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Welcome to Venice West: Audio Recordings from the Lawrence Lipton Papers

Tape 185, Side 1: Langston Hughes and Lawrence Lipton read their poetry at Lipton's home, Venice, California, 1958 April 13

Tape 185, side 1) Langston Hughes and Lawrence Lipton read their poetry at Lipton's home, Venice, California, 1958 April 13 (0:02), all with music (Bob Dorough, keyboard; Saul White, percussion): Langston Hughes reading his poetry: "Afro-American fragment" (0:36), "The negro speaks of rivers" (1:59), "Merry-go-round" (4:49), "Could be" (6.25), "Six-bits blues" (8:50); Lawrence Lipton reading his poetry: "What ever became of Sally Ann" (11:38), "The questioner" (21:09) with no music. ❧ Tape 185, side 2) Outdoor public program (0:02) of Lawrence Lipton poetry with music (Jimmy Alonze, percussion; Paul Friedan, flute and alto saxophone). Lawrence Lipton reading his poetry: "The word heard in the throat" (0:31), "The ultimate weapon" (2:36), "African mirage" (6:40), "Not on the velvet cushions" (12:40), introducing (but not reading) "Night song for the sleepless" (23:17). -- TIMES indicate where sections begin.

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Contents of this annotation:
1. Tape 185, Side 1: Langston Hughes and Lawrence Lipton read their poetry at Lipton's home, Venice, California, 1958 April 13 Tape 185, side 1) Langston Hughes and Lawrence Lipton read their poetry at Lipton's home, Venice, California, 1958 April 13 (0:02), all with music (Bob Dorough, keyboard; Saul White, percussion): Langston Hughes reading his poetry: "Afro-American fragment" (0:36), "The negro speaks of rivers" (1:59), "Merry-go-round" (4:49), "Could be" (6.25), "Six-bits blues" (8:50); Lawrence Lipton reading his poetry: "What ever became of Sally Ann" (11:38), "The questioner" (21:09) with no music. ❧ Tape 185, side 2) Outdoor public program (0:02) of Lawrence Lipton poetry with music (Jimmy Alonze, percussion; Paul Friedan, flute and alto saxophone). Lawrence Lipton reading his poetry: "The word heard in the throat" (0:31), "The ultimate weapon" (2:36), "African mirage" (6:40), "Not on the velvet cushions" (12:40), introducing (but not reading) "Night song for the sleepless" (23:17). -- TIMES indicate where sections begin.
Contents of this annotation:
1. Tape 185, Side 1: Langston Hughes and Lawrence Lipton read their poetry at Lipton's home, Venice, California, 1958 April 13 Tape 185, side 1) Langston Hughes and Lawrence Lipton read their poetry at Lipton's home, Venice, California, 1958 April 13 (0:02), all with music (Bob Dorough, keyboard; Saul White, percussion): Langston Hughes reading his poetry: "Afro-American fragment" (0:36), "The negro speaks of rivers" (1:59), "Merry-go-round" (4:49), "Could be" (6.25), "Six-bits blues" (8:50); Lawrence Lipton reading his poetry: "What ever became of Sally Ann" (11:38), "The questioner" (21:09) with no music. ❧ Tape 185, side 2) Outdoor public program (0:02) of Lawrence Lipton poetry with music (Jimmy Alonze, percussion; Paul Friedan, flute and alto saxophone). Lawrence Lipton reading his poetry: "The word heard in the throat" (0:31), "The ultimate weapon" (2:36), "African mirage" (6:40), "Not on the velvet cushions" (12:40), introducing (but not reading) "Night song for the sleepless" (23:17). -- TIMES indicate where sections begin.
