Latest Posts – Page 19 – Jazz 88.3 KCCK

Culture Crawl 1222 “Smells Like Burnt Coffee”

The 2026 Five Seasons Chamber Music Festival is underway at Kirkwood Community College. Faculty members Rich Wagor, Matt Andreini, Phil Faconti, and Dave Eggar chat with Dennis about working with students in a variety of chamber ensembles.

Concerts in Kirkwood’s Ballantyne Auditorium will be Thursday, June 25 at 7pm (faculty & interns) and Friday, June 26 at 6:30pm (faculty & students). An additional faculty concert will take place at 7pm on Saturday, June 27 at Ellis Park’s Shakespeare Garden. All concerts are free and open to the public.

More information can be found at fiveseasonschambermusic.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.

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Talking Pictures 6-24-26

“Spider Noir” (2026 Amazon Prime Thriller) and “Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord” (2026 Disney+ Sci-Fi) with Hollis Monroe, Phil Brown, Ron Adkins and Dennis Green.

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Clean Up Your Act 6-24-26

Iowa’s state tree is disappearing at an alarming rate.

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Culture Crawl 1221 “Little Kernels of Truth”

Playtime Poppy Children’s Theatre Summer Theatre Adventure presents “The Seeds of Our Story,” written by Joe Link for Playtime Poppy’s 75th Anniversary. Zhen E Rammelsberg, Darrin Crow, and Robin Crow are in the studio with insights into this “origin story” show.

This free to the public show will be Friday, June 26, 7pm at the Eastern Iowa Arts Academy. Stick around for an announcement of the upcoming Playtime Poppy season.

For more information visit playtimepoppy.org or the Playtime Poppy Children’s Theatre Facebook page.

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Clean Up Your Act 6-23-26

Researchers at the University of Iowa are looking into the health effects of environmental exposures across the state.

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Culture Crawl 1220 “You Run Out Of Gas Quicker”

It’s week four of the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band concerts and director Steve Shanley is on air for the rundown. Concerts are Wednesday, June 24 at Kingston Yard & Sunday, June 28 at Ellis Park’s Shakespeare Garden. Both concerts will feature Iowa Brass taking the stage at 7pm with the Muni Band performing at 8pm.

Weather updates and more information at crmuniband.org & the CR Municipal Band Facebook page.

Check out Iowa Brass at iowabrass.com.

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New Music Monday for June 22, 2026

Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify
Charlie Parker’s music has been recorded, studied, debated, and canonized for more than seventy years. Which is precisely why paying tribute to Bird still takes a lot of nerve. On “Another Kind of Bird,” drummer Richard Baratta does not tiptoe around this dilemma. Joined by arranger and pianist Bill O’Connell, Baratta revisits Parker’s music with a clear sense of purpose and a refusal to play it safe, delivering bold reimaginings propelled by a powerhouse ensemble. Baratta anchors the session with his working band, then raises the stakes. On select tracks, saxophonists Eric Alexander, Abraham Burton, and Craig Handy join regular altoist Vincent Herring to form a dynamic horn section that adds muscle and urgency to the music.

New Jazz Underground, an innovative American jazz trio, has earned acclaim for their distinctive approach in establishing themselves as a defining voice in jazz and beyond. Merging traditional jazz sensibilities with modern influences like swing, hip-hop, house/afro-beat, and Afro-Cuban music, the trio gained recognition through viral videos showcasing their chemistry, musicality, and raw ambition. Comprising bassist Sebastian Rios, saxophonist Abdias Armenteros and drummer TJ Reddick, New Jazz Underground’s talents are re-energizing the contemporary music world, serving as benchmarks for the future of jazz. “Hoodies” is their new release.

Also this week, The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra presents “Ellington Masterworks,” focusing on extended works, suite material, and character-driven pieces outside Duke Ellington’s most frequently performed repertoire; the Grammy-winning Le Boeuf Brothers—alto saxophonist Remy and pianist Pascal—unveil “Off Center,” featuring longtime collaborators Dayna Stephens, Linda May Han Oh and Christian Euman; and the Dubuque-based DZ Combo were recorded “Live at the Bell Tower 1/24/26” for their latest release.

This Week’s Shows June 22 – June 28

Jazz Corner of the World (Encore)

Mondays at 6:00pm

A Listen to Horace Parlan, Show 2

Craig presents more spectacular selections featuring pianist Horace Parlan on Blue Note, Steeplechase, Enja, Storyville, and other labels.

Wednesday Night Special

Wednesdays at 6:00pm

Cory Wong at the Iowa City Jazz Fest

Guitarist Cory Wong and his WongNotes set the 2021 Iowa City Jazz Festival on fire the moment they took the Main Stage. Their inventive, off-the-charts energy brought fans old and new to their feet for the entire set.

Jazz Corner of the World

Saturdays at 12:00 noon

A Listen to Ken McIntyre

Craig presents a deep listen to material recorded by reedman Ken McIntyre with Eric Dolphy. We’ll also hear standout charts from McIntyre’s own releases on Steeplechase, Prestige, and other record labels.t.

KCCK’s Midnight CD (June 22 – June 28)

Every Night at Midnight

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

Joy of the Mambo by Tumbao Bravo on Monday; Natural Rhythm by Altin Sencalar on Tuesday; We Dream by Lakecia Benjamin on Wednesday; Oracles by the Helen Sung Big Band on Thursday; Bridge Street Blues by Dave Thomas on Friday; A Tribute to Theresa’s Lounge by John Primer & Friends on Saturday; Love Comes First by Mark Winkler on Sunday.