Between Summer and Fall

Today's weather, not quite summer, not quite fall, reminds me that I need to post a housekeeping entry about the contest that will be ending soon and the ones that will be beginning.

To finish up the summer contest....

the winners in each category will be decided by voting at the journal's Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/thesongis?ref_type=bookmark  or at its email address: thesongis (at) gmail (dot) com .  Ties will be resolved by the editor and/or a judge.  One vote per category per person (or Facebook account).  Poets may vote and/or recruit for voters.  In fact, I encourage you to do so so.

Voting begins on September 1 and will continue to September 15 (or so).

Here are the categories:

Thelma's Prize (all poems in the contest are eligible--including those that I have not mentioned)

Jazz...is Alive (as of 8/6, the following poems are eligible -- Avis D. Matthews' "Metaphorical"; Russell Streur's "Johnny James"; H. Holt's "Mehliana exorcism"; Joan McNerney's "Jazz"; Mary Jo Balistreri's "A New Metered Riff"; Gabrielle Grunau's "Inspired by the First Movement"; Changming Yuan's "Jazz on the Animal Farm," "Jazz Impromptu for Allen and George Yuan," and  Felino A. Soriano's "towards smile and its fundamental creation," "introverted dance and its electronic configurations," "in this piano-glare from," "inflection rally my speech encourages junction," and "vibratory nuances in the celebrated fathoms of music")

Jazz Traditions (as of 8/6, the following poems are eligible -- Ed Schelb's "Blue Logic" and "Sweet Sovereign Fleurs de Mal," Dr. Michael Anthony Ingram's "Billie in the Morning," Joan McNerney's "Jazz," Changming Yuan's "Music," and Mary Jo Balistreri's "Jivin'" and "A New Metered Riff")


Winners of the prize may choose among the following: Ron Carter's autobiography, Takuya Kuroda's Rising Son, Warren Wolf's Wolfgang, Robert Glasper's Black Radio, and Ahmad Jamal's Sunday Morning.  Yes, yes, yes, I know that Ahmad Jamal was born before 1937, but I think that you will enjoy his CD!

Please feel free to submit other poems.  The contest is open for another week or two, and I would be happy to post others.  (Below is a picture of Thelma.)

I also want to confirm that the fall contests will honor Thelonious Monk (born in October 1917) and non-jazz artist Gene Clark (born in November 1944).  To inspire you, here are links to music.  We'll start with Monk:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_40V2lcxM7k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZ9El7k4mNo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7te1syRAYO0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Di_mswqhLU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIV6MOnzlLw

Monk's son T.S.  is a bandleader in his own right.  However, he chose to take up the drums.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PPC5_nnFgY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goWElOUMujU

Gene Clark had a varied career, but he is best known for his work with the Byrds and his solo album No Other.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPwcldzYh_M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyTw1-N96U0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNhRMn76ERQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzvKS5QD2nU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2ViQXg_0bw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GilrLIwBJE8

The deadline for the fall contest will be December 30.  I will also be happy to publish work inspired by traditional and contemporary jazz musicians.