Contents of this annotation:
1. Tape 185, Side 1: Langston Hughes and Lawrence Lipton read their poetry at Lipton's home, Venice, California, 1958 April 13 Tape 185, side 1) Langston Hughes and Lawrence Lipton read their poetry at Lipton's home, Venice, California, 1958 April 13 (0:02), all with music (Bob Dorough, keyboard; Saul White, percussion): Langston Hughes reading his poetry: "Afro-American fragment" (0:36), "The negro speaks of rivers" (1:59), "Merry-go-round" (4:49), "Could be" (6.25), "Six-bits blues" (8:50); Lawrence Lipton reading his poetry: "What ever became of Sally Ann" (11:38), "The questioner" (21:09) with no music. ❧ Tape 185, side 2) Outdoor public program (0:02) of Lawrence Lipton poetry with music (Jimmy Alonze, percussion; Paul Friedan, flute and alto saxophone). Lawrence Lipton reading his poetry: "The word heard in the throat" (0:31), "The ultimate weapon" (2:36), "African mirage" (6:40), "Not on the velvet cushions" (12:40), introducing (but not reading) "Night song for the sleepless" (23:17). -- TIMES indicate where sections begin.
Contents of this annotation:
1. Tape 185, Side 1: Langston Hughes and Lawrence Lipton read their poetry at Lipton's home, Venice, California, 1958 April 13 Tape 185, side 1) Langston Hughes and Lawrence Lipton read their poetry at Lipton's home, Venice, California, 1958 April 13 (0:02), all with music (Bob Dorough, keyboard; Saul White, percussion): Langston Hughes reading his poetry: "Afro-American fragment" (0:36), "The negro speaks of rivers" (1:59), "Merry-go-round" (4:49), "Could be" (6.25), "Six-bits blues" (8:50); Lawrence Lipton reading his poetry: "What ever became of Sally Ann" (11:38), "The questioner" (21:09) with no music. ❧ Tape 185, side 2) Outdoor public program (0:02) of Lawrence Lipton poetry with music (Jimmy Alonze, percussion; Paul Friedan, flute and alto saxophone). Lawrence Lipton reading his poetry: "The word heard in the throat" (0:31), "The ultimate weapon" (2:36), "African mirage" (6:40), "Not on the velvet cushions" (12:40), introducing (but not reading) "Night song for the sleepless" (23:17). -- TIMES indicate where sections begin.
Contents of this annotation:
1. Tape 185, Side 1: Langston Hughes and Lawrence Lipton read their poetry at Lipton's home, Venice, California, 1958 April 13 Tape 185, side 1) Langston Hughes and Lawrence Lipton read their poetry at Lipton's home, Venice, California, 1958 April 13 (0:02), all with music (Bob Dorough, keyboard; Saul White, percussion): Langston Hughes reading his poetry: "Afro-American fragment" (0:36), "The negro speaks of rivers" (1:59), "Merry-go-round" (4:49), "Could be" (6.25), "Six-bits blues" (8:50); Lawrence Lipton reading his poetry: "What ever became of Sally Ann" (11:38), "The questioner" (21:09) with no music. ❧ Tape 185, side 2) Outdoor public program (0:02) of Lawrence Lipton poetry with music (Jimmy Alonze, percussion; Paul Friedan, flute and alto saxophone). Lawrence Lipton reading his poetry: "The word heard in the throat" (0:31), "The ultimate weapon" (2:36), "African mirage" (6:40), "Not on the velvet cushions" (12:40), introducing (but not reading) "Night song for the sleepless" (23:17). -- TIMES indicate where sections begin.
