Great Regulars: The poet [Yusef Komunyakaa] has long acknowledged

the influence of jazz rhythms on his poetry, saying that "something pulled jazz and poetry together inside me. . . . I am often awed by the jazz musician, that ability to compose and improvise while he plays."

Growing up in Louisiana, Mr. Komunyakaa said he heard a lot of blues and gospel music. "It wasn't until I was in mid 20s that I began to listen to progressive jazz, like Miles Davis' 'Sketches of Spain.' That was my first record, then I moved to other Miles, then John Coltrane and Charlie Parker."

from Bob Hoover: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Poet Yusef Komunyakaa's love of jazz draws him here

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