Musicality of Poetry Festival VII:

In the words of Reggie Gibson, the Church of the Phunky Word is a ?wordvocation? tracing and trailing the mystic and mythical beginnings, manifestations and transformation of musexpressions through wordritual and soundprayer. Utilizing everhthing from liturgical forms to field hollers, Church is one man?s attempt to create a new mythology for a world badly in need of one. Performing in the ?Church? tonight will be Josh Abrams, Darius Savage, Nikki Mitchell, Bro. Laurence, atiba, lya Mitchell, and kwodjo Fletch. Reggie Gibson has performed all over the country and extensively in Europe. Reggie and two of his poems appear in the feature film, ?Love jones,? which is based on one of the first venues in Chicago for African-American poets to perform their work. Mr. Gibson is currently finishing his firs manuscript, storms beneath the skin, which is slated to be published in Winter 1998 by nappyhead press. In August 1998 Reggie took 1st Place in the individual competition at the National Poetry Slam in Austin, Texas.

Philip Bryant is the author of Sermon on a Perfect Spring Day (New Rivers Press). Tonight he performs his poems to jazz. He was born in Chicago and educated in the Chicago Public Schools. He graduated with a B.A. in English from Gustavus Adolphus College in 1973, and an MFA in creative writing from Columbia University?s School of the Arts in 1975. He has taught extensively in the Chicago area. Since 1989 he has taught at Gustavus Adolphus College, where he is an Associiate Professor of English. His poetry has been published in The Iowa Review, The Indiana Review, The American Poetry Review, and Nimrod.

Carolyn Wilkins is a composer, vocalist, keyboard player, and leader of the band SpiritJazz. Tonight she accompainies Philip Bryant on piano. Born in Chicago, she studied classical music at Roosevelt University while still in high school. She has played with the Pittsbugh Symphony under the batons of Andre Previn and Willian Stienberg. Presently she is an Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music. SpiritJazz features Carolyn singing and playing her own music. The band mixes classic jazz, funky blues soul, gospel fire, and when necessary bop, swing, and classic new age introspections.