why do it that way?
March 1, 2007
this may be
your only life –
so why do it
like everyone else?
scatmasters
October 14, 2006
I let down my guard
with Ella, Mel, and Dee Dee –
scat liberation!
In Walked Sid
July 3, 2006
This is a fantasy of the mind,
a song of the heart,
and a reality of the soul.
It is a true story:
IN WALKED SID
the saxophone cries harshly
where is Sid
where is Sid
where has that cat gone?
the piano starts to pound
where is Sid
where is Sid
who will play our song?
for so many years he gave anew
what he had received
never held back a single note
while through the reed he breathed
a reality to be understood
an affirmation
that life was good-
to listen not in the way we are told
but in a way that was rather, bold.
JAZZ was his religion
more than any other
saying in a million ways,
you gotta love your brother.
and as a singer never tires of song
and a bee never tires of flowers
we always dug that special man,
we were so damn glad he was ours.
So when we heard that he was gone
we went blue funk into black
as we began to realize
the cat
ain’t ever
comin’ back…
then imperceptibly at first
before we could hear
or see
a song washed onto this shore of souls
and some bop began to be
we couldn’t help but begin to smile
as the sun began to shine
and everywhere a cat could see
things started lookin’ fine…
then Sid blew out a rainbow of notes
to say everything is cool
out here we’re really cookin’ man
and Charlie Parker’s teachin’ school!
1999
always chasin’ the Trane 1961
July 2, 2006
Rooster tie
trim lapel
flat top
be bop
to the station
cool cats
white cats
snap fingers
smoke lingers
all aboard!
we fly
past ghettos
like flipcards
junk yards
no one looks
to see
just wink
don’t think
time to drink
martini
qazse 