Danny Polo

Danny Polo (real name Pollo)(December 22, 1901 – July 11, 1949) was an American jazz clarinetist.

Danny Polo
Background information
Born	December 22, 1901 Clinton, Indiana
Died	July 11, 1949 (aged 47) Chicago, Illinois
Genres	Jazz

Life

Polo's father was also a clarinetist, and he learned to play from a young age, working in marching bands from age eight. Claude Thornhill played with Polo as a duo in his youth. In the 1920s, Polo played with Elmer Schoebel (1923), Merritt Brunies, Arnold Johnson, Ben Bernie, Jean Goldkette (1926), and Paul Ash. In 1927 he went with Dave Tough to Europe, where he played with several Continental bandleaders including Bert Firman, Lud Gluskin, George Carhart, Ben Berlin and Arthur Briggs. From 1930-1935 Polo played with Ambrose, then returned to the U.S. in December of that year.

In 1938, Polo returned to Britain to play with Ambrose again, and worked with Ray Ventura in Paris in 1939. Late in 1939 he moved back to the U.S. for good, and spent the early 1940s working with Joe Sullivan, Jack Teagarden (1942, including on Bing Crosby's film Birth of the Blues), and Claude Thornhill again. He led his own Midwestern territory band for a time, then returned to play with Thornhill once more in 1947. While with Thornhill he became ill, and died rather suddenly in 1949. His gravestone gives his correct name as Pollo. He recorded two sessions as a leader (which include Alix Combelle), both in Europe, in 1938-39. Polo played in several experimental sessions with Miles Davis around 1947-1948.

On July 11, 1949, Polo died in Chicago of hemorrhages that resulted from a peptic ulcer. He was 47.[1]

References

1. "Danny Polo, Noted Clarinetist Dies". The Terre Haute Star. Indiana, Terre Haute. July 12, 1949. p. 1. Retrieved March 11, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.

• Scott Yanow, Danny Polo at Allmusic