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MAGAZINE, APRIL 2002

ONE NATION UNDER BOB
By Bill McDonough

While many people bemoan jazz's shrinking audience, one jazz-radio program's ubiquity practically rivals that of I Love Lucy reruns -- at any given moment, someone, somewhere is listening to "Jazz with Bob Parlocha."

For years, a staple of jazz radio, Parlocha now sends 30 hours of mainstream music each week to stations throughout the country from his home studio in Alameda, CA. While it's the straightahead music (which Parlocha describes as "all Bob's taste") that initially grabs his listeners’ attention, it's Parlocha's unique style that keeps them tuned in.

"Bob is the kind of person who keeps listeners from turning off the radio for fear they'll miss something. He's excited about what's coming up next," says David Levin, vice president of the WFMT radio network that syndicates the program. "He talks when there's something to say and shuts up when there isn't. And isn't that refreshing in radio?"

While you'll hear plenty of variety from Parlocha, what you won't hear is much risk taking. But that's less a function of the host's taste than of timing. "The show is incredibly difficult to program," Parlocha explains. "I can't go to certain areas of the music because I don't know when it will be played. So I don't gamble too much, especially with some outside Coltrane or similar stuff. If I knew I was on at 3:00 a.m. I'd have a lot more freedom than I do thinking ‘Well, I'm on at 9:00 a.m. in some places.’"

Still, Parlocha's in-the-pocket approach keeps his customers satisfied. "Bob goes just far enough," says Chuck Camroux, CEO at Jazz FM 91 in Toronto. "He pleases the fanatics and stays out of the face of the people who just want to listen to some jazz."

With more than 240 stations carrying the program, making it onto Parlocha's playlist is quite a coup for independent labels and musicians, who can't afford the kind of marketing push it takes to gain airplay in each market.

"It's incredible. It is perhaps the best kind of exposure we can get," says Robert Washut, director of the University of Northern Iowa's Jazz Band One, whom Parlocha praises as a "totally frightening big band."

Mark Levine, leader of The Latin Tinge, agrees that inclusion on the program helps spread the word across the country: "We're a heck of a lot more famous than we were two years ago."

Parlocha says that while the music is first-rate, it's no accident that these lesser-known artists make it into his rotation. "I feel an obligation to make sure my listeners hear certain recordings," he says. "I also think I should stay away from playing other stuff that everybody's playing."

Though producing the show at home offers advantages, it also presents unique challenges. "When I first started doing this, my dog thought I was talking to him, and he'd start talking back to me," the producer recalls. "It was a long time before I could actually get him to sit there and be quiet." Then Parlocha adds, "I wonder if he was talking about the music."

How long can Bob keep going? "Until I get to the point that I don't understand what the young players are doing. Otherwise, I plan to do it until I die -- probably right here at the console. What better life than to die putting on some Coltrane?"

Reprinted with permission from Bill McDonough and Jazziz Magazine

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	MAGAZINE, APRIL 2002

	ONE NATION UNDER BOB By Bill McDonough
	While many people bemoan jazz's shrinking audience, one jazz-radio program's ubiquity practically rivals that of I Love Lucy reruns -- at any given moment, someone, somewhere is listening to "Jazz with Bob Parlocha."
	For years, a staple of jazz radio, Parlocha now sends 30 hours of mainstream music each week to stations throughout the country from his home studio in Alameda, CA. While it's the straightahead music (which Parlocha describes as "all Bob's taste") that initially grabs his listeners’ attention, it's Parlocha's unique style that keeps them tuned in. "Bob is the kind of person who keeps listeners from turning off the radio for fear they'll miss something. He's excited about what's coming up next," says David Levin, vice president of the WFMT radio network that syndicates the program. "He talks when there's something to say and shuts up when there isn't. And isn't that refreshing in radio?" While you'll hear plenty of variety from Parlocha, what you won't hear is much risk taking. But that's less a function of the host's taste than of timing. "The show is incredibly difficult to program," Parlocha explains. "I can't go to certain areas of the music because I don't know when it will be played. So I don't gamble too much, especially with some outside Coltrane or similar stuff. If I knew I was on at 3:00 a.m. I'd have a lot more freedom than I do thinking ‘Well, I'm on at 9:00 a.m. in some places.’" Still, Parlocha's in-the-pocket approach keeps his customers satisfied. "Bob goes just far enough," says Chuck Camroux, CEO at Jazz FM 91 in Toronto. "He pleases the fanatics and stays out of the face of the people who just want to listen to some jazz." With more than 240 stations carrying the program, making it onto Parlocha's playlist is quite a coup for independent labels and musicians, who can't afford the kind of marketing push it takes to gain airplay in each market. "It's incredible. It is perhaps the best kind of exposure we can get," says Robert Washut, director of the University of Northern Iowa's Jazz Band One, whom Parlocha praises as a "totally frightening big band." Mark Levine, leader of The Latin Tinge, agrees that inclusion on the program helps spread the word across the country: "We're a heck of a lot more famous than we were two years ago." Parlocha says that while the music is first-rate, it's no accident that these lesser-known artists make it into his rotation. "I feel an obligation to make sure my listeners hear certain recordings," he says. "I also think I should stay away from playing other stuff that everybody's playing." Though producing the show at home offers advantages, it also presents unique challenges. "When I first started doing this, my dog thought I was talking to him, and he'd start talking back to me," the producer recalls. "It was a long time before I could actually get him to sit there and be quiet." Then Parlocha adds, "I wonder if he was talking about the music." How long can Bob keep going? "Until I get to the point that I don't understand what the young players are doing. Otherwise, I plan to do it until I die -- probably right here at the console. What better life than to die putting on some Coltrane?" Reprinted with permission from Bill McDonough and Jazziz Magazine How to subscribe to JAZZIZ Magazine