It might be the parties. Or maybe it’s the roasting of chestnuts. Or the caroling out in the snow. Whatever the reason, most people consider the holiday season to be the most wonderful time of the year. That’s exactly the case among the members of Take 6, the a cappella group that has been mixing …
Category: KCCK Blog
Gadd’s Gang Live – Bob
Steve Gadd has had a remarkable career during the past 40 years, working with everyone from Dizzy Gillespie and Chick Corea to Maynard Ferguson and George Benson. When it comes to his own projects, the drummer loves to play good-time groove music that has the danceable qualities and bluesiness of the best R&B along with …
Strings Attached – Bob
Russell Malone has been a significant figure in the jazz world for more than two decades. One of his most pivotal career-shaping experiences was as part of organist Jimmy Smith’s band in the late-80s. He’s also spent time working in the bands of Diana Krall, Harry Connick Jr., Sonny Rollins, and Ron Carter among other …
KCCK’s Military Veterans
Veterans Day 2010 – we note several KCCK staffers who are veterans of military service. Mark Yother was in the Air Force for three years. He was editor of the base newspaper at Ent Air Force Base in Colorado, then worked in radio and television with the American Forces Korea Network (AFKN) for a year. …
Hot Club Sandwich and Other Good Stuff – Bob
Drawing on the Hot Club style of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli, Hot Club Sandwich adds in classic Latin American, old-world European and other influences, including a bit of West Coast twang. The fourth release from the Seattle-based band — “And If Only” — takes listeners from the smoky cafes of Paris to the hipster …
Spotlight on Piano Trios and Trumpets – Bob
The piano trio is hardly a new concept in jazz. Certainly Cyrus Chestnut has established himself as a giant in that format, through CDs stretching back to his recording debut in 1990 and his countless appearances at clubs, concert halls and festivals throughout the world. Even so, his new release — “Journeys” — marks a …
The Elegance of Stallings and Person – Bob
Passionate, robust singers with the sensitivity of a Carmen McRae and the sass of a Dinah Washington aren’t exactly thick on the ground these days, which is what makes Mary Stallings’ return to the studios a cause for rejoicing. Her voice is, at once, contemporary and timeless, encompassing the entire history of jazz vocals. For …
Donatelli & The World of Jazz – Bob
The problem with jazz singing is that almost no two listeners can agree on exactly what it is. Fans of unbridled scatting tend to dismiss vocalists with a more lyrical side; listeners who enjoy lyrical storytelling have less regard for performers who use words as vehicles for ostentatious display. This makes the singing of Denise …