Di. 21.7.20 | 22:00 – 24:00 Uhr
These Keys
these keys like the projects of Columbus Hill
like a drunk rhombus or a discombobulated rumba
like dreams slunk on dime store racks
like a trinkle tinkle in time a melodious thunk plunked
as you squint diligently these keys like footprints scuffing
Mintons floor like a miniscule Crepuscule the jewel of Mingus’
bass chords minced as Evidence diced fine like Nellie’s veggies
blind like stubborn sidemen playing out of time don’t know
there ain’t no wrong notes so don’t ask me to lay out
to lay down to lay low or hang up this fedora the explorer
Pandora these keys unlocked unabridged
like the mystery of Epistrophy apostrophe
fingers atrophy from atrocities wrought by calamity
of the cabaret card these keys bop hard bunched
like whole tone bouquets buffets of Steinways plinked with clunky
funky finesse as Bud and the Baroness baritone of Mulligan bless
these keys harmonically sardonically chronically sonically
stride and swing Jackie-ing Rhythm-a-ning do your thing
let them call you crazy when the swing got you swirling
let them call you lazy when you refuse to play a matinee
either way they’ll try to play you out devoutly pout
deny you vilify you canonize then sterilize you
organize to make an off minor myth out of you
once you split the scene for good lord no one sees
that these keys are your blood your
Nutty Mood your Ugly Beauty food delicious
dissonant and misunderstood
the critics will print the banter about the drugs
the tragedies black poverty pry about mental
dis-ease but nobody will concede
or want to believe that you were ele
funda experi instru mentally happy tapping
these keys like drunk skunk Columbus rhombus
these keys of Mingus Mintons Mysterious Epistrophes
these keys that deliver dissonant epiphanies
that know all the landlord and the labels can’t see
these keys that capture and spring undiscovered melodies
these keys are so far out dazzling hilarious
these keys like junk dreams in junk drawers toys of chromatic joys
that know that know that silence is the loudest noise
“These Keys” by Vincent Toro
(Lyrics for “Monk’s Dream” by Thelonious Sphere Monk)