Man Listening to Disc Art and Culture Quotes

The speaker introduces us to the fact that he's listening to jazz through his earphones. By saying that he has "Sonny Rollins" for company, he's suggesting that he is very intimate with Rollins (and his music). Already, we're getting a sense of how important music is to this speaker.

The speaker's words here suggest how grateful he is for the music he's listening to. Tommy Potter's bass guitar (and Rollins' saxophone) are giving him something. They're making him feel good about himself and the world. In speaking of his "gratitude" to Tommy Potter, the speaker suggests that music (and jazz specifically) is a gift that we're given. Also, by speaking of Potter "joining" him on his walk, he gives a sense of how close he feels to this musician, and the others he mentions in the poem. It's as if they're right there with him.

And here we get Arthur Taylor, the jazz musician, joining the speaker on his walk. Of course, the speaker isn't speaking literally when he says that Taylor is navigating "this crowd with his cumbersome drums." But by imagining him walking next to him with his drums, the speaker again gives us a sense of how connected he feels to Taylor and his music. Music is a bridge that links the speaker to the drummer.