Jelly Roll: A Blues

Finding Kevin Young was like passing
a random bar with live music
and turning in, on a whim, and loving it,
shaking your head and saying "Hell, yeah."

The upright bass rasps behind him,
his sounds and syntax
bring the subtle variations and repetitions
that give jazz its bling. He sings

of love gone right, and gone wrong,
nailing the gravelly wailing
of the blues.

In Kevin Young, you'll hear a voice unique and familiar --
in all, a treasure, a jewel most rare.

-Emily

The dust jacket says “jaunty and intimate,” which is not as direct as “A lot of these are about sex.” Some truly standout poems (including many of those “intimate” ones), but the collection as a whole is not as thoroughly amazing as his *Dear Darkness.*

I wanted to like this book more. Poetry in homage to country blues musicians. The best material here is the work that's most personal to the poet, who is not a blues musician. It's a beautiful book.