This Week In Jazz December 29 thru January 4

Hey, Jazz fans! Be sure to tune in this week as we celebrate the birthdays of bassists Al McKibbon and Jimmy Haslip, trumpeter Jonah Jones, pianist Herbie Nichols, vibraphonist Milt Jackson, singer Susannah McCorkle, saxmen Roger Neumann and Chris Potter, drummer Lewis Nash and more.

We’ll also mark the recording anniversaries of Jean “Toots” Thielemans’ “Man Bites Harmonica!” (1957), Count Basie with Tony Bennett’s “Count Basie Swings/Tony Bennett Sings” (1959), The Montgomery Brothers’ “Groove Yard” (1961), Lonnie Smith’s “Drives” (1970), Carmen McRae’s “For Lady Day, Vol. 1” (1983), Chick Correa & Origin “Live at the Blue Note” (1998), James Dreier & Ritmocano’s “Familia” (2013) and many others Mondays thru Fridays at noon on Jazz Masters on Jazz 88.3 KCCK.

This Week’s Shows December 30 thru January 5

Jazz Corner of the World  (Encore)

Mondays at 6:00pm

Remembering Lou Donaldson

We celebrated Lou Donaldson’s 98th birthday just a few weeks ago, but now it’s time to note the passing of Lou Donaldson – one of the genre’s great alto saxophonists and one of the most positive spirits in jazz. Craig will spin choice tunes from more than 80 of the great recordings that Lou was associated with during his 65-year career.

 

 

 

 

 

Happy New Year from KCCK!   (December 31)

New Year’s Eve 8:00pm – Midnight

Toast of the Nation

KCCK presents a New Year’s Eve tradition with Toast of the Nation. We ring in 2025 with Grammy-winner Samara Joy, The Village Vanguard’s Best, Hess is More from Denmark and Brazil’s Samuca e a Selvam & Ricardo Herz. It’s the perfect party soundtrack!

 

 

 

KCCK’s Top 88 Countdown   (January 1)

New Year’s Day 6:00am to Midnight

The Top 88

What were the biggest jazz albums of 2024? Find out New Year’s Day as KCCK counts down our Top 88 for the year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jazz Night In America   (January 2)

Thursdays at 11:00pm

Joe Lovano’s December Birthday

Every December, saxophonist Joe Lovano returns to his hometown of Cleveland for a special birthday show. Christian McBride joined him on a nostalgic journey through Cleveland, exploring his roots and uncovering the rich family story behind the legendary musician.

 

 

 

 

 

Jazz Corner of the World

Saturdays from 12:00 noon to 4:00pm

Tribute to Martial Solal

Craig salutes the great French jazz pianist and composer Martial Solal, who passed away December 12, with a survey of his lengthy career.

 

 

 

 

 

 

KCCK’s Midnight CD

KCCK features a new album every night, played from start-to-finish.

Chasing Shados by Zacc Harris on Monday; The Answer by Ilya Osachuk on Tuesday; Forward! by the Dam Jawn featuring Dick Oatts on Wednesday; Portrait of Right Now by Jocelyn Gould on Thursday; Red Devil Lye by Walk That Walk on Friday; Ten Chicago Blues Classics by Giles Robson & John Primer on Saturday; The Jazzcup Café Blues by Alvin Queen on Sunday.

Big Mo Pod Show 044 – “From Skiffle To Blues”

With the holidays passed and well enjoyed the Big Mo Pod Show taking a break from Christmas tunes to explore other blues tones both new and old! This episode covers a little bit of the history of how the blues became popular in Britain, as well as some of the artists that made it happen! Songs featured in the episode: 

  1. Free World – “Rush Hour” 
  2. Little Feat – “Lonesome Whistle” 
  3. Skip James – “I’m So Glad” 
  4. Albert Collins – “Head Rag” 
  5. Gary Moore – “Since I Met You Baby” 

Listen to ‘da Friday Blues with Big Mo each week at 6pm, and catch the podcast for a behind the scenes look at the show!

Culture Crawl 1018 “Who Does She Think She Is?”

In part 2 of our conversation with Diana Nollen, outgoing Arts & Entertainment Editor at the Cedar Rapids Gazette, she talks about the joys and challenges of covering the local arts scene, particularly in the wake of disasters like the 2008 flood, 2020 derecho, and a global pandemic.

Subscribe to The Culture Crawl at kcck.org/culture or search “Culture Crawl” in your favorite podcast player. Listen Live at 10:30am most weekdays on Iowa’s Jazz station. 88.3 FM or kcck.org/listen.

Culture Crawl 1017 “That’s A Really Good Question!”

Diana Nollen is ending a 42-year career as a writer, reporter, and editor for the Cedar Rapids Gazette. And we thought it would be fun to turn the tables and interview HER!

In part one of a conversation that will span two shows, she reveals her most memorable interviews.

