Journal, Day Four

the art/ the music/ the vision/ the call/ the love.

this alphabet intoxicated, nappyheaded scribbler of verse has been sponsored, many times unwittingly, by the following musicians/writers/artists/ spirit beings who he be stuffin into his ears and eyes and rubbin all up against in his dreamscapes. this poet ponders the wonderheat of sharing these hoodoorific saints with you, wants to share some of the lesser-newer-knowns, so’s you can tralala loverounderously with them in yo’ skin like he do:

ahhhhh yesss….
the solar eruption of Darius Savage’s nuclear bass—he be keepin’ time with the heartbeats of each and every orisha….

ahhhh yesss…..
Lurrie Bell, Chicago’s West Side Six String Blues Beguiler. Yes, yes—those who KNOW don’t need to ASK, but if ya’ll wanna check out his disc, Second Nature, you will be subject to one of the best blues baptisms ever…

ahhh yessss….
Krista Franklin, necromancer of multiple media, coagulating images onto canvass and wind. she conjured up the cover for my book, and you can check her at www.kristafranklin.com…

ahhhh yesss…
Gary Lilley’s Subsequent Blues, a new touchstone in my personal blues journey…dig:

"Prayer to Saint James Byrd of Jasper, Texas":

Sometimes a sufferer wails them church blues.
She's gonna smell gin on my breath, the street
in my clothes. Her good book off the dresser
with the word stronger than the oak, stronger
than the dogwood of the cross. I have worn
misdemeanor green and cleaned right-of-ways
for the state for a buck-fifty day.
Where is God? I've run boots into the ground.
Saint James, you kissed your sister at the door
and walked the road. I'm on my hands and knees
to see the way. Saint James take us late night
husbands, brothers, and lost sons safely home.
Lord, rebuke the rollers on their long ride.

check him out at http://www.fourwaybooks.com/books/lilley/index.html

ahhh yesss….
the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians—they are the gritted and ground up heart of Chicago Jazz …. check them out at http://aacmchicago.org/mast2.html

ahhh yessss….
Tayari Jones’ fantabulous novel, Leaving Atlanta, haulin’ up the history of Atlanta’s child massacre… http://www.tayarijones.com

I could go on and on… but there are other issues at hand...