Sunday, July 1, 2012

Jazz Poetry: William Matthews mourns Coltrane



Church of John Coltrane
Church of the Coltrane from the Flickr set of Damian The Saint John Will-I-Am Coltrane African Orthodox Church (now at 1286 Fillmore St. San Francisco)
Photographer: Damian Rafferty







Musicians connect to us and their passing can shake us. One of the first I was introduced to was Johnny Cash and I remember the waves traveling through my car the day I found out he had died...  I should have pulled over.


Blues for John Coltrane, Dead at 41


Although my house floats on a lawn
as plush as a starlet’s body
and my sons sleep easily,
I think of death’s salmon breath
leaping back up the saxophone
with its wet kiss.

Hearing him dead,
I feel it in my feet
as if the house were rocked
by waves from a soundless speedboat
planing by, full throttle.

By William Matthews



... then there is the joy of stumbling into videos for a blog post.  Coltrane playing an appropriate tune & the video was posted by a lover of Cash and Coltrane




8 comments:

  1. really enjoy his music--lovely poem

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    Replies
    1. Lynn ~ I am glad to hear that you are a fan of Coltrane. Have a great week

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  2. Isn't amazing how artists and their art can so touch our lives. This is a nice tribute, Wayne.

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    Replies
    1. Valerie ~. Opening a book of poetry and letting my eye get caught on a poem is how it started.

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  3. I enjoyed the music. I didn't know Coltrane but I do love Johnny Cash!

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    Replies
    1. Carol ~~~ Johnny has been a favorite of mine throughout my life no matter what genre of music was favored along the way.

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    2. Carol ~~~ Johnny has been a favorite of mine throughout my life no matter what genre of music was favored along the way.

      Delete
    3. Carol ~~~ Johnny has been a favorite of mine throughout my life no matter what genre of music was favored along the way.

      Delete

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