Subscribe to The Culture Crawl at kcck.org/culture or search “Culture Crawl” in your favorite podcast player. Listen Live at 10:30am most weekdays on Iowa’s Jazz station. 88.3 FM or kcck.org/listen.

Top 88 for 2024

Etienne Charles’  “Creole Orchestra”  was the Number-1 album in KCCK’s Top 88 jazz releases of 2024. Matt Wilson’s “Good Trouble” was Number-88. Following is the list of everything else in between.

Click here for a printable version of KCCK’s Top 88 for 2024

1  Etienne Charles  “Creole Orchestra”  (Culture Shock)

2  Chris Potter  “Eagle’s Point”  (Edition)

3  Kevin Burt & Big Medicine  “Thank You Brother Bill”  (Gulf Coast)

4  Michael Wolff  “Memoir”  (Sunnyside)

5  Planet D Nonet  “Echoes of Harlem”   (Eastlawn)

6  Monty Alexander  “D-Day”  (PeeWee)

7  Tierney Sutton & San Gabriel 7  “Good People”  (JRL-SGS)

8  Warren Wolf  “History of the Vibraphone”  (Cellar)

9  Ben Allison, Steve Cardenas & Ted Nash “Tell the Birds I Said Hello” (Sonic Camera)

10 Parker/Gillespie/Powell/Mingus/Roach “Hot House: The Complete Jazz at Massey Hall Concert” (Craft)

11 Lizz Wright “Shadow” (Blues & Green)

12 Wolff, Clark & Dorsey “A Letter to Bill Evans” (Jazz Avenue 1)

12 Brian Melvin, Soren Lee & Mads Sondergaard “Tranesformation” (Storyville)

13 Ghost-Note “Mustard n’ Onions” (Artistry/Mack Avenue)

14 Zaccai Curtis “Cubop Lives!”  (Truth Revolution)

15 Catherine Russell & Sean Mason “My Ideal” (Dot Time)

16 Jeremy Pelt “Tomorrow’s Another Day” (High Note)

17 Thom Rotella “Side Hustle” (High Note)

18 Terry Gibbs Dream Band “Vol. 7: The Lost Tapes, 1959” (Whaling City Sound)

19 Ken Peplowski “Live at Mezzrow” (Cellar)

20 Bria Skonberg “What It Means” (Cellar)

21 Daggerboard “Escapement” (Wide Hive)

22 Ethan Iverson “Technically Acceptable” (Blue Note)

23 Brian Landrus “Plays Ellington & Strayhorn” (Palmetto)

24 Betty Bryant “Lotta Livin” (Bry-Mar)

25 Craig Erickson “Dream Tracks” (Craig Erickson)

26 Greg Murphy “You Remind Me” (Whaling City Sound)

27 Joel Frahm “Lumination” (Anzic)

28 Rufus Reid with Sullivan Fortner “It’s the Nights I Like” (Sunnyside)

29 George Benson “Dreams Do Come True” (Rhino)

30 Remy LeBeuf Assembly of Shadows “Heartland Radio” (Soundspore)

31 Adam Schroeder & Mark Masters “CT!”  (Capri)

32 The Dave Stryker Trio with Bob Mintzer “Groove Street” (Strikezone)

33 Jason Anick & Matt DeChamplain “Reverence” (Magic Fiddle)

34 Mark Egan “Cross Currents” (Wavetone)

35 Julian Lage “Speak to Me” (Blue Note)

36 Ben Sidran “Rainmaker” (Nardis/Bonsai)

37 Randy Napoleon “The Door is Open: The Music of Gregg Hill” (OA2)

38 Jim Rotondi “Finesse” (Cellar)

39 Christian Sands “Embracing Dawn” (Mack Avenue)

40 Neil Swainson Sextet “Here for a While” (Cellar)

41 Karrin Allyson “A Kiss for Brazil” (Origin)

42 Curtis Taylor “Taylor Made” (Curtis Taylor)

43 Blue Moods “Swing Soul” (Post-Tone)

44 Brian Bromberg “LaFaro” (Be Squared)

45 Amina Figarova “Suite for Africa” (Amfi)

46 Marshall Gilkes & the WDR Big Band “LifeSongs” (Alternate Side)

47 Alexis Cole with the Taipei Jazz Orchestra “Jazz Republic” (Tiger Turn)

48 Tom Harrell “Alternate Summer” (High Note)

49 Vijay Iyer “Compassion” (ECM)

50 The Jazz Defenders “Memory in Motion” (ITI)

51 Gary Urwin Jazz Orchestra “Flying Colors” (Summit)

52 Eric Alexander & Mike LeDonne “Together” (Cellar)

53 Luther Allison “I Owe It All to You” (Posi-Tone)

54 Sarah McKenzie “Without You” (Normandy Lane)

55 David Benoit “Timeless” (SoNo)

56 Shelly Berg “Alegria” (ArtistShare)

57 Black Art Jazz Collective “Truth to Power” (High Note)

58 Jeff Coffin “Only the Horizon” (Ear Up)

59 Mike DiRubbo “Inner Light” (Truth Revolution)

60 Robert Edwards “Upswing” (La Reserve)

61 Michael O’Neill Sextet “Synergy” (Jazzmo)

62 Oscar Hernandez & Alma Libre “No Words Needed” (Ovation)

