The KCCK Featured Album for May is “Corridor Jazz Project, Volume 14.” This annual production features the talented high school jazz bands from Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Marion and beyond as they perform a tune each with their special guest musicians in professional recording sessions. They all get together afterward for a special concert to …
The KCCK Featured Album for April is “The Mulligan Chronicles” by David Larsen. The disc is a culmination of years of research by the saxophonist into the compositional style of Gerry Mulligan, traveling to the Library of Congress to study hundreds of scores and interviewing countless musicians. Larsen enlisted the help of veteran players who …
The KCCK Featured Album for March is “This Bitter Earth” from Veronica Swift. The singer-songwriter has crafted an ingenious song cycle that tackles issues like sexism, domestic abuse, environmental issues, racism, and the dangers of fake news. The material gathered covers multiple genres, including jazz, American musicals and indie-rock, fortifying her position as a leading …
The KCCK Featured Album for February is “Bud Powell in the 21st Century” by Ethan Iverson. Of the half dozen true pioneers of the bebop movement, pianist Bud Powell has remained somewhat in the shadows. His brilliant original compositions are essential, infinitely listenable but also strangely tricky. Pianist and historian Iverson provides a fantastic validation …
The KCCK Featured CD for January is “Cachai” from Anibal Rojas. The Chilean-born saxophonist and composer attended West High in Iowa City before studying at the University of Iowa. While in Eastern Iowa he worked in several bands including Mean Street and the Hell Horns, Funkfarm, Orquesta Alto Maiz and the Demolition Band. Now based …
The KCCK Featured CD for November is “Jazz Dance Suites” from Charles McPherson. The genius of the 80-year-old master saxophonist, composer and bebop luminary has been chronicled in recordings spanning the past six decades. The new CD is a departure from the traditional bop sensibilities of most of his previous work. It captures his groundbreaking …
The KCCK Featured CD for December is “Christmas Vibes” from Warren Wolf. His work with Christian McBride, Bobby Watson, and the SFJazz Collective has established Warren as the foremost straight-ahead vibraphonist of his generation. His new release is brimming with jazz yuletide cheer sure to provide the ideal soundtrack to the season. Wolf takes an …
The KCCK Featured CD for October is the self-titled debut release “Artemis.” This all-female supergroup features pianist and musical director Renee Rosnes, clarinetist Anat Cohen, tenor saxophonist Melissa Aldana, trumpeter Ingrid Jensin, bassist Noriko Ueda, drummer Alison Miller, and featured vocalist Cecile McLorin Salvant. It’s distinctive for its multigenerational and globe-spanning lineup with members hailing …
