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Jazz Poetry on Jackson featuring Kamau Daaood

The Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas and Earshot Jazz are proud to present an evening of Jazz Poetry celebrating the rich history of Jazz on Seattle's famous Jackson Street. In the intro to his book Jackson Street After Hours: The Roots of Jazz in Seattle, Paul de Barros writes, "for such an out-of-the-way place, Seattle has had a remarkable jazz history. The action began as early as 1918... as an authentic black jazz scene developed around the hub of Jackson Street and Twelfth Avenue." Jazz Poetry is poetry that is read to the accompaniment of jazz music and attempts to emulate the rhythms and freedom of music through poetry. Join host Felicia Loud and poets Paul Harding, Mercedes Nicole, Brenda Wright, and featured poet Kamau Daaood as they celebrate the rich jazz history of Seattle's Jackson Street!

Born and raised in L.A., Kamau Daaood developed his literary skills as a young member of the Watts Writers Workshop. His tenure in the Pan African People's Arkestra, under the direction of jazz pianist Horace Tapscott, helped to shape his bebop-flavored poetics. In 1989 he and master jazz drummer Billy Higgins founded the World Stage, a storefront performance gallery that became a creative epicenter for the transformation of a neighborhood Leimert Park into a hub of African-American cultural activity. Kamau is the author of The Language of Saxophones, the long-awaited collection from this pioneer of the spoken word movement and one of America's premier "word-musicians."

This event is co-presented by Earshot Jazz, a Seattle based non-profit music, arts and service organization formed in 1984 to support jazz and increase awareness in the community.

This program is generously supported by the Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, City of Seattle.