Roots Music: Listening to Jazz

This collection of poetry by Poet Laureate Emerita, Eve West Bessier, is a vibrant celebration and homage to jazz. Jazz’s fusion of blues, Latin, African, and European influences jump off these pages with exuberance and grace. Each poem was written while listening to live or recorded jazz, and each specific composition is listed with the poem’s title. These poems contain the rhythms, nuances, and improvisational styles of the jazz genre, while portraying a variety of emotional content and vivid imagery. Poems in this collection have received literary awards, a Pushcart Nomination, and national publication in journals and anthologies.