Album Notes

Equal parts poignant and perverse, hilarious and heart-wrenching, the career of writer-performer J.W. Baz is defined by duality. While some critics can’t stand him, countless others have offered considerable acclaim, even going so far as to call him, “his generation’s Lenny Bruce.” Due largely to his raucous live shows and uncanny ability to engage an audience, Baz has garnered a reputation as one of the most compelling figures in the world of spoken word. His work has appeared on NPR, in the Chicago Tribune, and in hundreds of venues across the United States and Canada.

As a slam competitor, Baz was a finalist at the 2007 Individual World Poetry Slam and twice finished in the Top Ten at the U.S. National Poetry Slam as a member of Team Chicago. To date, he has released two full-length albums of poetry, Poet Laureate of Apt. 2E (2006) and Love Crimes, Etc. (2007), and has completed two national tours in their support. All things considered, he’s doing pretty well for a guy who failed Creative Writing in high school.