Jazz breaking news: Linton Kwesi Johnson and Val Wilmer pay tribute to ‘firespitter’ Jayne Cortez

Jayne Cortez, author of brilliant volumes of verse such as 1973’s Scarifications and recordings like 1982’s There It Is, was very much a champion of Afro-Diasporan creativity in the widest sense. The presence of two legends of dub poetry, the Jamaican Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze and the black Briton Linton Kwesi Johnson (below) underlined that quite emphatically.

Cortez was an indefatigable activist for human rights, particularly those of women, a subject that was given a dynamic and highly moving representation by the verse, melodies and storytelling of Zena Edwards. There were also reminiscences from Margaret Busby and Val Wilmer (below). Above all Cortez was a writer whose words were music. Her stanzas were rhythm, her ideas and emotions were given vivid colours and textures by that wonderfully authoritative voice, and if she said ‘If The Drum Is A Woman’ then the reference was not only Ellingtonian. That title was about the body as a precious entity that, when respected, can produce the most mesmerizing sounds as well as images.

When her son Denardo (below) played solo drums and recited snatches of her texts, Cortez seemed to drift into the room, but perhaps the most vivid encapsulation of her spirit was the inspired meeting of two sterling Guyanese artists, the poet John Agard and the flautist Keith Waithe.

Each performed an excellent solo set, Agard delighting with his irreverence, wit and observational power (Prophets at airports was a highlight) and Waithe dazzling with his consummate blend of folksong and Kirk-esque abstraction. When these two forces came together the result was spectacular and for those in the audience who had been lucky enough to see Jayne Cortez collaborate with musicians then the memory of her on stage with saxophonist Talib Kibwe may have sprung to mind.

– Kevin Le Gendre

– Roger Thomas (photos)