Jazzed About Jazz
A Conversation with WCPN’s Dan Polletta

Dan Polletta does not like to talk about himself. Ask him about jazz and jazz musicians, however, and the words start flowing. In conversation, he immediately comes across as a thoughtful, friendly guy who has the good fortune to be doing, in his words, “exactly what I want.” A Columbus native, Polletta got his start at WBBY-FM in Westerville, which he notes was one of the country’s last commercial jazz radio stations, and then moved to overnights at WKSU-FM. He joined WCPN-FM in 1987 and has been the late night voice of Jazz from the Northcoast ever since.

In a world where many people dislike their jobs, Polletta clearly knows how fortunate he is. “I’ve been doing this for a long time and continue to enjoy what I do,” he says. “I think it’s great that we have this little niche. Many big cities don’t have this niche where you can go and listen to jazz on the radio. I can play Count Basie and then turn around and play something brand new.”

In his tenure at WCPN, Polletta has interviewed scores of musicians, some internationally famous, some local heroes. He says the interview that has always stood out for him personally was with the great double bassist Ray Brown. The jazz history Brown represented was awe-inspiring. As Polletta puts it, “You can have a thousand CDs and Ray Brown is on every third one of them.” He goes on to say, “I also had the opportunity to interview [pianist] McCoy Tyner, who has had a big influence on the way jazz has been played over the last few decades. The other standout interview was with [saxophonist] George Adams, who played with Charles Mingus and later played with Don Pullen. He was a great interview.”

In addition to interviews with jazz legends, Polletta has interviewed and plays his share of new jazz artists. While contemporary media and the Internet allow music lovers greater access to what seems to be an endless supply of new musicians, it still helps WCPN listeners to have someone with Polletta’s knowledge and taste in finding down great new music. He lists just a few names to watch: “Among the up and coming musicians who have impressed me are twin brothers Marcus and E.J. Strickland. Marcus plays saxophone, and E.J. is a drummer. They both seem like they have a command of the jazz tradition and their instruments. Two players from the Chicago scene who have really caught my ear are trombonist Jeb Bishop and guitarist Jeff Parker. They tend to work in more experimental settings but they bring a lyrical quality to their playing that is often lacking in that area of jazz.”

Just as the Internet has become the training ground for new rock artists, jazz musicians are also embracing technology to cultivate new listeners. While listening to jazz online will never equal the experience of sitting in a club and hearing the improvisational interplay among musicians that is the heart of this music, jazz artists are finding innovative ways to use technology to enhance the listening experience. Polletta notes the website ArtistShare.com which is used by a number of jazz musicians, among them Grammy Award-winning jazz composer Maria Schneider. Not only can listeners purchase the music of featured artists, but they can also help fund projects for their favorite artists in exchange to greater access to the creative process, such as video of rehearsals or artist commentary.

WCPN is also taking advantage of the ways in which technology can enhance listening options. For instance, the station has gone to video and audio on demand, so that if listeners miss a segment when it airs, they can still hear it online. In addition, the station is offering extra features online that may not fit into the time constraints of its regular programming.

While in the 1950s and 60s, Cleveland was a standard tour stop for all the biggest names in jazz, Polletta notes that, currently, “it’s no secret it’s on a downturn. With the exception of Nighttown, we don’t get the big names we used to.” But this doesn’t mean that the Cleveland jazz scene is in the dumps—far from it. “There are a lot of great local musicians,” Polletta says, “but you have to seek them out, you have to find them.”

Off the top of his head, he rattles off the names of just a handful of the many talented Northeast Ohio musicians whose work he admires: Pete Dominguez, Dan Wall (who, Polletta notes, plays with John Abercrombie but still makes his home here), Paul Samuels, Lamar Gaines, Dave Morgan, Jackie Warren, and Jamey Haddad. Despite the changing fortunes of the Cleveland jazz scene, Polletta emphasizes that it is still vital and healthy. “We get into this doom and gloom kind of thing,” he muses, “but this music continues no matter what happens. Guys are still out there cranking it out.”

He encourages jazz lovers to go out and hear some of the many talented jazz musicians who call Greater Cleveland home. The question of why more people don’t go out and support the local jazz scene clearly bothers him. “We get in this major event mentality,” he says, in which people gravitate toward large concerts with big-name headliners but don’t always go out to hear up-and-coming or local musicians.

“We don’t always have to go hear a big name,” he says. “Why not just say, 'It’s Friday night, let’s go out and hear some music?'”

From Cool Cleveland contributor Susan Petrone susanATtheinkcasino.com

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