Profile of Hosts
10am - 2pm Weekdays - Jeff Fox
Jeff
Fox is an Associate Professor of English and Japanese, and he is also a
working musician who plays guitar, bass, and saxophone. He has played in the
CSI Jazz Orchestra, which played at Montreux, Switzerland Jazz Festival which
has appeared in New York City at the International Association of Jazz
Educators conference in 2001. He has fronted several jazz groups over the
years ranging from an eight-piece little big band to a duo featuring sax and
guitar. Jeff has also performed on and produced several CDs for local jazz
artists.
Jeff has been involved off and on in jazz radio for over twenty years.
Jeff's goal in his musical performance has always been attracting young players to jazz, and through JAZZ FM in Erie, he hopes more people will come to know jazz as an accessible and enjoyable art.
6pm - Midnight Weekdays - Tony Mowod
Tony
Mowod is on JAZZ FM every weekday night. Tony is also the
President and Founder of the Pittsburgh Jazz Society, and has been one of Pennsylvania's
most enduring champions of jazz for over four decades.
Even as a teenager, Tony dazzled by the tremendous number of jazz greats from this area, responded to them not only as a fan does, but as a young musician himself. (The vibraphone was his instrument of choice after studying classical piano as a youngster.)
While attending Duquesne University, Tony embarked on his broadcasting career.
Achievements include:
- Pittsburgh Jazz Festival honored him for his continuing effort to promote jazz music.
- California University of Pennsylvania awarded Tony the "Excellence in Jazz Promotion Award".
- Presented with a plaque by the River City Brass Band for "Outstanding Contribution to the Growth and Development of Jazz".
- Selected by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette as one of the Top 50 Cultural Power Brokers.
- Received the Harry Schwalb-Excellence in the Arts Award for Jazz.
Mowod also serves on the board of the American Federation of Jazz Societies.
Tony's ongoing love affair with jazz music is rekindled each night as he reminds listeners to "...keep a bit of love in your heart, and a taste of jazz in your soul." More than words to Tony Mowod, they are the man's philosophy.
Friday 3 to 6 pm - Bob Protzman
Click
Here for
Bob's Everything Jazz Playlist
Jazz has been an important part of Bob Protzman's entire life, both personally and professionally.
During an award winning 40-year career as a newspaperman that began at the Erie Morning News and ended with retirement in 1998 after 31 years at the St. Paul MN Pioneer Press, Bob also found time to work in radio in Erie and the Twin Cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis as a newsman, sports show host, and most importantly, host of a jazz program.
Bob’s love affair with music—especially jazz—began in early childhood when he ran around the house “singing’’ Nat King Cole’s “Straighten Up and Fly Right,’’ and with butter knives and a wooden chair, “played’’ drums along with music on the family radio.
Bob studied drums in junior high (7th grade) at Academy High School, but his thoughts of being a musician ended there—one of his few regrets in life. A fellow trainee, however, stuck with it and went on to become one of Erie’s finest, most respected jazz musicians. Tenor saxophonist Charles Ventrello remains an important figure on the Erie jazz scene.
Bob began his real jazz “education’’ in the U.S. Air Force, which he joined after graduating from Erie Cathedral Prep. Stationed in Newburgh, NY, just 65 miles up the Hudson River from New York City, he and some jazz loving pals took advantage of the location and spent every weekend they could in the Big Apple listening to the greatest players and bands of the day at a time when the city was full of clubs like Birdland, the Five Spot, Royal Roost, Jimmy Ryan’s, Hickory House, Metropole, et al.
Bob returned to Erie after discharge in 1957, and after responding to a column by the late Hugh “Red’’ Barr about forming an organization of Erie jazz fans, was among those who began the Erie Jazz Society the following year.
Barr also got Bob an interview that led to a job with the Erie Morning News.
Bob began broadcasting part time while at the Morning News, working at stations of the day such as WLEU (1450), WICU (1330) and WERC (1260). At WERC, then general manager Art Arkelian gave Bob the chance to host his first jazz show.
Bob has hosted jazz shows off and on since—at two different stations in the Twin Cities, and on Erie’s WQLN for 3 ˝ years before joining Jazz FM 88.5 at Mercyhurst College.
Bob left Erie for St. Paul in 1967, and after only a year at the St. Paul Pioneer Press, asked to write a general music column he called “Today’s Sounds.’’ A general assignment reporter, who covered human and civil rights, education, politics, etc., Bob became in 1977 a fulltime arts and entertainment writer, specializing in jazz.
Bob eventually became one of the few fulltime jazz writers on a daily newspaper in the United States, and submitted ideas to and wrote for Down Beat magazine, the internationally distributed oldest, and arguably most popular of all jazz publications.
Bob was a founding member of the Twin Cities Jazz Society which this year celebrates its 30th anniversary, and was voted into the Minnesota Jazz Hall of Fame as one of only two non-musician members.
After living in Pittsburgh’s North Hills for two years and reviewing jazz CDs for the Sunday Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Bob returned in 2003 to his hometown Erie.
He joined the board of JazzErie and put together the organization’s first-ever full season of performances. He also served on the JazzErie board and now is a member of its Performance Committee, which is responsible for selecting nationally known and local artists to perform in Erie.
Scott
Hanley has experience in most aspects of broadcasting, especially public
radio, in a twenty-plus year career. A former reporter, arts producer, music
director, news director and program director, he is active with a number of
influential public broadcasting organizations and is a regular leader or
panelist at national conferences. In a recent addition to his busy schedule,
he has been appointed to an advisory committee for future internet activities
of National Public Radio.
Scott has a special affinity for jazz-oriented radio. He has been a session leader or panelist for many national conferences specifically related to jazz music and has experience as a concert and festival producer/promoter. Mr. Hanley also serves as volunteer coordinator of the Jazz Radio Consortium, an ongoing collaboration between public radio stations intent on improving jazz programming nationwide.
A trained musician, Hanley had an active performing career in years past, including vocal work in choral, operatic, musical theater and jazz combo settings, plus instrumental work as a trombonist. Although he performs infrequently, he is most likely to be heard these days singing jazz in a small group setting.
Bob
Studebaker is from Pittsburgh. In addition to his independent work in audio
production, he has worked since 1980 with various radio stations in this area
including WNUF, WWCL, WXXP, WORD, WQKB, WMXP, and WJJJ.
With an avid interest in history, Bob has taught the "History of Jazz" at Carnegie Mellon University's Academy for Lifelong Learning, tracing the roots of jazz from 17th century West Africa to the many influences and experiences that have contributed to the evolution of "America's classical music."
As Production Director, Bob has hosted local high school students in the Professional Experience Program at Penn Hills High School, teaching them and giving them hands-on experience with recording and editing for radio.
9am - 1pm - Saturday
Despierta
Latino is the oldest Hispanic radio show in the Erie area. Julio and Gabriel
provides the Hispanic community the very best in Mexican Regional and Latin
music by playing a variety of Spanish music that reaches all generations.
latino@ErieRadio.com
| Julio Negron Gabriel Santiago |
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10am - 1pm - Sunday
Polka
Celebration is hosted by: Bob Koziel, Pattie Tofel, Kathy Grandalski,
Maria Wawrzyniak, & Marlene Yurkewicz. The show features
many area bands and information on polka and festival events. You will
hear a mix of Polka music with emphasis on the Polish Polka traditions.
The hosts invite listener requests and participation in helping deliver the
"happy sounds" to Erie, PA.
polka@ErieRadio.com
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Gary Wawrzyniak |
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Bob Koziel |
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Pattie Tofel |
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