Commentary on A Weaving of Traditions by JazZen

 

Last night my husband and I went to Sundin Hall on the campus of my alma mater, Hamline U, to see a performance by JazZen. The show was titled "A Weaving of Traditions," with the subtitle "The Spirit of Native American Flute - The Essence of Jazz." The quintet of musicians played drums, electric cello, electric guitar, and an assortment of Native American Indian flutes. Ojibway vocalist Lyz Jaakola, who also played percussion, sang in English and her native language. In-between pieces, Bobb Fantauzzo, the leader of the group, spoke about what Native American music and jazz have in common: "...oral transmission, repetition, the centrality of rhythm, syncopation and improvisation." The group played several pieces influenced by Native Americans Kid Ory, Frank Trumbauer, Don Cherry, and Oscar Pettiford, at times weaving traditional Native American music with the compositions of jazz greats such as Duke Ellington and Dave Brubeck. The music was transcendent and will be recorded in my memory as one of the finest performances that I have ever had the privilege to attend. The performance was sponsored by KBEM Jazz88 radio. Sundin Hall is an elegant jewel box theater that seats about 300 and is one of my favorite music venues in the Twin Cities. Plus, parking is free and it's a short walk to Sundin Hall.

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Two-Hearted Woman

We ordered a blue-bubble moon sliced thin on rye then spent the day in the park beneath Easter egg clouds.  You took my handwing in yours and said: “Watercolor twirl.” I felt like a good songwalk.  That night we did a bouncespring together and I showed you one of my hearts; (I have two) one heart lets love in, and the other lets love out.  You said: “Like cool,” which made my eyes wet with turtlejoy.  Star bright, star light, wish we may, wish we might, ever linger in the night.  Sleep was tasty as cinnamon pie.  When the sun rose we were kissed awake by the only star left in the sky.  Like cool.   

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Electricity

Electricity
brightens cities,
dims galaxies.

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The XXX Olympiad

Imagine being an Olympic athlete,
fast, buff, muscled and sleek.

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Yellow Swallowtail

Yellow swallowtail plays a toccata
gracefully feeding on pink monarda.

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Bluebirds

Bluebirds on the wire,
once endangered, nearly extinct,
feed on fat angleworms.

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Goldfinches

Goldfinches alight
on flower heads to eat seeds
and pluck green petals.

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Cages

Cages are for beasts,
not for chickens that ruffle
feathers and peck the ground.

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