JMT
[POETRY & MUSIC]
JMT [Poetry & Music]
JMT was a jazz / poetry collective featuring poet and playright, Jehane Markham. Jehane passed away in September 2024 and this page acts as a memorial to her and the group.
Robin first met Jehane and actor husband Roger Lloyd Pack in 2004 in North Norfolk, when Robin and bassist Graeme Howell accompanied both Roger and Jehane for a poetry and improvised music performance at the Salthouse Poetry Festival.
Shortly after and inspired by this, Jehane formed the Jehane Markham Trio with Robin and Graeme, initially working on setting individual poems by Jehane to music. In the group, Jehane played the dual-role of story-teller and rhythm-keeper, delivering live versions of her poetry with evocative musical contributions from the two musicians. The group then embarked on the longer ‘The London Series’ suite, bringing together a collection of Jehane’s poetry about London and setting it to original music, lasting around 20 minutes.
Jonnny Gee then joined the trio on bass in 2007 and together the group worked on the even longer ‘Vladivostok To Moscow’ suite, a 40 minute collection of Jehane’s poems set to music about a train trip she once took across Russia.
Jehane, Jonny, and Robin did a recording session at The Lodge Studio in Northampton in 2009, releasing ‘The London Series’ (and other poems) and ‘Vladivostok To Moscow’ on two different CDs in 2010. Excerpts from both can be heard on the player on the right of this page.
Also in 2010, cellist Natalie Rozario joined as an alternative to bass for some performances.
JMT performed at poetry venues and arts festivals in London and across the country.
Click here to read an interview with Jehane and Robin for LondonJazz.
Outside of JMT, in Aug 2021 Jehane recorded ‘My Life In 5 Poems’ with Natalie Rozario on cello, for Electric Medway. repmusic did the sound recording and the video was shot by Ruth Grimberg, click here to see the video. She also did another reading for Electric Medway, click here to see ‘Above and Below the Waterline’ by Jehane Markham.
Towards the end of her life, Jehane featured in the music video for Robin’s original song ‘Sign Of The Times.