Contents of this annotation:
1. Tape 185, Side 1: Langston Hughes and Lawrence Lipton read their poetry at Lipton's home, Venice, California, 1958 April 13 Tape 185, side 1) Langston Hughes and Lawrence Lipton read their poetry at Lipton's home, Venice, California, 1958 April 13 (0:02), all with music (Bob Dorough, keyboard; Saul White, percussion): Langston Hughes reading his poetry: "Afro-American fragment" (0:36), "The negro speaks of rivers" (1:59), "Merry-go-round" (4:49), "Could be" (6.25), "Six-bits blues" (8:50); Lawrence Lipton reading his poetry: "What ever became of Sally Ann" (11:38), "The questioner" (21:09) with no music. ❧ Tape 185, side 2) Outdoor public program (0:02) of Lawrence Lipton poetry with music (Jimmy Alonze, percussion; Paul Friedan, flute and alto saxophone). Lawrence Lipton reading his poetry: "The word heard in the throat" (0:31), "The ultimate weapon" (2:36), "African mirage" (6:40), "Not on the velvet cushions" (12:40), introducing (but not reading) "Night song for the sleepless" (23:17). -- TIMES indicate where sections begin.
Contents of this annotation:
1. Tape 185, Side 1: Langston Hughes and Lawrence Lipton read their poetry at Lipton's home, Venice, California, 1958 April 13 Tape 185, side 1) Langston Hughes and Lawrence Lipton read their poetry at Lipton's home, Venice, California, 1958 April 13 (0:02), all with music (Bob Dorough, keyboard; Saul White, percussion): Langston Hughes reading his poetry: "Afro-American fragment" (0:36), "The negro speaks of rivers" (1:59), "Merry-go-round" (4:49), "Could be" (6.25), "Six-bits blues" (8:50); Lawrence Lipton reading his poetry: "What ever became of Sally Ann" (11:38), "The questioner" (21:09) with no music. ❧ Tape 185, side 2) Outdoor public program (0:02) of Lawrence Lipton poetry with music (Jimmy Alonze, percussion; Paul Friedan, flute and alto saxophone). Lawrence Lipton reading his poetry: "The word heard in the throat" (0:31), "The ultimate weapon" (2:36), "African mirage" (6:40), "Not on the velvet cushions" (12:40), introducing (but not reading) "Night song for the sleepless" (23:17). -- TIMES indicate where sections begin.
Contents of this annotation:
1. Tape 185, Side 1: Langston Hughes and Lawrence Lipton read their poetry at Lipton's home, Venice, California, 1958 April 13 Tape 185, side 1) Langston Hughes and Lawrence Lipton read their poetry at Lipton's home, Venice, California, 1958 April 13 (0:02), all with music (Bob Dorough, keyboard; Saul White, percussion): Langston Hughes reading his poetry: "Afro-American fragment" (0:36), "The negro speaks of rivers" (1:59), "Merry-go-round" (4:49), "Could be" (6.25), "Six-bits blues" (8:50); Lawrence Lipton reading his poetry: "What ever became of Sally Ann" (11:38), "The questioner" (21:09) with no music. ❧ Tape 185, side 2) Outdoor public program (0:02) of Lawrence Lipton poetry with music (Jimmy Alonze, percussion; Paul Friedan, flute and alto saxophone). Lawrence Lipton reading his poetry: "The word heard in the throat" (0:31), "The ultimate weapon" (2:36), "African mirage" (6:40), "Not on the velvet cushions" (12:40), introducing (but not reading) "Night song for the sleepless" (23:17). -- TIMES indicate where sections begin.

