Hey, Jazz fans! Be sure to tune in this week as we celebrate the birthdays of clarinetist/bandleader Artie Shaw, singers Peggy Lee and Dee Dee Bridgewater, trumpeter Miles Davis, pianist Ramsey Lewis and more. We’ll also mark the recording anniversaries of Sonny Rollins’ “Tenor Madness” (1956), Red Garland’s “Groovy” (1957), Herbie Hancock’s “Takin’ Off” (1962), George Benson’s “Bad Benson” (1974), Maynard Ferguson “Live from San Francisco” (1983), Rodney Jones’ “Soul Manifesto – Live!” (2003) and many others Mondays thru Fridays at noon on our JAZZ MASTERS ‘program on Jazz 88.3 KCCK.
This Week In Jazz May 23 thru May 30
Special Programs for May 24 thru May 29
Short List with Host Bob Naujoks
Monday – Friday at 8:35 AM and Saturdays at 7 AM
Short List: Max Bennett
Iowa-born jazzman, bassist Max Bennett, was born in Des Moines, raised in Oskaloosa, and attended the University of Iowa. His career included stints with Charlie Ventura, Stan Kenton, Ella Fitzgerald, and Peggy Lee. He appeared on five albums with the innovative Frank Zappa and was instrumental in forming the light fusion group, the L-A Express in the mid-1970s.
Jazz Corner of the World with Host Craig Kessler
Mondays at 6:00 PM
Miles Davis in the 80’s, Part 2
Although the recordings from Miles’ final decade are generally regarded as perhaps a step below the bulk of his stellar, nonpareil output from earlier years, there are a number of overlooked goodies and surprises from the 1980s. Join Craig as he spins some superb, underrated selections from 15 or so recordings!
The Wednesday Night Special
Wednesdays at 6:00 PM
Julian Lage Trio
Guitarist Julian Lage is a good friend to Eastern Iowa jazz fans. His tours often include a gig or two in this area, and always bring out his devoted following. His Trio’s 2015 tour brought him to the Iowa City Jazz Festival where, again, his fans were out in full force.
Jazz Night in America with host Christian McBride
Thursdays at 11:00 PM
Joshua Redman’s Still Dreaming
For the first time in his career, Joshua Redman takes on the music of his father, saxophonist Dewey Redman. Josh and friends Ron Miles on cornet, bassist Scot Colley, and drummer Brian Blade play homage to Old and New Dreams – Dewey’s band for 11 years – in a concert at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Host Christian McBride also talks with Josh about how it felt to acknowledge his father’s influence.
Jazz Corner of the World with Host Craig Kessler
Saturdays at 12:00 Noon
Birthday Tribute to Freddie Redd
This week we pay tribute to recently-departed composer and pianist Freddie Redd, but we’re also celebrating his May 29th birthday. We’ll again hear selections from all of his wonderful releases, as a leader and as a sideman (no repeats). Redd is yet another underrated jazz artist who is often overlooked!
KCCK’s Midnight CD
Every Night at Midnight
Each night, KCCK gives you the chance to hear a new CD played start-to-finish.
Lovesome Thing by Anais Reno on Monday; Introducing Kendall Carter by Kendall Carter on Tuesday; It’s My Turn by The Echo Park Project on Wednesday; Daring Mind by the Jihye Lee Orchestra on Thursday; Bang at the Door by Donna Herula on Friday; The Cause of it All by The Reverend Shawn Amos & Doctor Roberts on Saturday; … ‘Til We Meet Again by Norah Jones on Sunday
IC JazzFest Schedule Released!
The 2021 Iowa City Jazz Festival will take place in downtown Iowa City July 2-3!
Click here for the Full Schedule of performances and link to The Summer of the Arts page.
Schedule
July 2, 2021
July 3, 2021
Stay tuned for KCCK’s live broadcasting of the event!
New Music Monday for May 24, 2021
Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify
A decades-long institution in Ann Arbor, home of the University of Michigan, and also the nearby Metro Detroit area, the Lunar Octet is back with a potent collection of originals inspired by such wide-ranging influences as mambo, samba, funk, Afrobeat and jazz on “Convergence.” The title itself suggests a confluence of rhythms and styles, and that is precisely what this band of multi-directional musicians has been doing since meeting 36 years ago in Ann Arbor and subsequently recording their 1994 debut. Reuniting in the studio 25 years later, the members of the Lunar Octet documented their collective growth while remaining committed to their original mission.
