Culture Crawl 1110 “Traffic Cone-Feather Duster Themed Play”

Playwright Mary Swander & actor Rip Russsell are in the studio to talk about Mary’s new play, “Coop, a Story of an Amish C.O.” Local shows before the duo sets sails for Ireland are Sept 7, 6pm at 1107 Rochester Ave., Iowa City, IA & Sept 13, 7pm at Celebration Hall, Hillcrest Academy.

For more information visit maryswander.com.

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 1109 “You Can Be A Lurker”

Leslie Wright returns to the KCCK studio with a lineup of upcoming Fall offerings at the peaceful Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center. 

Aug 28, 7pm-8pm: Mindfulness—Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Information Session (Zoom)

Sept 5-6: Pathways of Peace: Food as Relationship Autumn Table Retreat (in person)

Sept 12-14: An Unplugged Weekend Retreat (in person)

Sept 16, 5:30pm-8pm: Dear Younger Me: A Journey of Reflection, Forgiveness & Renewal (in person)

Sept 18, 2pm-4:30pm: Beginning Native-Style Flute Workshop with Jonny Lipford (in person)

Sept 28, 1pm-3pm: Blessing of the Animals (in person)

For more information visit prairiewoods.org.

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.

 

 

Talking Pictures 8-27-25

“Eden” (2024) and “Devo” (2024) with Hollis Monroe, Phil Brown and Monica Schmidt.

Clean Up Your Act 8-27-25

Nitrate levels in the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers prompt calls for more action upriver.

Culture Crawl 1108 “A Good Previously On”

Giving Tree Theater’s Jamie Henley is in the studio as “The Second-to-Last Chance Ladies League” by Jones Hope Wooten comes to a close. The last few shows are Aug 29 & 30 at 7:30pm and Aug 31 at 2pm. 

For tickets and more info visit givingtreetheater.com.

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.

 

 

New Music Monday for August 25, 2025

Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify
Vocalist Mark Winkler, an acclaimed artist on the Los Angeles jazz scene, is a prolific recording artists and lyricist. His original songs have been sung and recorded by a cadre of top singers like Dianne Reeves, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Randy Crawford. He now releases his 22nd album, “Hold On,” a collection of mostly original tunes with a few tasty standards for good measure.

 

There have been scores of tribute albums to pianist Bill Evans over the years in various formats—solo piano, small group, and even orchestral versions. And on almost all these recordings the piano was the featured instrument. Guitarist Jim Witzel wanted to try a different slant to Evans’ music, so on his new CD, “Very Early: Remembering Bill Evans,” he teamed up with his musical compatriot, Emmy-winning pianist Phil Aaron, to conceive and engaging approach featuring a guitar-led quartet of nine compositions associated Evans.

                                                            

Also this week, 20-year-old singer Anais Reno tackles a repertoire of standards with a rare confidence and fluidity on “Lady of the Lavender Mist”; trombonist Conrad Herwig teams up with the late pianist Eddie Palmieri, a true icon of the Latin jazz genre, and bassist Luques Curtis on an intimate trio recording, “Reflections—Facing South”; the U.S. Air Force’s Airmen of Note give a nod to the importance of Latin jazz on our great, uniquely American art form with “Around the Horn.”

 

This Week’s Shows August 25 thru August 31

Whenever I Seem To Be Far Away - ECM RecordsJazz Corner of the World (Encore)

Mondays at 6:00pm

Terje Rypdal Turns 78 

Craig spins a variety of dazzling work from this Norwegian guitarist and composer. We’ll hear material mostly from the famed ECM Records label.    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday Night SpecialSoul Sacrifice playing the music of... - Jazz 88.3 KCCK-FM

Wednesdays at 6:00pm

Soul Sacrifice at First Friday Jazz

What began as a Santana tribute band has evolved into a Latin and jazz powerhouse. Soul Sacrifice’s line-up reads like an all-star roster from legendary Iowa jazz  and rock bands. The audience was treated to great original work, plus classics from Pat Metheny, Chick Corea,  and Stanley Clarke.

 

 

 

 HARLEM RIVER DRIVE / HARLEM RIVER DRIVE (LP) - HIP TANK RECORDSJazz Night in America

Thursdays at 11:00pm

Honoring Eddie Palmieri

Eddie Palmieri, an absolute giant in Latin jazz and American music, died on August 6 at age 88. Host Christian McBride celebrates Palmieri’s vision, his fire, and the legacy he leaves behind, including his genre-defying project, Harlem River Drive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jazz Corner of the WorldKenny Drew | Spotify

Saturdays from 12:00 noon to 4:00pm

A Kenny Drew Birthday Celebration 

Craig celebrates the birthday anniversary of Kenny Drew, born August 28, 1928. We’ll hear a variety of choice jazz gems dating back to 1950 works and continuing throughout his lengthy career, with recordings from Blue Note, Storyville, Riverside, Steeplechase, Soul Note, and others.

 

 

 

 

KCCK’s Midnight CD

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

Many Moons by Markus Rutz on Monday; Full Circle by the Steve Allee Big Band on Tuesday; Iris by Vladimir Kostadinovic on Wednesday; Scratch Band by Ron Blake on Thursday; Live at the Song Theatre by Debbie Bond on Friday; Our Time to Ride by Chambers DesLauriers on Saturday; Seascape by the Atlantic Jazz Collective on Sunday.

 

This Week In Jazz August 24 thru August 30

Hey, Jazz fans! Be sure to tune in this week as we celebrate the birthdays of singer/pianist Jimmy Rushing, saxophonists Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Med Flory, Jerry Dodgion and Brandford Marsalis, composer Leonard Bernstein, singer Dinah Washington, guitarist Pat Martino and more. We’ll also mark the recording anniversaries of The Clifford Brown Memorial Album (1953), Jimmy Smith’s “The Sermon” (1957), Dexter Gordon’s “A Swingin’ Affair” (1962), Wayne Shorter’s “Odyssey of Iska” (1970), Mal Waldron Quartet’s “The Super Quartet Live at Sweet Basil” (1987), Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen Trio’s “Friends Forever” (1995), The H2 Big Band’s “It Could Happen” (2013) and many others Mondays thru Fridays and at noon on JAZZ MASTERS on Jazz 88.3 KCCK.