Date: February 2, 2013
Location: the Cooper Union Foundation Building
Text by Dawoud Kringle
On a moderately cold Cooper Union’s Great Hall was packed with everyone who is connected with the NYC jazz and poetry scene to pay tribute to the late master poet Jayne Cortez.
Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi
I met Ms. Jayne Cortez at Mr. Ornette Coleman’s birthday last year. Unfortunately I had no chance to speak to this lady due to many guests around her. Now I feel very bad that I didn’t try harder to start a conversation with her.
Mr. Butch Morris is a different case. I have met this gentleman a couple of times, at music panels, at concerts and one I had the chance to play in his NUBLU ORCHESTRA. This gig was very interesting and disappointing at the same time. There was no way for me to understand his special way of conducting. It was very annoying and limiting my musicality. But…it was an experience and I feel lucky that I had the chance to perform with him.
Unfortunately I came a little late to NY because all the living legends started to leave mother earth for ever.
Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi
Jayne Cortez was an African-American poet, spoken-word performance artist and activist of the Black Arts Movement. Yes, this great woman passed away in New York on December 28, 2012. I met her once at Ornette Coleman‘s birthday party last year. At that time I didn’t know much about her legacy. Yes, I knew she was my mentor’s ex wife. And I knew that Denardo Coleman was their son. And I knew he had been playing the drums in her band. Sorry that’s all what I knew about her.
But her death told me more about her…what she has been about for the last 78 years. Death has the power to bring people together. Death doesn’t mean that it kills a human life. No, on the contrary, death can give birth to life if the dead person got some s-o-u-l.
So I did some research of her and felt that some of you, my dear readers, would like to know about her. Continue reading
