
Hey, Jazz fans! Be sure to tune in this week as we celebrate the birthdays of singers Lola Albright, Helen Merrill and Janis Siegel, pianists Billy Taylor, Sonny Clark and James Weidman, organist Don Patterson, guitarists Jimmy Bruno and Al Di Meola, saxmen Junior Cook and Charles McPherson, bassist Keter Betts, hornman Jon Faddis and more. We’ll also mark the recording anniversary of Al Grey/Jimmy Forrest Quintet’s “Truly Wonderful” (1978) and many others, Mondays thru Fridays and at noon on JAZZ MASTERS on Jazz 88.3 KCCK.
This Week In Jazz July 19 thru July 25
This Week’s Shows July 20 – July 26
Jazz Corner of the World (Encore)
Mondays at 6:00pm
A Listen to Pacific Jazz
In the first of a series of special encore episodes, host Craig Kessler presents a deep listen to the legendary Pacific Jazz label. Founded in 1952, Pacific Jazz specialized in cool jazz and the West Coast sound. It is best known for launching the careers of jazz legends like Chet Baker and Gerry Mulligan.
Wednesday Night Special
Kings of da’Blues at Jazz Under the Stars
Week 3 of KCCK’s 50th birthday bash at Noelridge Park brought together some of the biggest talents in Iowa blues. The Kings of da’Blues, featuring the Linn County All-Stars, The Janeys, Kevin Burt, and some very special guests, had everyone singin’ the blues (in a very good way) long after dark..
Jazz Corner of the World (Encore)
Saturdays from 12 noon to 4:00pm
Jazz in the Movies
In this special encore episode, host Craig Kessler spotlights the important jazz found in movie soundtracks. Many classic jazz charts were written specifically for a feature film yet stand out as timeless pieces of jazz genius.
KCCK’s Midnight CD (July 20 – July 26)
Every Night at Midnight
KCCK features a new album every night, played start-to-finish.
Sea Spell by the Jeff Rupert Quartet on Monday; Pyrography by Paul Hecht on Tuesday; MidCentury Modern Vol. 4 by Gabriel Mark Hasselbach on Wednesday; the Latin Side of Chick Corea by Conrad Herwig on Thursday; A Crossroads Communion by Denise La Grassa on Friday; Son of a Sinner by Jovin Webb on Saturday; Bass & Face by Chuck Bergeron on Sunday.
Talking Pictures 7-15-2026
“Evil Dead Burn” (2026 R Supernatural Horror) and “Anatomy of a Murder” (1985 Not Rated Crime/Thriller) with Hollis Monroe, Phil Brown and Ron Adkins.
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Culture Crawl 1230 “There’s a Glottal Stop in there Somewhere”
Steve Shanley leads the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band heads into week seven with music from The Little Mermaid, some big band swing, and more. The Wednesday concert (7/15) will begin at 7:30pm at Kingston Yard and the Sunday concert (7/19) will begin at 7:30pm at Bever Park.
Weather updates and more information at crmuniband.org & the CR Municipal Band Facebook page.
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.
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New Music Monday for July 13, 2026
Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify
For more than three decades, trombonist Conrad Herwig has worked the sweet spot where modern jazz meets Afro-Caribbean fire, building his acclaimed “Latin Side of…” series into one of the most distinctive runs in contemporary jazz. Forged in the company of masters like Eddie Palmieri, Mario Bauza and Tito Puente, Herwig brings authority and imagination to the bandstand. Now he takes on “The Latin Side of Chick Corea,” drawing from the pianist’s catalog, from “Tones for Joan’s Bones” and “Now He Sings, Now He Sobs” to the electric energy of “Return to Forever,” and celebrating a composer whose music thrives on motion, color, and cross-cultural spark.

