08/13/2024
August 24th @ Jefferson Market Library 3 – 5
425 Avenue of the Americas (Sixth Avenue), on the southwest corner of West 10th Street,
Poetry & Music
Hosted by poet/ Jeff Wright
Special Guest, Massimo Cavalli from Lisbon
&
Dennis Nurkse
&
Barry Wallenstein with
Massimo Cavalli (bass)
Ken Filiano (bass)
Kaori Amada (percussion)
Jeffrey Cyphers Wright, poetry received his MFA after studying with Allen Ginsberg.
A New Romantic poet, he is also a publisher, art and literary critic, eco-activist, impresario, filmmaker, and artist. He is author of 19 books of verse, including Blue Lyre and Party Everywhere. His latest work, a book of sonnets and artwork called Doppelgängster, Self Portraits in a Funhouse Mirror. Other work appears in the anthologies Best American Poetry; NYC Insiders; and Contemporary Surrealist and Magical Realist Poetry. He has received a James Tate Award and a Kathy Acker Award for publishing and writing. He is the publisher of Live Mag!
Dennis Nurkse, poetry is the author of twelve collections of poetry, most recently A Country of Strangers, New & Selected [Alfred Knopf 2022]. He served as poet laureate of Brooklyn from 1996 to 2001. His work has been translated into French, Russian, Italian, Estonian, and other languages. His poems have been anthologized in six editions of the Best American Poetry series and he has received three Pushcart Prizes. Nurkse has also written on human rights and was elected to the board of Amnesty International-USA for a 2007-2010 term. For the Brooklyn Public Library, he edited This Beautiful Name is Mine, poems by inner-city children. He's currently a long-term member of the writing faculty at Sarah Lawrence College.
Barry Wallenstein, poetry is the author of eleven collections of poetry, the most recent being It’s About Time [New York Quarterly Books, 2022]. A special interest is his presentation of poetry readings in collaboration with jazz. He has made twelve recordings of his poetry with jazz, the most recent being Lisbon Sunset (2018) and Lisbon Sunrise (2022). He is Emeritus Professor of Literature and Creative Writing at the City University of New York, an editor of the journal, American Book Review and advisory editor of BigCityLit. Since retiring from CUNY, he’s been part of the faculty at the Center for Learning and Living, a continuing ed program for seniors.
Ken Filiano, bass performs throughout the world, playing and recording with leading artists in jazz, spontaneous improvisation, classical, world/ethnic, and interdisciplinary performance, fusing the rich traditions of the double bass with his own inventiveness. His ever-expanding output also includes performances and/or recordings with artists including Bonnie Barnett, Rob Blakeslee, Bobby Bradford, Roy Campbell, John Carter, Connie Crothers, Joseph Jarman, and Sheila Jordan. He earned a MM from Rutgers University and is currently on faculty at Mansfield University.
Massimo Cavalli, bass was born in Italy in 1969 and moved to Portugal in 1996. He studied jazz double bass at Oporto University and has a PhD in jazz performance from Evora University. He’s recorded and played with major jazz artists world-wide, including NYC. Currently, he is head of the jazz and Modern Music department at Lusiada University in Lisbon and is a member of the Board of the International Association of Schools of Jazz. He’s made two CD recordings with Barry, Lisbon Sunset and Lisbon Sunrise.
Kaori Yamada-Lategano, drums was born in Japan. She worked professionally in Tokyo for 10 years, then moved to New York in 2008. Kaori plays many styles of music. Jazz, R&B, Rock, Pops, Ethnic, and appears on various recordings. Kaori has performed in various venues including Dizzy's Club, Smalls Jazz Club, St Peter's Church and the United Nations. She’s also worked at the Eugene O'Neill theater center, libraries and restaurants. Most recently returned from a tour in Japan. She’s collaborated with Barry in the past.
