Gizzi, Chillbone, Laska
by Seth Rogovoy

(WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass., March 21, 1999) -- Lenox poet Michael Gizzi doesn't so much write poems as he etches sound-images out of words. His sound-puns derive their meaning from their rich music that kicks your head and tickles your heart. His poems demand to be read out loud, and when they are they sing with surprising rhythms and riffs, accents and allusions, revealing themselves to be intricately-carved jazz sculptures defying their improvisational costume.

One hesitates to quote from a Gizzi poem, because a line or two out of context can't fully reveal the playful profundity of one of his complete works. But here's a few lines from a new poem called "Mr America's Dehydrated Nightjar," which appears in "Too Much Johnson," a 32-page chapbook published by The Figures of Great Barrington:

"...not to worry/Ugolino will fly to Honolulu and put/the pineapple on his wife's tattoo who wonders/will time elapse....if my whole life hadn't been about ambiguity/I might have awoke hazarding shrugs/you want an equation very well/we grew up crazy for kneeslaps and/paperweights featuring snowflakes/we've a great infection to/serve many Jasons to come/take a chunk out of everyone"

In his introduction to "Too Much Johnson," novelist James Ellroy of "L.A. Confidential" fame compares Gizzi to Shakespeare and Dostoevski. Indeed, "Too Much Johnson" is a contemporary "Notes From Underground" in modern verse, a metrically-taut cry of visionary protest rich with wordplay and internal rhyme, and full of the sort of astounding images and juxtapositions that make us reevaluate both our language and our lives. When I read the poems to my children, they laugh out loud and ask for more.

Gizzi will be reading from "Too Much Johnson," along with famed Bay Area poet David Meltzer, at the Anthony Nordoff Gallery at 11 Railroad St. in Great Barrington on Monday, March 29, at 7:30 p.m.

South County band Chillbone has released an eponymously-titled CD of its original, funky groove-rock. Songs like "Part of It" and the title track, while variously recalling the Grateful Dead and Phish, boast tight, springy arrangements and soulful, jazzy keyboards courtesy of Kimball Trump, and "Mystic Bootie" is an infectious bit of funk-rock that ends too soon. The group has a fresh, playful, almost childlike quality; some of the innocent-guy vocals sound like early Talking Heads. The group also displays a social consciousness and global perspective in songs like "All Around the World," whose lyrics of political unity are underlined by the Santana-like, world-beat rhythms underpinning the arrangement. The group opens for well-known neo-hippie rock group Max Creek tomorrow night at Northern Lights in Clifton Park, N.Y. For more information about Chillbone call (413) 232-7949.

Martina Laska of Great Barrington has released a self-produced CD, "Mountain Spirit," which contains a dozen original songs inspired by hikes through the Berkshires. Laska's songs are simple folk and country-influenced melodies filtered through a new-age sensibility; many of them address "healing" issues and the like. Laska sings and accompanies herself on guitar on the recording; on hand lending instrumental aid are Jeff Crawford, Will Curtiss, Sam Earnshaw and Rick Tiven.

The recording was produced and engineered by Bobby Sweet at Greg Steele's Derek Studios in Dalton. Laska will perform at a CD release party tomorrow at Cheesecake Charlie's in Great Barrington at 3 p.m. For more information ,visit Laska's website at http://mountainspirit.iuma.com or write to Mountain Spirit, 4 Magnolia St., Great Barrington, MA 01230.

In other local music news, congratulations go out to the Berkshire's own Robby Baier, whose great album, "SoulTube," is nominated for Outstanding Contemporary Folk Debut in the Boston Music Awards. The final ceremony will be held at the Orpheum Theatre in Beantown on April 22. Go get 'em, Robby!....There will be many new faces at this year's version of the annual Noppet Hill Bluegrass Festival, to be held once again at Steele's Family Farm in Lanesboro on July 23-25. Performers will include Laurie Lewis, Larry Sparks, James King, The Gibson Brothers, The Goings Brothers, Karl Shiflet and Big Country, Breakaway and Bob Paisley and Southern Grass, among others. For more information call 499-2805 or check out Noppet Hill's website at http://www.berkshire.net/~noppet.

Coming up: Annie Burns, of the upstate New York singing group, The Burns Sisters, performs a rare solo date tonight at the Lion's Den at the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge....Ani DiFranco headlines at the Mullins Center in Amherst on April 9, and returns to the area for a solo performance at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival on July 25.

Bluesy singer-songwriter Les Sampou is at North Adams State College on April 10....Singer-songwriter Dar Williams will bring her benefit tour for environmental causes to the Troy (N.Y.) Savings Bank Music Hall on April 22....Note the addition of Branford Marsalis to Tanglewood's Labor Day Weekend Jazz Festival. The former "Tonight Show" bandleader will kick off the festival on Sept. 3.

Search by Artist Name Album Title

[This column originally appeared in the Berkshire Eagle on March 26, 1999. Copyright Seth Rogovoy 1999. All rights reserved.]