SOJP

Spotlight on Jazz & Poetry premiered in April of 2006 and is hosted by Clayton (Bigtrigger) Corley Sr. Beginning January 20, 2008; the show premiered on the new Spotlight on Jazz and Poetry website.

The concept of the show is based on pairings of jazz musicians and their poetic contemporaries. During the program, biographical information is provided on each artist, so in a sense you can say that the show is educational as well as entertaining. At Spotlight on Jazz and Poetry, we like to refer to it as “EDUTAINMENT.”

The goal of the program is to educate everyone, about the history and importance of Jazz and Poetry. Clayton does a lot of research on each artist that is showcased on the program, so he stays pretty busy. He has collected so much music over his lifetime that he probably will never run out of artists to showcase. He is passionate about keeping the history of Jazz and Poetry in the forefront of black culture and consciousness.

The first show highlighted the music of John Coltrane and the poetry of Amiri Baraka. Spotlight on Jazz and Poetry (SOJP) has since featured artists such as Dinah Washington (musician), George Benson (musician), Arine Ward (poet), Stephane Moore (poet), and Lawrence Jones (musician). Leaving no stone unturned, SOJP features both legends and the newer artists in both genres. SOJP is also known for its in-depth interviews with artists such as Nikki Giovanni (poet) and Mulgrew Miller (musician) Jean Claude Toran (Poet) and Roy Ayers (musician). These interviews provide artists with a forum to talk about their work and the creative process.

SOJP not only produces online programs and interviews, but they've featured artists in LIVE events annually since 2008, featuring local, national and international artists.

"Spotlight On Jazz & Poetry, Jazz as poetic inspiration," is the SOJP motto!