Word Jazz

Spoken word/beat poetry/word jazz from Bobby Byrd and Jim Ward - "How Will We Know When We’re Dead"

(Mini-Review of this album I found out on the net.....Glenn)

I don’t write about much spoken word stuff or beat poetry or word jazz (the only other time I can remember is this post on Gerry Mitchell and Little Sparta). But perhaps I should as there’s a pretty big vacuum about it on the blogs. A new project has come to my attention that features the music of Jim Ward (wiki) (Sparta, Sleepercar) and the poetry of Bobby Byrd. Bobby Byrd & Jim Ward’s How Will We Know When We’re Dead is one of those rare times when music and poetry have successfully coalesced. Jim’s music stays primarily in the background as Bobby Byrd’s poems of life along the border, in the barrio and always in and around El Paso come to life.

Bobby Byrd runs Cinco Puntos Press and that’s an excellent place to buy their record.



Posted over on Songs Illinois