This page has tags:

Contents of this tag:
1. Tape 185, Side 1: Langston Hughes and Lawrence Lipton read their poetry at Lipton's home, Venice, California, 1958 April 13 Tape 185, side 1) Langston Hughes and Lawrence Lipton read their poetry at Lipton's home, Venice, California, 1958 April 13 (0:02), all with music (Bob Dorough, keyboard; Saul White, percussion): Langston Hughes reading his poetry: "Afro-American fragment" (0:36), "The negro speaks of rivers" (1:59), "Merry-go-round" (4:49), "Could be" (6.25), "Six-bits blues" (8:50); Lawrence Lipton reading his poetry: "What ever became of Sally Ann" (11:38), "The questioner" (21:09) with no music. ❧ Tape 185, side 2) Outdoor public program (0:02) of Lawrence Lipton poetry with music (Jimmy Alonze, percussion; Paul Friedan, flute and alto saxophone). Lawrence Lipton reading his poetry: "The word heard in the throat" (0:31), "The ultimate weapon" (2:36), "African mirage" (6:40), "Not on the velvet cushions" (12:40), introducing (but not reading) "Night song for the sleepless" (23:17). -- TIMES indicate where sections begin.
2. Tape 188: Buddy Collette; Poetry jazz session, 1957 July 31
3. Tape 397: Jazz Canto, vol. 1, side 2, 1958
  Tape 397, side 2: \"Dog\" / Lawrence Ferlinghetti (Bob Dorough, reader; Bob Dorough Quintet; Bob Dorough, composer) (0:06) -- \"Young sycamore\" / William Carlos Williams (Hoagy Carmichael, reader; Bob Hardaway, tenor saxophone; Bob Hardaway, composer) (4:04) -- Three songs (\"Daybreak in Alabama\" (4:50), \"Night and morn\" (9:04), \"The dream keeper\" (12:47)) / Langston Hughes (Bob Dorough, reader; Bob Dorough Quintet; Bob Dorough, composer) -- \"Big high song for somebody\" / Philip Whalen (Roy Glenn, reader; Gerry Mulligan Quartet; Gerry Mulligan, composer (Piano blues)) (17:19). ❧ PERFORMERS: Jazz Canto Ensemble (Jack Monrose, conductor; Fred Katz, violoncello and piano; Ralph Peña, double bass; Bob Hardaway, tenor saxophone and clarinet; Buddy Collette, tenor and clarinet; Lee Katzman, trumpet; Al Porcino, trumpet; Larry Bunker, drums and vibraphone; Tommy Tedesco, guitar; Paul Horn, alto saxophone and clarinet); Ralph Peña - Bob Dorough Quintet (Bob Dorough, piano; Ralph Peña, double bass; Billy Bean, guitar; Bob Hardaway, tenor saxophone; Larry Bunker, drums and vibraphone); Chico Hamilton Quintet (Chico Hamilton, drums; Buddy Collette, flute; Jim Hall, guitar; Fred Katz, violoncello; Carson Smith, double bass); Bob Hardaway, tenor saxophone; Gerry Mulligan Quartet (Gerry Mulligan, piano; Jon Eardley, trumpet; Red Mitchell, double bass; Chico Hamilton, drums).
  Tape 397, side 2: "Dog" / Lawrence Ferlinghetti (Bob Dorough, reader; Bob Dorough Quintet; Bob Dorough, composer) (0:06) -- "Young sycamore" / William Carlos Williams (Hoagy Carmichael, reader; Bob…
  more
  Bean, Billy, 1933-2012, guitar; Bob Dorough Quintet; Bunker, Larry, 1928-2005, drums; Bunker, Larry, 1928-2005, vibraphone; Carmichael, Hoagy, 1899-1981, speaker; Carradine, John, 1906-1988, speaker; Chico Hamilton Quintet; Collette, Buddy, 1921-2010, clarinet; Collette, Buddy, 1921-2010, flute; Collette, Buddy, 1921-2010, tenor saxophone; Dorough, Robert L., 1923-2018, composer; Dorough, Robert L., 1923-2018, piano; Dorough, Robert L., 1923-2018, speaker; Eardley, Jon, 1928-1991, trumpet; Ferlinghetti, Lawrence, 1919- , poet; Gerry Mulligan Quartet; Glenn, Roy, 1914-1971, speaker; Hall, James Stanley "Jim", 1930-2013, guitar; Hamilton, Chico, 1921-2013, drums; Hardaway, Robert Benson "Bob", 1928- , composer; Hardaway, Robert Benson "Bob", 1928- , clarinet; Hardaway, Robert Benson "Bob", 1928- , tenor saxophone; Horn, Paul, 1930-2014, clarinet; Horn, Paul, 1930-2014, alto saxophone; Hughes, Langston, 1902-1967, poet; Jazz Canto Ensemble; Katz, Fred, 1919-2013, composer; Katz, Fred, 1919-2013, piano; Katz, Fred, 1919-2013, violoncello; Katzman, Lee, 1928-2013, trumpet; Lipton, Lawrence, 1898-1975, poet; Mitchell, Keith Moore "Red", 1927-1992, double bass; Montrose, Jack, 1928-2006, conductor; Montrose, Jack, 1928-2006, composer; Mulligan, Gerry, 1927-1996, composer; Mulligan, Gerry, 1927-1996, piano; Peña, Ralph, 1927-1969, double bass; Pena, Ralph, 1927-1969, double bass; Porcino, Al, 1925-2013, trumpet; Ralph Peña - Bob Dorough Quintet; Ralph Pena - Bob Dorough Quintet; Ralph Peña Quartet; Ralph Pena Quartet; Smith, Carson, 1931-1997, double bass; Tedesco, Tommy, 1930-1997, guitar; Thomas, Dylan, 1914-1953, poet; Whalen, Philip, 1923-2002; Whitman, Walt, 1819-1892, poet; Williams, William Carlos, 1883-1963, poet; Wright, Ben, 1915-1989, speaker
4. Tape 397: Jazz Canto, vol. 1, side 1, 1958
  Tape 397, side 1: Jazz canto, vol. 1, 1958, transferred from the commercial 33⅓-rpm record (World Pacific Records PJ-1244). CONTENTS: Tape 397, side 1) \"Poets to come\" / Walt Whitman (John Carradine, reader; Jazz Canto Ensemble) (0:02) -- \"Tract\" / William Carlos Williams (Hoagy Carmichael, reader; Ralph Peña Quintet) (2:36) -- \"In my craft or sullen art\" / Dylan Thomas (Ben Wright, reader; Jazz Canto Ensemble; Fred Katz, composer) (7:16) -- \"Night song for the sleepless\" / Lawrence Lipton (John Carradine, reader; Chico Hamilton Quintet) (8:48) -- \"Lament\" / Dylan Thomas (Ben Wright, reader; Jazz Canto Ensemble; Jack Montrose, composer) (14:42).
  Tape 397, side 1: Jazz canto, vol. 1, 1958, transferred from the commercial 33⅓-rpm record (World Pacific Records PJ-1244). CONTENTS: Tape 397, side 1) "Poets to come" / Walt Whitman (John Carradine,…
  more
  Bean, Billy, 1933-2012, guitar; Bob Dorough Quintet; Bunker, Larry, 1928-2005, drums; Bunker, Larry, 1928-2005, vibraphone; Carmichael, Hoagy, 1899-1981, speaker; Carradine, John, 1906-1988, speaker; Chico Hamilton Quintet; Collette, Buddy, 1921-2010, clarinet; Collette, Buddy, 1921-2010, flute; Collette, Buddy, 1921-2010, tenor saxophone; Dorough, Robert L., 1923-2018, composer; Dorough, Robert L., 1923-2018, piano; Dorough, Robert L., 1923-2018, speaker; Eardley, Jon, 1928-1991, trumpet; Ferlinghetti, Lawrence, 1919- , poet; Gerry Mulligan Quartet; Glenn, Roy, 1914-1971, speaker; Hall, James Stanley "Jim", 1930-2013, guitar; Hamilton, Chico, 1921-2013, drums; Hardaway, Robert Benson "Bob", 1928- , composer; Hardaway, Robert Benson "Bob", 1928- , clarinet; Hardaway, Robert Benson "Bob", 1928- , tenor saxophone; Horn, Paul, 1930-2014, clarinet; Horn, Paul, 1930-2014, alto saxophone; Hughes, Langston, 1902-1967, poet; Jazz Canto Ensemble; Katz, Fred, 1919-2013, composer; Katz, Fred, 1919-2013, piano; Katz, Fred, 1919-2013, violoncello; Katzman, Lee, 1928-2013, trumpet; Lipton, Lawrence, 1898-1975, poet; Mitchell, Keith Moore "Red", 1927-1992, double bass; Montrose, Jack, 1928-2006, conductor; Montrose, Jack, 1928-2006, composer; Mulligan, Gerry, 1927-1996, composer; Mulligan, Gerry, 1927-1996, piano; Peña, Ralph, 1927-1969, double bass; Pena, Ralph, 1927-1969, double bass; Porcino, Al, 1925-2013, trumpet; Ralph Peña - Bob Dorough Quintet; Ralph Pena - Bob Dorough Quintet; Ralph Peña Quartet; Ralph Pena Quartet; Smith, Carson, 1931-1997, double bass; Tedesco, Tommy, 1930-1997, guitar; Thomas, Dylan, 1914-1953, poet; Whalen, Philip, 1923-2002; Whitman, Walt, 1819-1892, poet; Williams, William Carlos, 1883-1963, poet; Wright, Ben, 1915-1989, speaker

