Medeski Scores Kerouac CDs

As reported on Rollingstone.com, keyboardist John Medeski (pictured) has contributed a “jazz-flavored” score to Dr. Sax and the Great World Snake, a two-disc reading of a Jack Kerouac script recently discovered by Jim Sampas, Kerouac’s nephew. Sampas found the script, which Kerouac intended to be turned into a film, while working at the Kerouac estate and went through the appropriate channels to secure rights to develop it for release on his Gallery Six Records. Singers and poets Graham Parker, Jim Carroll, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Robert Hunter, Kate Pierson and Robert Creeley all take turns reading the story, which is loosely based on Kerouac’s 1952 novel Dr. Sax. Sampas also plans to turn the late beat poet’s screenplay into a film-no word on whether or not Medeski will lend his talents to the score for that project. No word either on when Dr. Sax and the Great World Snake will be available in stores, but we thought we’d let you know about it anyway.

Originally Published May 5, 2003