Culture Crawl 828 “Jazz Titans Walk into the Studio”

Culture Crawl 828 “Jazz Titans Walk into the Studio”

Gabriel Espinoza celebrates his latest album “Bosses & Boleros” with a Cedar Rapids performance on June 23 at the inaugural Jazz on 2nd. Gabriel talks about how a Yucatan native ended up as professor of jazz at Iowa’s Central College, and also the joy (and nerves) of watching jazz stars like Fred Hersch, Anat Cohen, and New York Voices perform and record your compositions.

Also performing at Jazz on 2nd will be Ray Blue and Corey Kendrick. General Admission seating is just $5, or off for reserved seats and a 3-course meal served by Cobble Hill. Details at www.downtowncr.org/events/jazz-night-on-2nd/.

Find Gabriel online at www.gabrielespinosamusic.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.

Culture Crawl 827 “One of the Twin Ones”

Riverside Theatre’s Free Outdoor Shakespeare series returns this summer with “Twelfth Night,” one of The Bard’s best-known comedies, spinning a tale of mistaken identity, romance, revenge and other hijinks. 

Adam Knight and Kathleen Johnson say make sure to come at 6:30 for the “Green Show,” kind of a condensed version of the play to help orient you to the language and plot.

June 16-July 2 at 7:30pm (except for a 6:30 show on July 1) on the Festival Stage in Lower City Park, Iowa City. Details at www.riversidetheatre.org. 

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.

New Music Monday for June 19, 2023

Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify
After producing over 50 albums for other artists in Puerto Rico, Colombia and the U.S., participating as pianist/arranger on more than 100 recordings, and writing music for feature films, theater and television, the Bronx born, Puerto Rican bred pianist Israel Tanenbaum is stepping out with a new disc of his own, “Impressions.” Leading his Latinbaum Jazz Ensemble featuring a talented crew of players who hail from Cuba, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and New York City, Tanenbaum creates irresistible mambos, danzons and descargas that showcase his refined arrangements while also revisiting his musical roots and rekindling some nostalgic memories along the way.

 

 

 

 

 

Scandinavian bassist Thomas Fonnesbaek and the young pianist Justin Kauflin have a shared history going back to 2015, when they were introduced to each other at a gig at the legendary Jazzhus Montmarte. Since then, the two have played, recorded and toured together, increasing their mutual understanding in the process. The latest addition to the two gentlemen’s musical partnership, “Danish Rain,” builds on and expands the soundscape of their previous releases together. The recording consists of some modern and older standards and original compositions from the duo.

 

 

 

 

 

                                    

Also this week, Chloe Jean joins forces with guitarist and arranger Ray Obiedo on “Fairy Tale Fail,” combining original music and lyrics drawn from Chloe’s personal life and times;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

               

 Indian-born guitarist and composer Noshir Mody returns with his latest album, “A Love Song,” a captivating collection of contemporary instrumental jazz that pays tribute to love and life;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

       

and Tim Ray’s new release, “Fire & Rain,” features his jazz piano trio with John Lockwood on bass and Mark Walker on drums.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Culture Crawl 826 “Feeling Way, Way Old”

Dennis Green was present for the very first July 4 fireworks display in downtown Cedar Rapids, which over the past 40 years has grown into the 3-week Freedom Festival celebration.

Freedom Festival celebrates its big birthday with

the return of some old favorite events, plus some new ones, including Jazz on 2nd, the Festival’s first jazz event in some years.

More info at www.freedomfestival.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.

Talking Pictures 6-14-23

Talking Pictures 6-14-23 with Fools Paradise (2023) TCM Spotlight: Hollywood-land

Culture Crawl 825 “My Computer Screen is Too Small!”

With Cedar Rapids Municipal Band director Steve Shanley still on vacation, Linn-Mar’s Jen Tiede is guest directing this week. Her guest is bassist and singer Blake Shaw, who took this opportunity to do his first-ever arranging for concert band, which is much larger than a jazz big band, and even more so than Blake’s usual larger ensemble, his “big-ish” band.

Also on the program, Jen has picked a variety of pieces, including a John Williams march from the movie “Midway,” Percy Grainger, Strauss, music from “The Greatest Showman,” and Blake’s brand-new arrangement of “Willow Weep For Me.”

June 14 at Cleveland Elementary and June 18 at McGrath Amphitheater. All concerts are at 7:30pm, Come on Sunday at 6:30 for a set from the New Horizons Band. Or watch the livestream at www.facebook.com/crmuniband.

Info at www.crmuniband.org.

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 In Jazz June 11 thru June 17

Hey, Jazz fans! Be sure to tune in this week as we celebrate the birthdays of trumpeter Doc Cheatham, saxophonist Lucky Thompson, pianists Erroll Garner, Jaki Byard, and Chick Corea, bassist Chuck Berghofer, singer Dominique Eade and more. We’ll also mark the recording anniversaries of “Gene Ammons’ “All Star Sessions w/Sonny Stitt” (1955), Jimmy Smith’s “Prayer Meetin'” (1960), Freddie Hubbard & Jimmy Heath “Live at the Left Bank” (1965), Lou Donaldson’s “Pretty things” (1970), “Chet baker In Tokyo” (1987), Paquito D’Rivera’s “Jazz Meets the Classics” (2012) and many others 10am to 2pm, Monday thru Friday, with Jazz Masters at noon.

Clean Up Your Act 6-19-23

Iowa’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy to reduce pollution from runoff is 10 years old.