Reading Response 11/12

Slugs in the Far East, by David Henderson is a poetic stanza that has a theme like most of the other piece referring to the expression of minorities at that time. This poem along with Lee Morgan is particularly related because Slugs in the Far East refers to Slug’s Saloon in which Lee Morgan was killed. Henderson dedicated this poem to “after j” I think he was referring to Jerry Schultz, the owner of the popular Jazz nightclub in the 1960’s. The poem starts off with someone walking into the two drink minimum joint,  “as the genius walks down the bass”’ this says a lot about how Henderson viewed the untaught musicians of this era and their ability to master some of the most difficult musical techniques. Like the Blues People by Amiri Baraka, he tries to provide a visual of the Slug, David Henderson talks about the “fashionable gentlemen of the lean years”, referencing to the ability of these men managing to be fashionable during the years of need and lack! The Slug was a local club were everybody got a chance; this is seen when he speaks of the young boy dressed like he had been working on the docks but still possessed the skill and talent to play with some of Jazz greatest like “miles” (Davis) and “bird” (Charlie “Bird” Parker). Both Lee Morgan and Slugs in the Far East make references to the nightlife of drinking and smoking. Henderson like many of the other authors throughout this course addresses the future meeting the past in this caesura; Henderson says “in the new age ancient melodies haunt vacant night   spots” meaning after Slug’s Saloon, Club Baron and all the other great Jazz establishments were shutdown the spirits of legends like sphere monk (Thelonious “Sphere” Monk”), Hank Mobley and Art Blakey will forever live on through their music. I believe the theme of Jazz was important to Henderson because as a founder of the Black Art Movement along with Amiri Baraka; he wanted to empower and encourage African Americans to not only explore literature but the creativity of Jazz music which until this time was not considered an art form.