Words and Images for the Winter!

At last I'm posting Kerfe Roig's words *and* images, all of which celebrate jazz.  Since I've posted his image of Lady Day above, I'll start with his haiku for her.

that blue (for Billie Holiday)

Sad from the Lady
in dreams and prayer, from weary
to blues.  Blue, that blue.

It's wonderful to see Ornette Coleman honored here as well.  

that song (for Ornette Coleman)

when will the blues leave?
what is the name of that song?
free jazz.  of human
feelings.

Back when I was grading papers, I was playing quite a bit of Sonny Rollins, so I'm glad that Kerfe has included him as well.

yes (for Sonny Rollins)

I know it.  listen.
answer.  there is always.  why?
testimony.  yes.

 A knit designer by trade, Kerfe Roig likes to make things with colors, lines, textures, and sounds.  You can follow her creative adventures on the blog she does with her friend Nina:  https://methodtwomadness.wordpress.com/

One of Will Mayo's portraits will work well here:

Half Old

By

Will S. Mayo

He is a man divided as if hopes divided could make them come true. His left side is old, rotten, faded, and gray like an old horse put out at last to pasture. His skin here is wrinkled, peeling, and full of unsightly moles as what little hair remains is the color of a winter’s snowfall after the next day’s rain. But, ah!, his right side is full of life and vigor, young and muscular to walk in the temples of starlight with the gods and goddesses of note. His eyes especially show the difference of the ages. One eye is old and coarse and full of experiences best left alone with that milky blackness which leads only to the dust and decay in an ancient grave. Whereas the other is bright and cheerful, its lashes bobbing up and down as if to bid some fair girl to come near. And his smile is most remarkable when the rays of the sun either come or depart in sunrise or in twilight, in birth as if in death. One side of this unusual mouth shows the grin of an easy childhood, quick to open wide in the slightest provocation of a boyish laugh. While the other, alas, is caught forever in an old man’s trembling goodbye.

With all these features contrasting, complementing, but never completing him, he turns to a far horizon, fearful and yet full of hope at what might arrive. With one wrinkled foot in the grave and another, all so soft, in the cradle, he moves slowly forward to he knows not where. The world waits if he will have it.

I also want to include one of Will's poems, too.  His crow poems are among my favorites.

The Call Of The Crow

by

Will Mayo

I heard the call of the crow this morning.

It sounded distant and loud despite the pain.

I heard the cry through

trees like sentinels against the night.

Through the roar of jet airplanes

and vagrants’ mutterings against the cold.

Like the Lord Himself was to call me home

from winter’s death.

Till, at last, quite suddenly,

quiet as the dark of night,

I heard it no more.

And the forest was as empty as a grave

on a Christmas morning.

Let's finish with some music this morning.  I want to start with some of Sonny Rollins' pieces.

Here is his version of "Airegin":  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7PU7e6ZJe4

This version of "Without a Song" is from his album in memory of 9/11:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9-6w4HtXTc

I always think of Ornette Coleman as a skinny young man as I'm most familiar with his The Shape of Jazz to Come.  Here is "Peace" from that album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJULMOw69EI

Another of his albums was Tomorrow is the Question.  This is the title cut:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj7v9UU3mbE

Have I posted Billie Holiday's "Blue Moon" yet?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LOB_I7sgoI

Wasn't there a movie called Love Me or Leave Me?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--9aIYos4M8

I'll finish with her version of "The Way You Look Tonight" although the intro is fairly long.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De_xthmIUO8