April is Poetry Month: Jazzmouth Comes to Portsmouth

Portsmouth has long been known as a hip town, and this month they are stepping it up a notch with the first annual “Jazzmouth”, otherwise know as The Seacoast Poetry and Jazz Festival. April 14-17, 2005, Portsmouth will play host to an array of events designed to promote and embrace the arts of poetry, spoken word, film and improvisational music. The long weekend begins with a film festival at 7pm on Thursday night at The Portsmouth Music Hall. In between screenings of Pull My Daisy and Poetry in Motion there will be performances by the Groove Bacteria and a local jazz quartet.If you have never been to one of the Portsmouth Poet Laureate Program’s (PLP) monthly poetry “Hoots”, be sure to get to the Espresso Café on Islington street on Friday night. From 6 – 8 p.m. the PLP will host a poetry reading featuring more than half a dozen of New Hampshire’s most inspired poets. The Espresso Café offers a wonderful ambiance and tasty light dinners, coffee drinks and a collection of good wines. Arrive early so you can find a table and order some fare.Friday night will also bring the “Jazzmouth Jazzfest” at 9 p.m. at The Press Room. Music director Bruce Pingree has collected a zoot suit wearing lineup of hot local musicians that are sure to get you toe tapping and ready for the rest of the weekend. RiverRun Books of Commercial Ally is a wooden beamed and friendly bookshop. They have long been supporting New Hampshire poets and on Saturday, April 16 they extend their encouragement to young writers. From 11am to noon they will host a “Young Writers Beat Night”, where area High School writers are invited to share their work. After supporting this next wave of poets, head to The South Church for a performance poetry workshop lead by Neil English. Perhaps the highlight of the weekend will be when living legends such as composer and musician David Amram and poet Charles Simic, along with several other acts will be performing at the Super Beat Night Show at 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 16. The event will be held at the South Church in Portsmouth. Tickets can be purchased in advance for $10 at The Press Room, $11 at Bull Moose Music, and $12 at the door.The weekend will close with a Poetry and Jazz Brunch at The Library Restaurant on Sunday at 11am. Most of the artist from the other events will pop up again to share their craft and their passion.For more information and to confirm dates, times and ticketing visit the festival website at poetryandjazz.com.