After a three-month break, veteran “soul poet” Vince Robinson resumes his popular Jazz & Poetry sessions tonight. Robinson’s band, the Jazz Poets, open the twice-monthly gatherings with a half-hour set, followed by spoken-word performances by local spitboxers. “There’s an easy tie between lyrics of the hip-hop culture and poetry,” says Robinson. “People relate to it.” Robinson has hosted the jams since 1998 at various places around town — the Robin’s Nest, the art museum, MOCA. He also captained the Cleveland Poetry Slam Team at national tournaments in Chicago and St. Louis. “We do it for a love for the arts,” he says. “It certainly couldn’t be a love for the money.”
Tuesdays, 6-8 p.m., 2007

This article appears in Jan 31 – Feb 6, 2007.