Jayne Cortez

Jayne Cortez ( born May 10, 1936 in Fort Huachuca, Arizona; † 28 December 2012) was an American writer and Vokalimprovisatorin.

Life and work

Cortez grew up in Los Angeles in the Watts district. She was artistically interesting, but at first did not know in which direction they should expand their creative streak, music, visual art or poetry. Between 1964 and 1970 she was involved in the management of the Watts Repertory Theatre Company. From 1954 to 1964 she was married to Ornette Coleman. 1967 moved the poet, despite their activity in Watts to New York City, so that their son Denardo Coleman could live near his father. In 1969 she published her first collection of poems, and has increasingly become a presentation of their works in Jazz & Poetry events. Her first books contain surrealistic embossed poems about politics and music. In 1974 she recorded her first album, accompanied by bassist Richard Davis. Since 1980 she has been supported in their readings of her band The Fire Pitters, who heads the son Denardo Coleman. Although it initially goes to her as a political poet to content, their recitation manner had a captivating musical rhythm, is - in the rap similar - percussive and partially overcomes the limits of vocal improvisation. The musical structure that occurs when presentation of her poetry comes to meet, that it partially works with an aphoristic refrain.

The poet is the author of ten books of poetry. She has poems and thoughts presented internationally ( in Africa, Asia, North and South America, Caribbean, Europe) in concerts and readings. Her work has been partially translated into other languages ​​, published in anthologies, magazines and on nine recordings worldwide.

Cortez received two Fellowships of the National Endowment for the Arts. In 1987 she was awarded the Poetry Award of the New York Foundation for the Arts.

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