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Jazz Under the Stars

Relive the 2012 I.C. Jazz Festival

Special Broadcast All Day Long Memorial Day

To get tuned up for this year's Iowa City Jazz Festival, catch a day-long broadcast of the 2012 Festival this Memorial Day. We'll feature nearly all of the mainstage performances from last year's festival, including Marco Benevento, Todd Sickafoose, Cyrille Aimee, Ariel Pocock, the Heath Brothers and Matt Wilson's tribute to Paul Motian, Mumbo Jumbo. The music starts at 9 a.m. Monday, May 27. Take great jazz with you on your Memorial Day activities. Listen over the air or on line at www.kcck.org/onair.

All Iowa City Jazz Festival All the Time

KCCK to Launch Special HD Channel

KCCK, along with Summer of the Arts, will launch the "Iowa City Jazz Festival Channel" June 1. The program stream will consist solely of artists performing at the Iowa City Jazz Festival July 5-7. Programming on the Jazz Fest Channel will consist of recordings of the groups performing on both the main stage and side stages. Artist interviews and profiles, as well as schedule information and updates, will be carried as well. The Iowa City Jazz Festival Channel will pre-empt KCCK's second program stream, The Iowa Channel, for a little over a month. The station is available by downloading the Iowa Channel app for IOS and Android at www.iowachannel.org or at 88.3-2 on an HD Radio. Click here to see the entire news release..

Discover Cuba with KCCK

KCCK and Friends To Go Jazzing in Cuba

KCCK is going to Cuba October 31-November 7. And you can go along. We'll spend one night in Miami, then fly from Miami to Havana, where we'll spend six nights. Highlights of the trip will include the world famous Tropicana Show, the Plaza of the Revolution, the Old Havana Walking Tour and Hemingway's Farm. Program rates: $3,699 per person for a double room, $4,199 per person for a single room.
Click here to see a trip brochure.

Jazz Under the Stars Lineup Announced

KCCK's Summer Concert Series Marks 26 Years

KCCK has announced the lineup for the 26th annual Jazz Under The Stars concert series. As always, Jazz Under the Stars is held Thursday evenings in August at Noelridge Park in northeast Cedar Rapids. Food prepared on site will be available. The concerts start at 7 p.m.

August 1 - Al Naylor and the I-380 Express Reunion
August 8 - Brass Transit Authority
August 15 - Steve Grismore Trio
August 22 - Dennis McMurrin and The Demolition Band

KCCK Wins IBNA Award

Clean Up Your Act Cited

KCCK's Clean Up Your Act took first place in the Iowa Broadcast News Association's 2012 News Awards Contest in the In-Depth/Series category for expanded reports or series that provide background and understanding of a specific news event or issue. The award was announced at IBNA's 2013 convention in Johnston April 13. Produced by George Dorman since 1991, Clean Up Your Act highlights the need for energy conservation and other environmental issues. It airs weekdays at 6:35 a.m. and 3:35 p.m. Saturday at 9:20 a.m. and Sunday at 8:20 a.m. It's the second year in a row that Clean Up Your Act has been honored with this award. Listen to Clean Up Your Act podcasts. IBNA is a non-profit corporation of radio-TV news directors, reporters, producers, public relations professionals and others from Iowa and its adjacent states.

First Friday Jazz Series June 7

KCCK Will Broadcast Live from the Opus Concert Cafe

The Opus Concert Cafe, located next to the Paramount Theatre in downtown Cedar Rapids, continues its new series June 7 with The UNI Commons Ensemble. The First Friday Jazz Series features an eclectic mix of jazz, Latin and contemporary music the first Friday of every month. Doors at Opus open at 4:30 p.m. with live music from 5-7 p.m. Admission is $10. If you can't be there in person, the first set of each performance of the series is broadcast live on KCCK. The Opus Concert Cafe is operated by Orchestra Iowa.

Iowa City Jazz Festival Sneak Preview

2013 Event to Run July 5-7

If you're looking forward to the summer, here's an advanced look at the lineup for the Iowa City Jazz Festival Friday, July 5, through Sunday, July 7. Friday's lineup includes the United Jazz Ensemble, Laranja and Sachal Vasandani with the Iowa Jazz Orchestra. Saturday's performers include the North Corridor All-Stars, Charlie Hunter/Scott Amedola, the Christian Scott Quintet and Dr. Lonnie Smith. Sunday will bring the Phillip Dizack Quartet, the JD Allen Trio, the Fred Hersch Trio and Pharoah Sanders to the main stage. This lineup is pretty solid, but sometimes things change between January and July, so watch this space and also the Summer of the Arts website for the latest news.

Top 88 of 2012

Chick Corea, Eddie Gomez and Paul Motian's "Further Explorations" CD was the most-played on KCCK during 2012. The Dirty Dozen Brass Band's "Twenty Dozen" was the second most-popular on our airwaves last year. "Radio Music Society" by Esperanza Spalding came in third. Koplant No's "Distants" was Number-88. You can purchase all 88 CDs through Amazon.com and a portion of your purchase will go to support KCCK. Just click on (Purchase) next to the title of each CD. Click here to see the entire list.

KCCK Producers Choose Top 10s of 2012

KCCK's music producers have each chosen their 10 favorite jazz, smooth jazz and blues releases from 2012. Their top choices range from Wes Montgomery to the Jazz Soul Seven, Esperanza Spalding, Gerald Albright and Norman Brown, Pat Smith and Rich Wagor and Beegie Adair. Click here to see their choices.

20 Years of Da Blues

Bob DeForest Hits Milestone at KCCK

Bob DeForest has been hosting KCCK's Saturday night Da Blues show since 1993. Hel marked his 20th anniversary with the station Jan. 5, 2013. His weekly shift includes Da Blues at 6 p.m., Crawfish Circuit at 10 p.m. and Melting Pot at 11 p.m. He utilizes his own extensive library of recordings as well as KCCK’s vast collection. Bobby D. is also a founding member of the Linn County Blues Society and was inducted into the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame in 2008. Station Manager Dennis Green says, "It’s a Blues party every week for the last 20 years and I hope he goes another 20 and more.” Click here for an article from City Revealed Magazine.

JazzWeek Honors KCCK, Bob Stewart

Station of the Year, Programmer of the Year

KCCK has been named Station of the Year for Markets 88-plus for the third time by JazzWeek and Bob Stewart has been tabbed as Program Director of the Year for an unprecedented fifth time (he also won in 2004, 2008, 2010 and 2011. Stewart was on hand to receive the awards at the annual JazzWeek Summit in Detroit. JazzWeek is the national airplay chart for jazz radio, based on measured airplay data provided by Mediaguide. Nominees for the awards are selected by JazzWeek subscribers, including jazz radio programmers, jazz record company executives and independent jazz radio record promoters.

Donate Your Used Car to KCCK

Receive a deduction on your tax return

Thinking about selling your car, boat, motorcycle, truck, or other vehicle? Donate it to KCCK instead! Take part in our Vehicle Donation Program and support the radio programs you love on KCCK and receive a tax deduction when you itemize your return. Click here for mo