“Alexa is a one-woman wrecking crew, an indomitable force for expression, education, and absolute excellence.” So says Wynton Marsalis of Alexa Tarantino, the award-winning saxophonist, composer and educator. The Jazz Times Critics Poll named her one of the “Top 5 Alto Saxophonists of 2019” and in Downbeat’s 2020 Critics Poll, she was nominated as a “Rising Star-Alto Saxophone.” Tarantino has performed regularly as a leader and side musician in a wide variety of ensembles and genres including the Cecile McLorin Salvant Quintet, Arturo O’Farrill’s Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, and Sherrie Maricle & the Diva Jazz Orchestra. Her third release for Posit-Tone Records, “Firefly,” displays Alexa’s growth in performance and composition.
Also this week, pianist Benito Gonzales features Nicholas Payton, Christian McBride and Jeff “Tain” Watts on “Sing to the World,” a musical exploration of the concept of freedom that recognizes the dignity of us all as individuals;
The United States Air Force Airmen of Note big band is joined by special guests Chris Potter and Peter Bernstein for “The 2021 Jazz Heritage Series”;
and saxophonist Rahsaan Barber, who is on the jazz faculty at the University of North Carolina, unveils a new two-disc set of his compositions, “Mosaic.”
Talking Pictures 5-19-21
Spiral (2021), Sound of Metal (2019) and Film Scene to go to limited in-person screenings – with Hollis Monroe, Phil Brown and Monica Schmidt.
Podcast (talkingpics): Play in new window | Download
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This Week In Jazz May 16 thru May 22
Hey, Jazz fans! Be sure to tune in this week as we celebrate the birthdays of bandleader Woody Herman, vibist Joe Roland, pianist/singer/composer Fats Waller, saxmen Dewey Redman, Jackie McLean and Sonny Fortune, Blues shouter Big Joe Turner and more. We’ll also mark the recording anniversaries of Duke Ellington’s “Ellington Uptown” (1947), Kenny Dorham’s “Jazz Contrasts” (1957), Bill Evans Trio’s “How My Heart Sings” (1962), N.Y. Jazz Quartet’s “Blues for Sarka” (1978), Andy Bey’s “Pages from an Imaginary Life” (2014) and many others Mondays thru Fridays at noon on our JAZZ MASTERS‘ program on Jazz 88.3 KCCK.
Special Programs for May 17 thru May 22
Short List with Host Bob Naujoks
Monday – Friday at 8:35 AM and Saturdays at 7 AM
Short List: Annette Hanshaw
This week on the Short List we listen back almost 100 years to hear the ten-year career of Jazz Age singer Annette Hanshaw. Along with Ethel Waters, Helen Kane and Ruth Etting, she was a queen of popular music. In her short career she made nearly 250 recordings and was a top radio personality. But, she hated show business, stating that she only did for the money.
Jazz Corner of the World with Host Craig Kessler
Mondays at 6:00 PM
Tribute to Chick Corea, Part 4
Covering material from mid-1971 into 1972, Craig spins more of his Chick Corea favorites. We’ll hear Chick’s trio and quartet recordings, as well as some work with Joe Farrell, Elvin Jones, Anthony Braxton, Richard Davis, some solo piano on ECM, and some of the beginnings of his group Return To Forever. Absolutely essential listening!
The Wednesday Night Special
Wednesdays at 6:00 PM
Stanton Moore
Whether he’s driving the groove with his band Galactic or fronting a solo project, Stanton Moore is a force behind the drum kit. He laid down a powerhouse set at the 2007 Iowa City Jazz Festival.
Jazz Night in America with host Christian McBride
Thursdays at 11:00 PM
A Celebration of Betty Carter
We’ll hear stories from alumni of “the school of Betty Carter,” an esteemed collection of singers bound together by the thrall of Carter’s titanic influence on jazz. One of the most powerful voices in the American musical tradition, her lasting legacy is celebrated by vocalist Charenee Wade, along with many past members of Carter’s band through the years.
Jazz Corner of the World with Host Craig Kessler
Saturdays at 12:00 Noon
Miles Davis in the 80’s, Part 2
Although the recordings from Miles’ final decade are generally regarded as perhaps a step below the bulk of his stellar, nonpareil output from earlier years, there are a number of overlooked goodies and surprises from the 1980s. Join Craig as he spins some superb, underrated selections from 15 or so recordings!
KCCK’s Midnight CD
Every Night at Midnight
Each night, KCCK gives you the chance to hear a new CD played start-to-finish.
Human Qualities by Shapiro 17 on Monday; This Is Latin Jazz by Charlie Sepulveda & the Turnaround on Tuesday; Soul Conversations by the Ulysses Owens, Jr. Big Band on Wednesday; Preaching to the Choir by Vincent Herring on Thursday; Trio in Tokyo by Rob Stone on Friday; Surrender by Clarence Spady on Saturday; Volume 1 by the Rebecca Kilgore Trio on Sunday