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Jazz

His hand is strafing the castellation on his trumpet, the valves moving up down up down like deranged pistons under the random machine gun fire of his fingers. Each note is a projectile that concusses the air, chases the one before it, nudges it from behind, bleeds into it, and is itself tailgated by the next one, all the way down the line in unrelenting succession, until all the distinct notes fuse, compacted into a single, furious, careening soundscape that leaves the ear always half a beat behind, struggling to catch up, out of breath, high on an overdose of heard adrenalin. sounds supersonic air graffitied with contrails of soaring notes solo flight Still they come, the notes, jostling and pouring from the bell of the trumpet glinting in the small cone of spotlight, the man’s puffed cheeks like a magician’s hat from which all kinds of disparate, crazy things - playing cards, rabbits, ribbons, doves - appear and instantly cohere into a hyperventilating sonic dream. You’re caught off guard by every note: you never heard it coming, then you hear it, and you’re snatched by it and all its brethren, and carried into the kinetic night. ears beguiled vibrations collide, collude, segue harmony

Copyright © | Year Posted 2017




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Date: 9/13/2017 7:38:00 AM
Wow, such vivid descriptions that I can relate to, I played trumpet in a jazz/swing band a long time ago and I have many fond memories of those days, listening to Doc Severenson, and Chuck Mangione, you brought me back in time with this well written poem!
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Bernard Chan
Date: 9/13/2017 8:26:00 AM
Thanks, John! I used to listen to Chuck Mangione too. And the trumpet is probably my favorite jazz instrument to listen to. Anyway, thank you again!

Book: Shattered Sighs