Let's return to poetry about jazz with tonight's poem by Bill Cushing. I am always happy to receive wonderful poetry about great musicians--no matter which contest is going on.

LISTENING TO BIRD

Flying through scales

he did the impossible, stretching

staccato sounds,

stopping only to change direction.

He found places

in his search for every note

not imagined:

leaving chromatic gravity,

breaking confines,

shooting up into infinity;

then he rested,

hanging on a single, random chord;

bending branches

of music (but never breaking them),

lingering

wherever he chose, staying

just long enough

to make it his territory

and his alone.

-- Bill Cushing

You can listen to Bill read this poem *and* watch a very cool video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=er8ob1QqRrs

Or you can listen to some music by Bird himself.

Tonight I'll post "All the Things You Are": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTORd2Y_X6U

I'll finish with a live recording of Bird and Monk from 1948: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7QoV9a9gxE

Enjoy!