Rexroth also performed on stage with saxophonist Cannonball Adderley.
Kenneth Rexroth, a writer described by Time magazine as the “Father of the Beats,” was hugely influenced by Gillespie and wrote poems for many jazz musicians. He also promoted the work of friend Charles Mingus and saxophone player Ornette Coleman (who was also championed by William S. Burroughs). Rexroth also performed on stage with saxophonist Cannonball Adderley. When Rexroth and Ferlinghetti recorded the 1959 LP Poetry and Jazz at the Blackhawk, Rexroth wrote in the liner notes about what jazz meant to the Beat writers, using the language of the time. “Poetry and jazz together return the poet to his audience. It takes the poet out of the bookish, academic world and forces him to compete with ‘acrobats, trained dogs, and singer’s midgets,’ as they used to say in the days of vaudeville,” he said. Rexroth was a regular at the famed Blackhawk in San Francisco, once sharing the bill with the Dave Brubeck Quartet.