Various Artists - Jazz Canto Vol. 1

Consider the beatnik, for long a forlorn victim of parody. The archetype now evokes a derisory image of a pseudo-intellectual schmoozing in a beret and turtleneck. The contemporary equivalent, the hipster, draws similar revulsion for their perceived aura of self-satisfaction and vapidity. Jazz Canto, an eclectic mingling of rhythmic jazz and vibrant poetry, was very much at the centre of the Beat movement of the '50s. There is a lack of concession to the uninitiated here, as the socio-politically charged poetry of literary luminaries like Langston Hughes and Walt Whitman pulsates with sharp satire. However, Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s Dog is a comparatively lighthearted highlight. Originally released in 1958, Jazz Canto Vol. 1 resonates with authenticity, and it's a reminder that the Beat Generation was borne of real substance, and that being a part of it meant more than a silly goatee.