Discography‘s Jazz Poems

Jazz and poetry go together like eggs, milk and alcohol—we’re talkin’ eggnog, pal—so it’s no surprise that poets have been inspired by the rhythms and melodies of the music. Sean Singer is the latest bard to put jazz and blues into words, and his new book, Discography, is his entry into the music-poetry pantheon.

Discography is the 96th volume in the esteemed Yale Series of Younger Poets books, which has turned out first publications by such celebrated scribes as Adrienne Rich and Robert Hass. That means Singer’s got juice with this pub, and he also has the praise of poets W.S. Merwin (who wrote Discography‘s intro) and Carol Frost (whose husband, poet Robert Frost, is a jazz drummer).