This Week’s Shows December 22 thru December 28

Coltrane (1957 album) - WikipediaJazz Corner of the World (Encore)

Mondays at 6:00pm

John Coltrane’s Prestige Classics

Craig presents a variety of beautiful jazz gems from the 40 Prestige sessions featuring multi award winning saxophonist, bandleader, and composer, John Coltrane, who continues to be among the most influential and acclaimed figures in jazz, and in all of 20th century music!  His Prestige work contains primarily straightforward melodies, and lovely ballads from the “Great American Songbook.”

 

 

 

 

 

KCCK’s Christmas Channel   (December 24)

Beginning at 10:00am

KCCK provides the perfect soundtrack for your Christmas Eve. Tune in to 88.3 beginning at 10:00am for our stream of the coolest holiday jazz and blues, all commercial-free. Or listen on KCCK’s mobile app, or at kcckjazz2.org through Christmas Day. Merry Christmas from the elves at 88.3!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eric Dolphy – Out There | Releases | DiscogsJazz Corner of the World

Saturdays at 12:00 noon

Eric Dolphy on Prestige

Craig presents a variety of impressive and unique modern jazz gems from the 18 Prestige sessions featuring the award-winning clarinetist, alto saxophonist, flautist, bandleader, and composer Eric Dolphy, who continues to receive tributes from around the world. He’ll always remain an important inspiration in jazz, and in all musical genres!

 

 

 

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

 Every Night at Midnight

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

Carmen Sings Carmen: Echoes of Carmen McRae by Carmen Bradford on Monday; Let’s Not Wait: The Music of Ed Bonoff by Greg Burrows on Tuesday;   no Midnight CD Wednesday  for special Christmas programming; Alternate Route by Kerry Politzer on Thursday; Seven Deadly Sins by Reckless & Blue on Friday; Hammer & Chisel by the Altered Five Blues Band on Saturday; Detour by Boz Scaggs on Sunday.

This Week In Jazz December 21 thru December 27

Hey, Jazz fans! Be sure to tune in this week as we celebrate the birthdays of songwriter Harry Warren, singer/bandleader Cab Calloway, trumpeter/singer Chet Baker, composer/pianist Steve Allen, saxman Frank Morgan, bassists Monty Budwig and John Patitucci, pianist Ray Bryant, trumpeter Woody Shaw, guitarist John Scofield and more. We’ll also mark the recording anniversaries of Parker/Powell/Roach/Davis/Stitt et al. – Carnegie Hall X-Mas ’49 (1949), Melba Liston & Her ‘Bones (1958), Miles Davis’ “Cookin’ at the Plugged Nickel” (1965), Paul Desmond with the Modern Jazz Quartet (1971), David Newman’s “Fire!” (1988), Lee Konitz, Brad Mehldau & Charlie Haden’s “Alone Together” (1997), Stan Hope’s “Put on a Happy Face” (2004) and many others, Mondays thru Fridays and at noon on JAZZ MASTERS on Jazz 88.3 KCCK.

Culture Crawl 1158 “Going to the Stupid”

The holiday festivities continue with Crooked Path Theatre’s 10th anniversary Holiday Cabaret. Patrick DuLaney and Vicky Shellady are in the studio ahead of this salty-to-your-sweet holiday production. It’s “A Chris-mas Carol” Dec. 18-20, 7:30pm & Dec. 21, 2pm at The James Theater in Iowa City. 

For tickets visit thejamesic.com.

For more Crooked Path info visit crookedpaththeatre.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.

https://vimeo.com/1147519374?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci

Talking Pictures 12-17-25

“Zootopia 2” (2025 Family/Comedy) and “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” (2025 Comedy/Drama) with Hollis Monroe, Phil Brown and Denny Lynch.

Culture Crawl 1157 “Build It Yourself”

This year’s Orchestra Iowa Holiday Spectacular features the Iowa Women’s Jazz Orchestra with special guest, Lynne Rothrock. In the studio with the details is Tim Hankewich and IWJO’s Toni Lefebvre. It’s Orchestra Iowa’s “Holiday Spectacular,” coming up Sat, Dec. 20, 7:30pm & Sun, Dec. 21, 2pm at Paramount Theatre.

Tickets and more info at orchestraiowa.org & artsiowa.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.

https://vimeo.com/1146913796?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci

KCCK and Career Pathways

KCCK General Manager Dennis Green has been presenting to 6th and 7th graders about KCCK and the career of radio, as a part of Career Pathways with the Workplace Learning Connection. As a group activity, students recorded the audio to a TV commercial.  Page down to hear and see the work of students from Mt. Vernon or watch on the KCCK YouTube Channel.

Thanks to Summer of the Arts for allowing us to use their video for the project!

December – Linn County Regional Center STEAM Exploration

October – Harding

October – Mt. Vernon

 

New Music Monday for December 15, 2025

Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify
Pianist Kerry Politzer is always on the move. As a busy performer and bandleader with nine albums as a leader, a jazz educator at two universities, and the mother of two children, time is always of the essence for her when realizing a project. With ten original compositions and one well-chosen cover to record for her new album, “Alternate Route,” and a schedule window of just one day to record them, there was no margin for error. For the frontline, Kerry picked Kurt Rosenwinkel on guitar and Jaleel Shaw on sax. For the rhythm section she chose bassist Alex Claffy and, keeping it close to home, her partner George Colligan on drums.

Drummer Greg Burrows’ new release, “Let’s Not Wait,” is the second ever album dedicated exclusively to the music of the legendary New York composer, arranger and drummer Ed Bonoff. Bonoff continues to be vitally active as a composer and arranger, still playing his weekly gig at Arthur’s Tavern in Manhattan’s West Village. After building up his skills and experience as a drummer from the 1940s through the ‘60s, he decided to learn jazz composition. Burrows, a long-time friend and musical partner of Bonoff’s, realized that very few artists had recorded Bonoff’s fantastic tunes and arrangements and decided to devote this new project to them.

                               

Also this week, gifted New York City-based trumpeter David Sneider releases his debut album, “Introducing,” marking him as a rising star in contemporary jazz; for five-time Grammy nominee Carmen Bradford’s first solo big band recording without the Count Basie Orchestra, she’s joined by the Compass Jazz Orchestra for “Carmen Sings Carmen—Echoes of Carmen McRae”; and singer Boz Scaggs’ first new studio album in seven years, “Detour,” is a love letter to the Great American Songbook.

Culture Crawl 1156 “Let Me Tell You About My Uncle”

Riverside Theatre co-founder, Ron Clark, is in the studio ahead of the third annual “Christmas Express On Air” with Ron Clark & Streamline Deluxe ft. Annie Savage. It’s Dec. 20, 7:30pm at Riverside Theatre with a lobby acoustic set at 7pm. Tickets are $25 general admission.

For tickets and more info visit riversidetheatre.org/special-events/.

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.

https://vimeo.com/1146341084?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci