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Jazz Fest Is Here!
Perhaps our favorite weekend of the year, the Iowa City Jazz Festival takes over Iowa City! Twenty bands, two stages, three days of music as Iowa City becomes the jazz capital of the world. Don’t miss headliners Ingrid Jensen w/ the Iowa Women’s Jazz Orchestra, 3X Grammy nominee Lackecia Benjamin, Matt Wilson, Iowa City native …
Culture Crawl 937 “All-Muni Band Issue”
This week, the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band celebrates America with a show featuring patriotic music. The Cedar Rapids Concert Chorale joins the band to add their voices to “American The Beautiful” and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic, as well as a Samuel Barber march and Glenn Miller medley. Steve and Dennis also discuss recent …
Culture Crawl 934 “King of Terror”
Week 4 of the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band season features the band’s (and Orchestra Iowa principal) Andy Harris on horn. Andy and the horn section are working pretty hard this season. They had a feature last week, and Steve Shanley also works them pretty hard on a Malcom Arnold composition entitled “Scottish Dances.” Plus, music …
Culture Crawl 932 “Unsung Heroes”
This week the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band features its Horn section, performing a piece that Steve Shanley describes as “flashy” to highlight a section of the band that doesn’t always get an opportunity to shine. Also on the program is young artist competition winner Emma Bennett performing the Artie Shaw Concerto for Clarinet, and music …
Culture Crawl 929 “Cramming in the Jazz”
Week 2 of the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band season features drummer Josh Duffee from the Quad Cities. Josh was the final student and friend of Moline native and legendary jazz drummer Louie Bellson. Josh will perform on Louie’s famous kit. In honor of Josh and Louie, Steve Shanley promise a jazz-influenced program, including Bellson’s …
Culture Crawl 926 “The 80s Were 40 Years Ago”
The Cedar Rapids Municipal Band returns this week for its 73rd season. The band actually got an early start in 2024 with a featured performance in front of several hundred Iowa school band directors a couple weeks ago in a performance that brought this tough crowd to its feet. For Week 1, director Steve Shanley …
2024 Guest Djs – Linn Mar
Sutra Iyer, Zach Kendrick, and Augie Ketels from the Linn-Mar Colton Center Jazz Ensemble conclude the 2024 Guest DJ season with a bang. Linn-Mar had a stellar year, that included a 3rd place Jazz Championships finish, just behind rival Prairie. But the Lions will have a chance at revenge when they take on the Prairie …
Culture Crawl 922 “Shocked I’d Never Heard of Him”
Some people have a second act, but UI alum Harold Bradley had at least four. Collegiate, military, and NFL football standout, artist, musician, and activist. University of Iowa Chief Innovation Officer Jon Darsee began to dig into Bradley’s background after appreciating four paintings of Iowa Black leaders Bradley painted back in the Seventies. Those …