The KCCK Featured Album for January is “A Time for Love” — a previously unreleased live set from the Oscar Peterson Quartet. On November 17, 1987, the pianist led his quartet featuring guitarist Joe Pass through the final engagement of their 14-concert European fall tour in Helsinki, Finland. Oscar was in his epic prime and …
The KCCK Featured Album for December is “Merry and Bright” from the Jeff Hamilton Trio. The drummer is a former member of the Woody Herman Orchestra and co-leads of the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. Along with pianist Tamir Hendelman and bassist Jon Hamar, the trio weaves its way through some of Hamilton’s favorite Christmas tunes, from …
The KCCK Featured Album for November is “No More Apologies” from saxophonist Damani Phillips, who directs the Jazz Studies Program at the University of Iowa. There are limits in working with a string section in a jazz context and the musical directions that can be explored. A twist of fate brought Damani together with a …
The KCCK Featured Album for October is “Quartet+” from Helen Sung. The pianist, composer and Guggenheim Fellow celebrates the work of influential women composers, crafting new arrangements of tunes by Geri Allen, Carla Bley, Mary Lou Williams, Marian McPartland and Toshiko Akiyoshi while carrying the tradition forward with her own stunning new works. The album …
The KCCK Featured Album for September is “Songs From My Father” by Gerry Gibbs’ Thrasher Dream Trios. The drummer pays tribute to his 96-year-old father Terry Gibbs, one of the last living architects of bebop and innovators of the vibraphone, by delving into Terry’s vast discography. Gerry gathers the members of his various Thrasher Dream …
The KCCK Featured Album for August is “Grateful Deadication” by Dave McMurray. The saxophonist takes his gritty, soulful Detroit sound and reimagines the flower empowered songs of San Francisco icons the Grateful Dead. McMurray played a few years ago with the band’s cofounder Bob Weir and was immediately hooked on the Dead’s music. He spent …
The KCCK Featured Album for July is “Westward Bound” by Harold Land. The disc contains previously unissued live recordings by the legendary tenor saxophonist from the The Penthouse in Seattle between 1962 and 1965. Land is joined by stellar musicians including pianists Buddy Montgomery and Hampton Hawes, drummer Philly Joe Jones, bassist Monk Montgomery and …
The KCCK Featured Album for June is “Daring Mind” from the Jihye Lee Orchestra. The South Korea native first found success as an indie pop singer before discovering large-ensemble jazz while studying at Boston’s Berklee College. She’s since been awarded several commissions for compositions that appear on the new disc, which Lee describes as a …
