softly delightful.

The tone & expressions from his alto sax
…………..… could be perceived as:
‘languishing in a lot of love
…………..down in him for sure.’

And in the song isfahan
…………..a far east tune,
notes were gentle and as smooth
…………..as poured hot liquid gold, &,
bent just like he wanted them to bend.

.Five: Cat Anderson Plays

Cat Anderson played
…………..first, and lead trumpet.

He could soar on
…………..high scream’n notes
as though floating them
…………..up above the band and beyond.

Possibly higher
…………..than Maynard played,
possibly higher
…………..than Miles himself.

.Six: Paul Gonsalves Plays

Paul was the second
…………..most popular player
besides
…………..Johnny Hodges.

“Satin Doll” was written by Duke and published in 1953.
…………..It would become,
in just a few years,
…………..a jazz ‘standard.’

Paul Gonsalves always played
…………..tenor sax on “Satin Doll.”
He played it
…………..as an instrumental.

How could Gonsalves …
…………..go
slower
…………..& with such great sound?

He whispered his way through,
…………..with what has defined:
the so, so, smooth
…………..sound of “Satin Doll.”

Seven: Cootie Williams, Plays

Making his trumpet talk
…………..using what was known as
the growl
…………..and plunger style –

especially with his song
…………..“Minnie the moocher” –

he knew
…………..how to make his trumpet really
“sound”
…………..and talk so different.

.Eight: Harry Carney Plays

Harry Carney
…………..was
the main
…………..baritone sax player.

He played
…………..with that
circular breathing,
…………..right in front of us.

It seems,
…………..he went on forever
for several sixteen
…………..bar blues.

How did he do that?
…………..we saw
no time
…………..that he took a breath.

And,
…………..we sat
very close…
…………..Just six feet away.

(by the way. Amazing!)
…………..it was absolutely
……………………….amazing!
……………………………….And sounded like
……………………………………..the best bari sax
……………………………………………..ever played.

Nine: When The Concert Was Over

Dad and I
…………..walked out
…………..…………..on to basin street.

After listening
…………..to three full sets,

the jazz music, was finally over …
…………..the silence… hung on…
as though the air around the band
…………..…………..would not let us go.

Dad said: “you play trumpet
…………..and I play tenor sax!

We should join
…………..a big band, right now!”

I said, “for sure!”

you said, out of first thought:

“How about applying
…………..for duke’s big band

just the two of us!
…………..right now!”