Culture Crawl 812 “There Was Homework”

TKM Theatrical Productions presents Neil Simon’s “I Oughta Be In Pictures” May 5-7 at the Amana Performing Arts Center. It’s the story of the relationship between a Hollywood screenwriter and the daughter he left behind as a toddler, who has now searched him out.

The play is Neil Simon at his finest, rapid-fire one-liners with just the right amount of emotion and pathos to pack a punch.

Get tickets at 319.899.3799 or TKM Productions on Facebook

Talking Pictures 5-3-23

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) and Masterpiece  (PBS) with Hollis Monroe, Phil Brown and Ron Adkins.

Culture Crawl 811 “Management Could Have Tripled The Price”

Orchestra Iowa goes Latin this week with “Havana Nights,” featuring singer Camila Zamora and the legendary Mambo Kings, with a program that will range from Spanish arias to “One Como Va” and the Beatles.

Tim Hankewich says this kind of show is a bit of a stretch for the orchestra, but will really show off their musical chops.

One show only, Saturday May 6 at the Paramount. Tickets at www.artsiowa.com.

KCCK’s Featured Album for May 2023

The KCCK Featured Album for May is “Dig It!” from 3 Dawgs and a Bone. This is the debut recording for this Eastern Iowa ensemble, who have been performing together since 2015. The lineup includes guitarist Steve Grismore and drummer James Dreier, both retired jazz faculty from the University of Iowa; and trombonist Rich Medd, the former director of the jazz program at Iowa City West High School. The new disc features original compositions as well as fresh takes of tunes by Ellington, Monk, Ornette Coleman, Herbie Nichols and Dave Holland.  Purchase

Kirkwood Board of Trustees to meet May 11, 2023

The regular meeting of the Kirkwood Board of Trustees will take place May 11, 2023.  Time, place, and meeting agenda can be found at this link.

Culture Crawl 810 “Wished I Could Play”

Fresh from a performance with Orquesta Alto Maiz at KCCK’s Taste of Jazz, Jim Dreier stages a reunion from twenty years of directing the UI’s Latin/Jazz Ensemble. Jim’s former students are coming from as far away as Indiana, Colorado and California to perform.

5pm Friday, May 5 at The Opus Concert Café. Tickets at www.artsiowa.com.

Subscribe to The Culture Crawl at www.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 www.kcck.org/listen.

This Week’s Shows May 1 thru May 6

Empyrean IslesJazz Corner of the World 

Mondays from 6:00pm to 10:00pm

Herbie Hancock on Blue Note, Part 1

The 85th anniversary celebration of Blue Note Records continues, as host Craig Kessler spins the first of two shows featuring Herbie Hancock. We’ll hear classic material that showcases Hancock as a leader, like My Point Of View, Inventions & Dimensions, and Speak Like A Child. We’ll also track through selections spotlighting Herbie as a sideman with Kenny Burrell, Donald Byrd, Bobby Hutcherson, Lee Morgan, and many others.

 

 

 

 

The Wednesday Night Special

Wednesdays at 6:00pm

The IWJO at Jazz Under the Stars

The Iowa Women’s Jazz Orchestra boasts some of the finest musicians in the state as part of their lineup. And it is arguably one of the premier all-female ensembles in jazz. They came to 2022’s Jazz Under the Stars in full force, and the Noelridge Park crowd loved every note of this powerful performance.  

 

 

 

Abdullah Ibrahim: albums, songs, playlists | Listen on DeezerJazz Night in America

Thursdays at 11:00pm

Abdullah Ibrahim’s South Africa  

Pianist, composer and NEA Jazz Master Abdullah Ibrahim shares his insights on growing up in apartheid-era South Africa and what freedom means to him today. Hear a 2017 concert with his band, Ekaya, recorded on South Africa Freedom Day at Town Hall in New York City.

 

 

 

 

 

Jazz Corner of the WorldTranquility (Ahmad Jamal album) - Wikipedia

Saturdays from 12 noon to 4:00pm

Tribute to Ahmad Jamal

Craig salutes the life and career of recently departed pianist, Ahmad Jamal. We’ll hear some recordings that caused the great Miles Davis to name Jamal one of the trumpeter’s main influences in modern jazz. Jamal, who passed away at age 92, had a brilliant career that spanned 70 years.

 

 

 

 

KCCK’s Midnight CD

Every Night at Midnight

Each night, KCCK lets you hear a new CD played start-to-finish.

Ramon by Christopher McBride on Monday; Commitment by the Jae Sinnett Zero to 60 Quartet on Tuesday; Savoy by Taj Mahal on Wednesday; Like Minds by Wayne Escoffery on Thursday; A Day by the Bay by the Backtrack Blues Band on Friday; Tribute by Joe Krown on Saturday; Do I Move You? by Tammy McCann on Sunday.

This Week In Jazz April 30 thru May 6


Hey, Jazz fans. Be sure to tune in this week as we celebrate the birthdays of lyricist Lorenz Hart, singers Bing Crosby and Shirley Horn, pianist/composer John Lewis, organist Richard “Groove” Holmes, trumpeter Maynard Ferguson, and bassist Jymie Merritt, and May 1st is “Leroy Vinnegar Day”. We’ll also mark the recording anniversaries of Charles Mingus’ “Mingus Ah Um” (1959), Pat Martino’s “El Hombre” (1967), Eddie “Lockjaw: Davis’ “Straight Ahead” (1976), “Shirley Horn, Live at the 4 Queens, 1981” (1991), The Flying Horse Big Band’s “Florida Rays” (2019) and many others, Monday thru Friday at noon on Jazz Masters.