The regular meeting of the Kirkwood Board of Trustees will take place December 4, 2025. Time, place, and meeting agenda can be found at this link.
New Music Monday for December 1, 2025
Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify
The Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra is one of the Midwest’s most prominent jazz bands. Founded in 2013, the CCJO is a17-piece not-for-profit ensemble dedicated to performing, preserving and teaching jazz as a living art form. Over the years, they have presented big band arrangements of works by Ellington, Mingus, Stevie Wonder, Prince and others. After three full holiday season performances of their take on Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, the CCJO is now releasing “The Nutcracker Remix”—a 12-track album featuring nine reimagined tracks from the suite, originated as the brainchild of former director Rob Parton, who was inspired by Duke Ellington’s classic 1960 album.
Acclaimed trombonist, composer and arranger Wycliffe Gordon captures the joy and fun of the holiday season brought to life with “Holiday Fun,” made with some of his closest friends he’s worked with on the bandstand throughout his career and those from his hometown of Augusta, Georgia. The songs were primarily selected and arranged for a 2009 holiday show, “Red Hot Holiday Stomp,” to feature every musician’s contribution to the spirit of the holiday season, and while the musicians are different, the spirit is the same.
Also new this week, “Holly Tunes” delivers a joyful new holiday collection from Colorado Springs-based guitarist Wayne Wilkinson; “Swinging in the Holidays” features a program of seasonal favorites performed by the Champian Fulton Trio, Anais Reno, Benny Benack and others; and trumpeter Jeremy Pelt’s “Christmas Interlude” celebrates the spirit of the season with soulful and vintage sounds.
This Week In Jazz November 30 thru December 6
Hey, Jazz fans. Be sure to tune in this week as we celebrate the birthdays of saxmen Marshall Royal, Jimmy Lyons, Frank Tiberi and Cory Weeds, producer Lester Koenig, singers Lou Rawls and Cassandra Wilson, pianists Wynton Kelly and Ronnie Matthews, bassist Jaco Pastorius, guitarist Jim Hall and more. We’ll also mark the recording anniversaries of Gerry Mulligan’s “Reunion with Chet Baker” (1957), Art Farmer Quartet feat. Jim Hall “Live at the Half-Note” (1963), Red Garland’s “Red Alert” (1977), Tal Farlow/John Abercrombie/Larry Carlton/Larry Coryell/John Scofield’s “All Strings Attached” (1986), Shirley Horn’s “I Remember Miles” (1997), Eric Reed’s “The Baddest Monk” (2011), and many others, Monday through Friday, and at noon on Jazz Masters on Jazz 88.3 KCCK.
This Week’s Shows December 1 thru December 7
Jazz Corner of the World (Encore)
Mondays at 6:00pm
Soul Jazz & the Prestige Organ Groups
Craig closes the curtains on this month-long celebration of Prestige Records with a look at some of the top-notch Prestige organists and their groups, like Shirley Scott, Charles Earland, Jack McDuff, Larry Young, Freddie Roach, and Don Patterson. We’ll also zero in on some of the genre’s top tenor players, such as Houston Person, Rusty Bryant, Sonny Stitt, and others!
Wednesday Night Special
Wednesdays at 6:00pm
Chad Eby Brought a Friend
Iowa saxophonist and composer Chad Eby returned to Iowa for KCCK’s Homecoming concert in 2019… and he brought a friend. Pianist and vocalist Ariel Pocock, no stranger to Iowa stages, joined Chad onstage for a standout show.
Jazz Corner of the World
Saturdays at 12:00 noon
Jackie McLean’s Prestige Records
Craig presents a variety of jazz jewels from the 19 Prestige sessions featuring the great alto saxophonist, band leader, composer, and educator Jackie McLean.
KCCK’s Midnight CD (December 1 – December 7)
Every Night at Midnight
KCCK features a new album every night, played from start-to-finish.
All in Good Time by Lafayette Harris Jr. on Monday; For All We Know by James Suggs on Tuesday; Kinda Out West by Aretha Tillotson on Wednesday; Flow by Michael Dease on Thursday; Comin’ Back Live by The Fabulous Tru Tones on Friday; Slow Burn by Kim Wilson on Saturday; The Book of Enoch Volume 1 by Enoch Smith Jr. on Sunday.
KCCK’s Christmas Channel Is Back
KCCK’s Christmas Channel brightens up your holiday season! It’s a 24-7 stream of cool holiday jazz, from classic favorites to brand new releases.
Listen through December 25 on KCCK’s mobile app, at kcckjazz2.org or follow this link.
Culture Crawl 1149 “Music & Math-Definitely a Thing”
Cedar Rapids Community Orchestra presents, “Literary Inspirations & Holiday Favorites,” with special guests Amy Friedl and Tyros Orchestra & MMU Strings. Director Josh Reznicow and board member/violinist Dean Straub are in the studio with the details. It’s Sun Dec. 7, 3pm at Ballantyne Auditorium on the Cedar Rapids Kirkwood campus.
Tickets can be purchased at kirkwood.edu/ballantyne.
More info at crcorchestra.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.
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Talking Pictures 11-26-25
“Sisu: Road to Revenge” (2025 Action) and “The Great Escaper” (2023 War/Drama streaming on PBS.org) with Hollis Monroe, Phil Brown and Ron Adkins.
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Culture Crawl 1148 “It Will Be Better This Time”
Riverside Theatre presents Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap,” premiering Nov 28 and running through Dec 14. Director Jon Whitmore and cast members Deucalion Martin (Christopher Wren) and Allison Meyer (Mollie Ralstron) are in the studio with sneak peeks into this iconic whodunit play.
Tickets and more info on talkbacks can be found at riversidetheatre.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.
Podcast (culturecrawl): Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS