The KCCK Featured CD for June is “Friends” from trumpeter Al Naylor. Al’s been a fixture on the Eastern Iowa jazz scene for more than five decades, both as a player and an educator. From leading the I-380 Express Big Band to his work in the Blue Band and Orquesta Alto Maiz, he’s made an …
The KCCK Featured CD for May is “Bolden” from Wynton Marsalis. Buddy Bolden ranks among the most influential yet obscure figures in the pantheon of American music and is widely credited by musicians of the era as being the first jazz musician and bandleader in history. In his playing, composing, arranging and musical direction of …
The KCCK Featured CD for April is “Motion and Stillness” from the Jarrett Purdy Project. Jarrett is an Iowa City native and a senior in the University of Iowa’s jazz program. The pianist is joined by a talented group of fellow students and alumni from the program for his debut recording, which is filled with …
The KCCK Featured CD for March is KCCK’s “Corridor Jazz Project Volume Twelve.” The disc showcases the outstanding high school jazz programs in the area, which now numbers thirteen with the addition of the brand new Liberty High School. The bands are matched with professional musicians and educators from the area who serve as guest …
The KCCK Featured CD for February is “Swirl” from Michael Wolff. After a four-year battle with cancer, the pianist came out the other side completely healthy with plenty more life to live and music to make. The new disc, featuring bassist Ben Allison and drummer Allan Mednard, bears out Michael’s newfound appreciation for life’s joys …
The KCCK Featured CD for January is “Humoresque” by the Emil Viklicky Trio. On May 30, 2008, the Czech pianist played the Grand Hall of the National Czech and Slovak Museum in Cedar Rapids just prior to the epic flood. Ten years to the day, May 30 2018, he returned to perform at the refurbished, …
The KCCK Featured CD for December is “Winter Jazz” from Roots of Rhythm. The trio, featuring Lynne Hart on clarinet, Rich Wagor on bass and Pat Smith on guitar, has been performing jazz for Eastern Iowa audiences for nearly ten years now. They issued their self-titled debut CD in 2014. The follow-up disc features wonderfully …
The KCCK Featured CD for November is “Math Camp” from lyricist and vocalist Lorraine Feather. It’s Ms. Feather’s twelfth album of originals and follows four consecutive Grammy nominated discs. Her inspiration this time around is math and physics, using them as metaphors for modern love. Collaborating again with composers Eddie Arkin and Shelly Berg, Lorraine’s …
