In 1958, he recorded an album of his poems with a jazz combo featuring pianist Bob Dorough for Jim Dickson on Dickson's Vaja label. The album was not released but finally saw the light of day in 2006 on Sierra Records titled David Meltzer: Poet w/ Jazz 1958. Jim Dickson had earlier recorded Lord Buckley, Lenny Bruce and the Page Cavanaugh Trio. Later Jim would be A&R producer for World Pacific and Elektra Records, as well as discovering and producing the rock group, The Byrds.
One of the key poets of the Beat generation, Meltzer was also a jazz guitarist, Kabbalist scholar, and the author of more than 50 books of poetry and prose. 2005 saw the publication of David's Copy: The Selected Poems of David Meltzer (edited by Michael Rothenberg and with an introduction by Jerome Rothenberg), which provides a current overview of Meltzer's work.
Meltzer's Beat Thing (La Alameda Press) is his epic poem on the Beat generation. Jack Hirschman said of it:
Meltzer's most important lyri-political work to date...written by a poet who, in terms of the rhythms and verbal inventiveness and the naming of figures of popular culture, is without equal anywhere.[3]
Meltzer's other books include, No Eyes, poems on Lester Young, and a book of interviews, San Francisco Beat: Talking with the Poets, which is an important source for basic witnesses of San Francisco poetry culture, both Beat and beyond (e.g. Rexroth). (City Lights Books).[4]
Meltzer taught at the New College of California in the Poetics Program,[5] which was founded by Duncan McNaughton.
With his singer-musician wife Tina Meltzer, David recorded as a duo and then with their group, The Serpent Power. With his second wife, poet Julie Rogers, Meltzer frequently performed at poetry venues; they produced a CD, Two-Tone, in collaboration with tenor saxophonist Zan Stewart.[6]
Deathedit
He spent most of his life in the San Francisco Bay Area. Meltzer died on December 31, 2016, after suffering a stroke at his home in Oakland.[7][8]
Published worksedit
Poetryedit
Ragas (Discovery, 1959)
The Clown (Semina, 1960)
We All Have Something to Say To Each Other (Auerhahn, 1962)
^"David Meltzer". Poetry Foundation. January 1, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
^McMurtrie, John (January 2, 2017). "David Meltzer, Beat Generation poet and musician, dies at 79". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
^"The Maestro: David Meltzer, Part II" by Garrett Caples, Poetry Foundation, May 2011
^David Meltzer, History of Green Morning; meltzerville.com. Retrieved 2017-06-08.
^"Here's how to get your very own copy of 'Two-Tone - Poetry & Jazz'". meltzerville.com. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
External linksedit
Official Website
The David Meltzer Papers at Washington University in St. Louis
Wandering Jew, Eternal Beat: The David Meltzer Story Archived 2016-06-27 at the Wayback Machine
Transcription of Meltzer's extensive interview with Phillip Whalen, Jacket Magazine