Rigorous Freedom 
by Roberto Bonazzi

"Rigorous freedom of jazz that Beethoven invented—s
Ellington our Beethoven in his "trench coat of dignity,
natural rhythms become our dance in the arts."
(Read the entire poem here)

Hear poet Jim LaVilla-Havelin read "Rigorous Freedom" accompanied by Joël's solo bass rendition of "Stardust" from The Window on KRTU 91.7 FM here.

New York City native Roberto Bonazzi's essays, reviews, short stories and poems have appeared in over 200 publications, including The New York Times, Village Voice, Transatlantic Review (London), and Excelsior (Mexico City). Author of the critically-acclaimed Man in the Mirror: John Howard Griffin and the Story of BLACK LIKE ME, he wrote the liner notes for Joël Dilley's The Window and Bett Butler's Myths & Fables. His latest book is the critically-acclaimed Maestro of Solitude (Wings Press, 2007). He lives in San Antonio and writes the column "Poetic Diversity" for the Express-News.