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:
