Ted Joans

Jazz Is My Religion and it alone do I dig the jazz clubs are my houses of worship and sometimes the concert halls but some holy places are too commercial (like churches) so I don't dig the sermons there I buy jazz sides to dig in solitude Like Man / Harlem, Harlem USA Used to be a jazz heaven where most of the jazz sermons were preached but now-a-days due to chacha cha and rotten rock'n'roll alotta good jazzmen have sold their souls but jazz is still my religion because I know and feel the message it brings like reverend Dizzy Gillespie / brother Bird and Basie / Uncle Armstrong / Minister Monk / Deacon Miles Davis / Rector Rollins / Priest Ellington / His Funkness Horace Silver / and the great John Coltrane and Cecil Taylor They Preach A Sermon That Always Swings!! Yeah jazz is my religion Jazz is my story it was my mom's and pop's and their moms and pops from the days of Buddy Bolden who swung them blues to Charlie Parker and Ornette Coleman's extension of Bebop Yeah jazz is my religion Jazz is a unique musical religion the sermons spread happiness and joy to be able to dig and swing inside what a wonderful feeling jazz is / Yeah Boy!! Jazz Is my religion and dig this: it wasn't for us to choose because they created it for a damn good reason as a weapon to battle our blues! Jazz is my religion and its international all the way Jazz is just an Afroamerican music and like us it's here to stay So remember that Jazz is my religion but it can be your religion too but Jazz is a truth that is always black and blue Halleluiah I love Jazz so Halleluiah I dig Jazz so Yeah Jazz Is My Religion

Ted Joans, 1958, from Teducation, selected poems 1949-1999