The KCCK Featured Album for March is “KCCK’s Corridor Jazz Project Volume 19”, featuring the outstanding students from a record twenty-one Eastern Iowa high school jazz bands. Each band is paired up with a professional guest artist who mentors the students during rehearsals and professional recording sessions. The experience culminates with concerts featuring the bands …
The KCCK Featured Album for February is “The Roar and the Whisper” by Alexa Tarantino. The saxophonist, composer and educator has long been lauded for her poise and precision–“a one-woman wrecking crew” as Wynton Marsalis calls her. Just last year Ms. Tarantino made history by becoming the first full-time female member of the renowned Jazz …
The KCCK Featured Album for January is “Memories of Home” by John Scofield and Dave Holland. The two jazz masters have collaborated over the years, including work on projects by Herbie Hancock and Joe Henderson and the spirited quartet ScoLoHoFo co-led with Joe Lovano and Al Foster. The new disc is their very first duo …
The KCCK Featured Album for December is “Holiday Fun!” from Wycliffe Gordon. The acclaimed trombonist, composer and arranger captures the joy and fun of the holiday season, brought to life with some of the close friends he’s worked with throughout his career and those from his hometown of Augusta, Georgia. The pieces were primarily selected …
The KCCK Featured Album for November is “for Dinah” by Ledisi. This deeply personal tribute from the Grammy-winning vocalist commemorates the centennial of the birth of the legendary singer Dinah Washington. Produced and arranged by Christian McBride, the album blends Ledisi’s signature soul with Ms. Washington’s bold spirit, reclaiming space for a pioneer who made …
The KCCK Featured Album for October is “George Coleman with Strings.” George Coleman’s resume is the stuff of legend, working alongside giants of the art form like Max Roach, Miles Davis and Herbie Hancok, and inspiring a generation of saxophonists. Now for the first time in his storied career, he presents a project backed by …
The KCCK Featured Album for September is “Reflections–Facing South” from Conrad Herwig. One of the most adventurous voices in Latin jazz, the trombonist is featured in a drummer-less trio with bassist Luques Curtis and the legendary pianist Eddie Palmieri, a true icon of the genre. Recorded during the Covid summer of 2020, the disc serves …
The KCCK Featured Album for August is “We Insist 2025” from Terri Lyne Carrington and Christie Dashiell. When Max Roach’s “We Insist” album was released in 1960, it was a statement of protest and aspirations, representing African American and African history. The reimagined update is a perfect work of protest for our current moment. It’s …
