This poster says 7:30 p.m., but it starts at 8 p.m.

I’m the featured poet tonight at Poets Speak Loud at 8 p.m. at the Lark Tavern, 453 Madison Ave. in Albany, NY. It’s an open mic, too. Sign-up starts around 7, so bring your own work along. I’ll be reading from my just-released book, Unexpected Sunlight (FootHills Publishing, 2010). Hope to see you there!

My first collection of poetry, Unexpected Sunlight, is now available. The poems talk of love, family lost and found, music and musicians, and scenes from everyday life. These poems were written between 2006 and 2009. I’m thrilled to be able to share them with you.

You can read poems from the book (and other poems I’ve written) at jasoncrane.org. The book is now available in the store at my site.

Recently, the fine folks over at NPR’s A Blog Supreme have started asking young jazz aficionados to recommend five recordings from recent years that they would give to someone who was just getting into jazz. I’m much, much too old to have been asked to be a part of the series (clocking in at an ancient 36), but here are my contributions anyway:

• Jazz Don’t Hurt: Five Recent CDs For New Jazz Listeners (Popdose.com)

My latest article for The Island Packet newspaper is a short biographical sketch of Bucky Pizzarelli. The posted piece is significantly shortened, but you’ll get the idea.

• Bucky Pizzarelli: Jazz Guitar Hero

Bret Primack made this video to showcase Sonny’s new CD and DVD. It includes a very cool conversation between Sonny and drummer Roy Haynes:

When you’ve watched this, check out my Election Day interview with Sonny Rollins.

Poet and jazz fan Hayden Carruth died this week. He wrote a lot about jazz in both poems and prose. Here’s an example, courtesy of George Thomas, host of Jazz In The Evening on Vermont Public Radio:

The Fantastic Names of Jazz

Zoot Sims, Joshua Redman,
Billie Holiday, Pete Fountain,
Fate Marable, Ivie Anderson,
Meade Lux Lewis, Mezz Mezzrow,
Manzie Johnson, Marcus Roberts,
Omer Simeon, Miff Mole, Sister
Rosetta Tharpe, Freddie Slack,
Thelonious Monk, Charlie Teagarden,
Max Roach, Paul Celestin, Muggsy
Spanier, Boomie Richman, Panama
Francis, Abdullah Ibrahim, Piano
Red, Champion Jack Dupree,
Cow Cow Davenport, Shirley Horn,
Cedar Walton, Sweets Edison,
Jaki Byard, John Heard, Joy Harjo,
Pinetop Smith, Tricky Sam
Nanton, Major Holley, Stuff Smith,
Bix Beiderbecke, Bunny Berigan,
Mr. Cleanhead Vinson, Ruby Braff,
Cootie Williams, Cab Calloway,
Lockjaw Davis, Chippie Hill,
And of course Jelly Roll Morton.

From Doctor Jazz (Copper Canyon Press)

Tonight at 9 p.m. ET, George will be featuring a jazz tribute to Hayden Carruth on his show. You can listen online.

As I mentioned, Hayden Carruth wrote quite a bit about jazz. Many of thsoe prose writings (and a poem or two) are collected in his book Sitting In: Selected Writings on Jazz, Blues, and Related Topics. That book is available at Amazon.com:

If you like jazz, you must start reading JazzWax right now. I mean it. Go there now. I’ll wait.

(From Jazz Monthly No. 178 – December, 1969 (?)) – UK

As Charles Fox said recently, in so many words, the only trouble with most of the “new thing” is having to listen to it. I never found any problem in accepting the idea of “free jazz” intellectually, and I find most of the arguments used against it to be fallacious. To describe it as “anti-jazz” is definitely out, if only because the term “anti-novel” was employed ’way back in 1839! To say that “They don’t know what they’re doing” is illogical, because the statement merely proves that the listener doesn’t know what they’re doing. And it’s no use saying, for instance, that Albert Ayler’s tone is patently ridiculous, because so is all jazz to the genuine outsider; all the most moving noises which we treasure mean nothing to millions of people. Even with the most basic vocal music, the sound of Bessie Smith bellowing is as incomprehensible and potentially embarrassing to the uninitiated as the sound of Edith Piaf emoting. In fact, however much some jazz writers may attempt to deny or ignore the fact, the only way in which appreciation of any kind of music can be cultivated or deepened is by the realization, whether conscious or unconscious, of the musical laws by which it is governed. I just wish someone would tell me what laws govern Ayler’s music. — BRIAN PRIESTLEY