Without swing, there’s no bebop jazz. Without bebop jazz, there’s no beat poetry. Without beat poetry, there’s no Lawrence Ferlinghetti (at right), who wrote the million-selling 1958 poetry collection “A Coney Island of the Mind.” A contemporary of William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac, Ferlinghetti will read from two ’90s books, including “A Far Rockaway of the Heart,” at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Ferguson Theater, 600 S. Michigan Ave. Free. 312-344-8100.
Beat-and-jazz fans may want to progress backward through history to two swing events: Trumpeter Scott Hall pays tribute to Bix Bederbecke at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Getz Theatre, 72 E. 11th St. (tickets: $5-$10; 312-344-6179); and Jump Rhythm Jazz Project performs at 8 p.m. Thursday and Oct. 8 and 9 at Dance Center, 4730 N. Sheridan (Tickets: $20; 773-989-3310).
