The Metro Marching Band Classic returns Oct. 11 after a 2020 pandemic hiatus. Carol Vester says that the event, in its 24th year, is the only opportunity to see all of the Cedar Rapids and Marion high school marching bands in one place. Special guest band will be the Iowa State University Cyclone Football Varsity …
Category: News
This Week In Jazz September 26 thru October 2
Hey, Jazz fans, be sure to tune in this week as we celebrate the birthdays of pianist Bud Powell, drummer Buddy Rich, bassist/cellist Oscar Pettiford, horn man Red Rodney and more. We’ll also mark the recording anniversaries of “The Clifford Brown Sextet in Paris” (1953), “Johnny Smith and His New Quartet” (1956), Bobby Timmons Trio …
Special Programs for September 27 thru October 3
Jazz Corner of the World Encore Mondays at 6:00 PM Bennie Maupin’s Reed Artistry Host Craig Kessler looks at the terrific jazz recordings from master flautist, saxophonist, and bass clarinetist Bennie Maupin. Bennie is probably best known for his work on Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew and several of Herbie Hancock’s classics. But we’ll also hear …
Culture Crawl 659 “The First White Man Was A Black Man”
“Esteban and The Children of the Sun” is the final work from the prolific musical mind of John Rapson, the long-time leader of the University of Iowa Jazz program, completed just days before he died in August of 2021. It’s a story of a Moroccan Muslim who was the first African to journey across North …
This Week In Jazz September 19 thru September 25
Hey, Jazz fans, be sure to tune in this week as we celebrate the birthdays of bassists Slam Stewart, Tommy Potter, Red Mitchell and Jimmy Woode, saxophonists John Coltrane and Frank Foster, singers Ray Charles, Irene Reid, Les McCann and more. We’ll also mark the recording anniversaries of “Charlie Parker at Storyville” (1953), “The Kenny …
Special Programs for September 20 thru September 26
Jazz Corner of the World Encore Mondays at 6:00 PM Strata East Records, Part 4 Host Craig Kessler totes in another batch of CDs and vinyl from this top-notch, extremely hard to find, ‘power’ jazz record label. We’ll hear a tasty array of jazz styles from a broad spectrum of vaunted Black artists, mostly …
KCCK to broadcast Orchestra Iowa’s Brucemorchestra Sept. 18
Join KCCK for a live broadcast of Brucemorchestra with Orchestra Iowa this Saturday at 7pm! Orchestra Iowa, Revival Theatre, and Iowa’s Jazz Station team up with award-winning singers performing Broadway classics on the Brucemore lawn. That’s this Saturday, live at 7pm on Jazz 88.3 and worldwide on the KCCK mobile app.
Culture Crawl 658 “A Happy Kind of Choked Up”
After more than 18 months without a concert, Orchestra Iowa returns with a roar with Brucemorchestra, Sept. 18. It’s a Rodgers & Hammerstein evening featuring chorus, dancers, and Broadway performers with local ties, in conjunction with Revival Theatre. Tim Hankewich says that even though the spotlight may be on the singers, there is plenty for …



