Poet Dan Jaffe never truly understood Langston Hughes’ writing until they became friends late in Hughes’ life.

“I didn’t know how much jazz had influenced his work,” Jaffe said. “He was, in fact, the first jazz poet.”

Now, both jazz and Hughes’ work are influencing Jaffe’s poetry. Jaffe was in Lawrence on Wednesday to record one of his works for Kansas Public Radio. It will air as part of a Valentine’s Day special on “The Jazz Scene” with host David Basse.

The show can be heard from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, with a repeat broadcast at 11 p.m., on KANU-FM 91.5 in Lawrence.

Jaffe spent more than 30 years teaching at the University of Missouri-Kansas City before moving to Miami.

He first met Hughes in the mid-1960s, when he was running a poetry series in Kansas City and asked Hughes to participate. The pair remained in contact until Hughes’ death in 1967 at age 65.

“I wish I’d known him much longer,” Jaffe said. “Langston was very encouraging to me. He even took a play of mine and tried to get it produced for me in New York.”

Jaffe was touched by Hughes’ work because it was conversational.

“What Langston has is like what Robert Frost or William Carlos Williams or Mark Twain have,” he said. “He’s one of the poets who writes directly out of the human voice. These are poems that reflect the way people actually speak in their environments.”

Poet and playwright Dan Jaffe, sitting, speaks with radio host David Basse before recording a piece for Kansas Public Radio's Valentine's Day jazz show. Jaffe, who worked for several years with Langston Hughes, read poetry Wednesday as local jazz musicians played. The show will air at 1 p.m. and again at 11 p.m. Saturday on KANU-FM, 91.5.

Now, Jaffe has a successful career in his own right. He has published three books of poetry and has another due out this fall.

“I never know from moment to moment what I might write about,” he said. “Let’s say I see something fascinating in the world, and it might provoke a poem. Somebody might tap an interesting rhythm on top of a car, and it might provoke a poem. Somebody might be angry about the nature of our politics and it might provoke a poem.”

Basse said Jaffe was like a solo saxophonist or trumpet player when he performed with a jazz combo.

“He’s a brilliant man,” Basse said. “I think he’s one of the better poets I’ve heard. He just continues to come up with brilliant stuff.”

The piece that was recorded for “The Jazz Scene” is called “When You Let Love Loose.” It included poems and songs in three movements: from a man’s perspective, a woman’s perspective and a joint perspective.

“It’s a look at love from a darker side than you’d normally see it,” Basse said. “It’s not candy hearts and silk flowers. It’s adult love. People make mistakes and do things to get themselves in trouble.”

Kansas Public Radio