Sungraced Sentiments
This book of poetry, titled Sungraced Sentiments, was first published by Inner Visions Press in June 1981. All 12 poems published in that first release have been included here. This book of poetry was the second part of a trilogy I published in 1981. The other two books are Red Sun Songs and Sunlight. I describe all three books as my version of jazzoetry as defined by the Last Poets. Like the other two books, the poetry was written in a free verse style influenced by the jazz sounds of John Coltrane (aka Ohnedaruth), Alice Coltrane (aka Turiya), Miles Davis, Marion Brown, Gary Bartz, Charlie Parker, Eric Dolphy, Aminata Moseka (aka Abbie Lincoln), Sun Ra, Ahmad Jamal, Archie Shepp, Albert Ayler, Joe Henderson, Patrice Rushen, Herbie Hancock, Lonnie Liston Smith, Joe Henderson, and Eddie Jefferson. My poems have also been influenced by the jazzoetry of Gil Scott-Heron, Langston Hughes, Amiri Baraka, Amina Baraka, W.E.B. Du Bois, Larry Neal, Haki Madhubuti (aka Don L. Lee), Marvin X, Johari Amini, Sonia Sanchez, Carolyn Rodgers, Mari Evans, Wanda Robinson, Melvin B. Tolson, Bob Kaufman, Eugene B. Redmond, Michael Harper, Emmery Evans, Saundra Sharp (aka S. Pearl Sharp), Watts Prophets, Black Voices, and the Last Poets.
—Dr. J. Vern Cromartie
Excerpted from the Preface to the 40th Anniversary Edition
This book of poetry, titled Sungraced Sentiments, was first published by Inner Visions Press in June 1981. All 12 poems published in that first release have been included here. This book of poetry was the second part of a trilogy I published in 1981. The other two books are Red Sun Songs and Sunlight. I describe all three books as my version of jazzoetry as defined by the Last Poets. Like the other two books, the poetry was written in a free verse style influenced by the jazz sounds of John Coltrane (aka Ohnedaruth), Alice Coltrane (aka Turiya), Miles Davis, Marion Brown, Gary Bartz, Charlie Parker, Eric Dolphy, Aminata Moseka (aka Abbie Lincoln), Sun Ra, Ahmad Jamal, Archie Shepp, Albert Ayler, Joe Henderson, Patrice Rushen, Herbie Hancock, Lonnie Liston Smith, Joe Henderson, and Eddie Jefferson. My poems have also been influenced by the jazzoetry of Gil Scott-Heron, Langston Hughes, Amiri Baraka, Amina Baraka, W.E.B. Du Bois, Larry Neal, Haki Madhubuti (aka Don L. Lee), Marvin X, Johari Amini, Sonia Sanchez, Carolyn Rodgers, Mari Evans, Wanda Robinson, Melvin B. Tolson, Bob Kaufman, Eugene B. Redmond, Michael Harper, Emmery Evans, Saundra Sharp (aka S. Pearl Sharp), Watts Prophets, Black Voices, and the Last Poets.
—Dr. J. Vern Cromartie
Excerpted from the Preface to the 40th Anniversary Edition
This book of poetry, titled Sungraced Sentiments, was first published by Inner Visions Press in June 1981. All 12 poems published in that first release have been included here. This book of poetry was the second part of a trilogy I published in 1981. The other two books are Red Sun Songs and Sunlight. I describe all three books as my version of jazzoetry as defined by the Last Poets. Like the other two books, the poetry was written in a free verse style influenced by the jazz sounds of John Coltrane (aka Ohnedaruth), Alice Coltrane (aka Turiya), Miles Davis, Marion Brown, Gary Bartz, Charlie Parker, Eric Dolphy, Aminata Moseka (aka Abbie Lincoln), Sun Ra, Ahmad Jamal, Archie Shepp, Albert Ayler, Joe Henderson, Patrice Rushen, Herbie Hancock, Lonnie Liston Smith, Joe Henderson, and Eddie Jefferson. My poems have also been influenced by the jazzoetry of Gil Scott-Heron, Langston Hughes, Amiri Baraka, Amina Baraka, W.E.B. Du Bois, Larry Neal, Haki Madhubuti (aka Don L. Lee), Marvin X, Johari Amini, Sonia Sanchez, Carolyn Rodgers, Mari Evans, Wanda Robinson, Melvin B. Tolson, Bob Kaufman, Eugene B. Redmond, Michael Harper, Emmery Evans, Saundra Sharp (aka S. Pearl Sharp), Watts Prophets, Black Voices, and the Last Poets.
—Dr. J. Vern Cromartie
Excerpted from the Preface to the 40th Anniversary Edition