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Audio Collection Below is a collection of all audio clips included in this exhibit.

To view and access timestamps for each clip, click on "Annotations" below each audio player. To collapse the annotations for a clip, click on "Description."

To see where, in this exhibit, a given audio clip appears, click on "Citations."
Introduction
Lawrence Lipton, the Beat Generation in Venice West, and the Lawrence Lipton papers at USC.
Lipton and the Beat Generation Poets
Lipton’s interviews with or about Beat poets, featuring Stuart Perkoff, Kenneth Rexroth, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and others.

Lipton and Venice
The Venice West Picture Essay, the Gas House, and the history of Venice.

Lipton and Jazz
Jazz Canto, Langston Hughes, and Lipton’s recordings of poetry jazz sessions.
Lipton and Jazz
Poetry and jazz—or Jazz Canto, as I prefer to call it—will not be a viable art form until it solves its problems and becomes a part of the standard repertoire of public performance. Nor should it be limited to jazz music. In Jazz Canto several types of music are employed besides jazz. Whatever music is suitable to the poem is the right music. When poets learn more about music and musicians learn more about poetry it will be easier to make progress with this new idiom. To this end I have been laying the foundations for a Jazz Canto Workshop where poets will be required to learn how to read music, play at least one instrument, and take voice lessons in order to learn how to use the voice box for the public rendition of their poetry.[1]
The poets and musicians of Venice West dedicated considerable efforts toward combining poetry and jazz. In The Holy Barbarians, Lipton grouped these efforts as "part of the growing revival of the oral tradition and, in poetry, a part of the bardic tradition."[2] In 1958, a year before The Holy Barbarians was published, Lipton and jazz photographer William Claxton co-produced an LP record: Jazz Canto: Vol. I, An Anthology of Poetry and Jazz, published by World Pacific Records.

Each track on Jazz Canto is jointly authored by (i) the poet who wrote the poem, (ii) the "interpreter" who reads the poem aloud, and (iii) the musicians who compose and perform the accompanying jazz melodies using various instruments. The source material featured on the record comes from poets Walt Whitman, Dylan Thomas, William Carlos Williams, Langston Hughes, Lawrence Lipton, Philip Whalen, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti. The interpreters reading the poems are John Carradine, Hoagy Carmichael, Ben Wright, Roy Glenn, and Bob Dorough. Finally, the composers of Jazz Canto include Gerry Mulligan, Chico Hamilton, Fred Katz, and Jack Montrose.

Listen to the full Jazz Canto album, transferred from the commercial 33⅓-rpm record, at the USC Digital Library (also below with the track lists as they appear on Lipton's tapes).

The Beats of Venice West did not invent jazz poetry. Langston Hughes was writing, performing, and publishing jazz poetry in the 1920s during the Harlem Renaissance. Moreover, Hughes was working from preceding influences of "dialect poetry" by earlier poets, such as Paul Laurence Dunbar's late 19th century works built on Black speech rhythms of the rural South.[3]

Tape 185 of Lipton's collection records Langston Hughes and Lawrence Lipton reading their poetry with "pure jazz improvisation" in Lipton's Venice home in 1958. Tape 185 also features Bob Dorough and Saul White playing keyboard and percussion to the spoken words of Lipton and Hughes.

A few of Lipton’s tapes are labeled "Poetry jazz session" with further details listing musicians, places, and dates. Tape 188 includes a 1957 session with Buddy Collette. Other jazz musicians featured on Lipton's tapes include Dave Brubeck, Jimmy Alonze, Shelly Manne, Ralph Peña, Lee Katzman, Larry Bunker, and Tommy Tedesco.