63 Jill McCarron Trio “Gin” (Jazz Bird)

64 Seulah Noh Jazz Orchestra “Nohmad” (Seulah Noh)

65 Ulysses Owens Jr. and Generation Y “A New Beat” (Cellar)

66 Rob Parton Ensemble 9+ “Relentless” (Calligram)

67 Something Else! “Soul Jazz” (Smoke Sessions)

68 Mark Winkler “The Rules Don’t Apply” (Café Pacific)

69 Anthony Stanco “Stanco’s Time” (OA2)

70 Affinity Trio “Hindsight” (Origin)

71 Lynne Arriale Trio “Being Human” (Challenge)

72 Emmet Cohen “Vibe Provider” (Mack Avenue)

73 Chick Corea & Bela Fleck “Remembrance” (Thirty Tigers)

74 Eliane Elias “Time and Again” (Candid)

75 Nicole Glover “Plays” (Savant)

76 Mark Lipson “Launch Control” (DCC)

77 Snorre Kirk “Top Dog” (Stunt)

78 Delfeayo Marsalis Uptown Jazz Orchestra “Crescent City Jewels (Troubadour Jass)

79 Marlon Simon and the Nagual Spirits “On Different Paths” (Truth Revolution)

80 Jim Snidero “For All We Know” (Savant)

81 Orrin Evans and the Captain Black Big Band “Walk a Mile in My Shoe” (Imani)

82 Anthony Branker & Imagine “Songs My Mom Liked” (Origin)

83 Kirsten Edkins “Shapes & Sounds” (Cohearent)

84 John Ellis “Bizet: Carmen in Jazz” (Blue Room)

85 Caity Gyorgy “Hello! How Are You?” (La Reserve)

86 Art Hirahara “Good Company” (Posi-Tone)

87 Mike Stern “Echoes and Other Songs” (Mack Avenue)

88 Matt Wilson “Matt Wilson’s Good Trouble” (Palmetto)

New Music Monday for December 23, 2024

Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify 

Zacc Harris has been one of Minnesota’s most celebrated guitarists since moving to Minneapolis in 2005, being named Twin Cities Best Jazz Artist in 2017. He is a founding member of the collective group Atlantis Quartet, and has toured throughout the U.S. and U.K. On his fourth album as a leader, “Chasing Shadows,” Harris continues to explore his voice as a composer in a set of music which was written during a four-day cabin retreat.

 

JUNO Award-winning guitarist Jocelyn Gould cements her place among contemporary jazz guitarist with her highly anticipated fourth album, “Portrait of Right Now.” She’s been hailed as “a leader in the next generation of great mainstream jazz guitarists” by Benedetto Guitars CEO Howard Paul. Her stunning new collection of ten tracks, including eight original compositions, showcases Gould’s evolution as an artist and her mastery of the guitar. She delivers a deeply personal and introspective work that explores themes of growth, memory, and artistic journey.

 

                                                                                  

 

Also this week, Ilya Osachuk’s debut album, “The Answer,” is a compelling and beautiful recording from one of the top new bassists on the North American jazz scene; “Forward!” is the second album from the Amsterdam-based young lions The Dam Jawn, featuring the legendary alto saxophonist Dick Oats; and “The Jazzcup Café Blues” is a wonderful new live recording by veteran drummer Alvin Queen and his stellar band.

 

 

This Week In Jazz December 22 thru December 28

Hey, Jazz fans! Be sure to tune in this week as we celebrate the holidays and the birthdays of songwriter Harry Warren, singer/bandleader Cab Calloway, trumpeter/singer Chet Baker, composer/pianist Steve Allen, pianist Ray Bryant, multi-instrumentalist Bill Crow, guitarist John Scofield and more.

We’ll also mark the recording anniversaries of Art Blakey & James Moody’s (James Moody’s Modernists) New Sounds (1948), Benny Golson Sextet’s “The Modern Touch” (1957), Miles Davis “Cookin’ at the Plugged Nickel” (1965), Paul Desmond with the Modern Jazz Quartet (1971), Pat Metheny/Dave Holland/Roy Haynes’s “Question and Answer” (1989), Patricia Barber’s “The Cole Porter Mix” (2007) and many others Mondays thru Fridays at noon on Jazz Masters on Jazz 88.3 KCCK.