Friday, June 6, 2008

Regina Harris Baiocchi, African American Composer, Premieres “Blues Haiku”

In October of last year AfriClassical posted: “Regina Baiocchi, African American Composer (b. 1956)”. Today we are pleased to announce that Regina Harris Baiocchi will premiere Blues Haiku at the 24th Annual Printer's Row Book Fair Saturday and Sunday, June 7 & 8, 2008, 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Her booth is G-3, on the West side of Dearborn at Harrison. Reservations may be made by calling 312-458-9898. AfriClassical invited Regina to explain the nature of Blues Haiku. She replied: “Thanks for your interest. Blues Haiku & Other New Poems is a collection of poems. I've organized this volume using Blues-inspired haiku as bookends, with other poetic forms (free verse, kwansaba, couplets, etc.) in between. Blues Haiku received critical acclaim that I've enclosed.”

One of several enthusiastic appraisals of the work is this statement by Angela Jackson, Poet: “Even though it is no surprise that music runs through Regina Harris Baiocchi's Blues Haiku & Other Selected Poems, it is bright with surprise. There is a casual elegance here as in the way a musician eases into the moment. There is grit and juice. Baiocchi engages us with her intelligence, edgy spirituality, buoyancy and maturity.”

Regina Harris Baiocchi's Etude No. 2 (2:48) is available on the CD Kaleidoscope: Music by African-American Women; Helen Walker-Hill, piano; Gregory Walker, violin; Leonarda 339 (1995). Kidstuff is a children's CD she and Michael Adams produced in 2007.

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