Poems with Friends: Roy McFarlane - Jazz Fan Looks Back by Jayne Cortez

Hello friends!

 

It's a pleasure to be back with another episode in our current series of 'Poems with Friends.'

 

In this episode, John catches up with the one and only Roy McFarlane - extraordinary poet, man and friend - whose beautiful voice many of you will recognise from The Poetry Exchange over the years.

 

Roy talks with John about a poem that's keeping him company at this time: 'Jazz Fan Looks Back' by Jayne Cortez.

 

This poem and Roy's reflections on it chime so well with Roy's latest book: The Way of the Poet, which has just been published by Nine Arches Press. It's an extraordinary book: part memoir, part meditation on the art of poetry and what it is to live and work as a poet today, The Way of the Poet forges a powerful and visionary path, exploring how reading and writing shapes us, our imaginations, and the world around us.

 

Congratulations Roy on writing such an utterly inspiring and moving account of your life and work as a poet in the world. "You are Roy McFarlane, the poet", as Fiona Bennett would say.

 

Jayne Cortez's Jazz Fan Looks Back is the title poem in her collection published by Hanging Loose Press in 2002. Go and discover more of this brilliant and soul-filled poetry for yourself!

 

We also have a special treat in store for you at the close of this episode...playing us out are musicians Matt Miles (saxaphone) and Tess Miles (bass), with their rendition ofThe Feeling of Jazz by Duke Ellington. We're so grateful to Matt and Tess for recording this piece especially for this episode of The Poetry Exchange - thanks guys!! You can follow Matt Miles on Instagram @mattmilesmusic and Tess Miles @ukdoublebassist.

 

We'll be back with more poems with friends soon.

 

For now, thank you for listening X