Bassist Chuck Bergeron has enjoyed working in a wide variety of settings over the course of his more than four-decade career, from hard-charging small groups to the boisterous big band swing of the South Florida Jazz Orchestra. Bergeron has long cherished his interactions with singers, including such illustrious voices as Kevin Mahogany, Sheila Jordan, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Janis Siegel and many others. His new disc, “Bass & Face,” features a stellar roster of voices including Ms. Siegel, Pete McGuiness, Roseanna Vitro, Deborah Silver, Kate Reid and Nicole Yarling, as well as two iconic singers who are no longer with us: Ms. Jordan, who passed away shortly after the recording, and Mr. Mahogany, whose contributions stem from a 2005 session undertaken during Bergeron’s seven-year stint in the singer’s band.

Also this week, “Sea Spell” captures the Jeff Rupert Quartet’s sound after nearly two decades of live performances together; trumpeter Gabriel Mark Hasselbach pays heartfelt homage to his core influences Freddie Hubbard and Blue Mitchell on “Mid Century Modern Vol. 4”; and Midwest-based pianist and composer Paul Hecht documents his originals on “Pyrography II.”
This Week In Jazz July 12 thru July 18

Hey, Jazz fans! Be sure to tune in this week as we celebrate the birthdays of clarinetist George Lewis, lyricist Dorothy Fields, bassist Leroy Vinnegar, drummers Philly Joe Jones and Bobby Previte, percussionists Cal Tjader and Pete Escovedo, pianists Vince Guaraldi and Larry Fuller and more! We’ll also mark the recording anniversary of The Leroy Vinnegar Sextet’s “Leroy Walks!” (1957) and many others, Monday through Friday and at noon on JAZZ MASTERS on Jazz 88.3 KCCK.
This Week’s Shows July 13 – July 19
Jazz Corner of the World (Encore)
Mondays at 6:00pm
Craig’s Final Show: Monk on Riverside
Tune in to hear Craig’s final episode of Jazz Corner of the World and join KCCK in thanking Craig for all the great jazz he’s brought to his loyal listeners. Craig says goodbye with a listen to Thelonious Monk on Riverside Records from 1955 to 1963. We’ll hear classic Monk material after his work for Blue Note and Prestige, that precedes his famous recordings made for Columbia. The Riverside Monk sessions are absolutely indispensable!
Wednesday Night Special
Funk Legends at Jazz Under the Stars
KCCK’s 50th birthday party kicked into high gear with a groovy night from Funk Legends. Members of Funk Stop, Mean Street & the Hell Horns, Funk Daddies, and some very special guests turned it up for the second week of Jazz Under the Stars 2025.
Jazz Corner of the World
Saturdays from 12 noon to 4:00pm
A Listen to Pacific Jazz
In the first of a series of special encore episodes, host Craig Kessler presents a deep listen to the legendary Pacific Jazz label. Founded in 1952, Pacific Jazz specialized in cool jazz and the West Coast sound. It is best known for launching the careers of jazz legends like Chet Baker and Gerry Mulligan.
KCCK’s Midnight CD (July 6 – July 12)
Every Night at Midnight
KCCK features a new album every night, played start-to-finish.
Next Step by David Penn on Monday; Bellflower by Jun Ida on Tuesday; Keep Holding On by Leigh Pilzer on Wednesday; Stretch by Ben Patterson on Thursday; Chapter 3 by the Shaelyn Band on Friday; 13 Hours by Jason Ricci & the Bad Kind on Saturday; Mezzanine by the Greenhouse Ensemble on Sunday.
Culture Crawl 1229 “A Big Band is Like an Ocean Liner”
Mike Conrad chats with Dennis Green right off the Iowa City Jazz Fest main stage ahead of an upcoming Iowa Jazz Composers Orchestra event at River Place Plaza in Cedar Falls. It’s Saturday, July 18, 7pm-8:30pm, free to the public with a bring-your-own-lawnchair set up. Stick around for an after party at the Black Hawk Hotel where Mike will play duos with members of the band.
More information at iowajazzcomposersorchestra.com and Iowa Jazz Composers Orchestra Facebook page.
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.
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