The KCCK Featured Album for May is “Dig It!” from 3 Dawgs and a Bone. This is the debut recording for this Eastern Iowa ensemble, who have been performing together since 2015. The lineup includes guitarist Steve Grismore and drummer James Dreier, both retired jazz faculty from the University of Iowa; and trombonist Rich Medd, …
The KCCK Featured Album for April is “Samba Sem Voce” by singer and guitarist Rosa Passos., whose playful yet sophisticated style is marked by spacious elegance and natural flair.. For years, the Brazilian bossa nova queen has had a devoted global following ,including fans who proclaim her to be the Brazilian Ella Fitzgerald. She has …
The KCCK Featured Album for March is KCCK’s Corridor Jazz Project Volume XVI. The disc showcases the outstanding high school jazz programs in the area and provides the opportunity for the student musicians to interact with and learn from college jazz directors and other professional players. The bands and their guest artists record tracks, under …
The KCCK Featured Album for February is the self-titled debut release from “The Heavy Hitters.” This brand new ensemble includes some of the most established players in the genre, co-led by pianist Mike LeDonne and saxophonist Eric Alexander, long-time friends coming together for their very first sextet project as leaders. Recorded at the legendary Van …
The KCCK Featured Album for January is “On a Clear Day” from the Oscar Peterson Trio. In 1971, the ensemble was in transition. It was the beginning of a long musical partnership and close personal friendship between Oscar and bassist Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen, and the continuation of his years working with drummer Louis Hayes, which …
The KCCK Featured Album for December is “The Pan American Nutcracker Suite” by the New York Afro Bop Alliance Big Band. Tchaikovsky’s classic work has enjoyed tremendous popularity as a perennial winter holiday tradition. Drummer and bandleader Joe McCarthy and co-arranger Vince Norman infuse the original work with the rhythmic traditions of Cuba, Africa and …
The KCCK Featured Album for November is “Unstuck in Time: The Kurt Vonnegut Suite” by pianist Jason Yeager. While Vonnegut found his true calling as an author, he once speculated about becoming a jazz pianist. He also was a faculty member of the Iowa Writers Workshop for several years. On the 100th anniversary of the …
The KCCK Featured Album for October is “New Standards, Volume One” from Terri Lyne Carrington. The drummer has published a groundbreaking new lead sheet book of 101 jazz compositions written exclusively by women, including Mary Lou Williams, Maria Schneider, Esperanza Spalding and others. The companion album is the first in what will be a series …
