Culture Crawl 585 “Chautauqua and Pie”

Longtime Corridor performers Deb Kennedy and Tom Milligan’s TKM Productions present something of a rarity these days, an in-person performance!

“Amana Chautauqua” is Sept. 6 at the Amana Market Barn. It will include music by the Riverbottom Ramblers, poetry from Quanda C. Hood and Meg Merckens, and a reading of powerful one-act play called “Milliken’s Bend,” which tells the story of a pivotal Civil War battle from the perspective of a newly-freed slave and an Irish immigrant.

Anthony Hendricks and Rob Merritt perform the play and tell us about how the story resonates with current events. Producer Deb Kennedy also explains the social distancing guidelines that will be in place to keep patrons and performers safe. 

And there is also pie. Fresh from the legendary Ox Yoke In.

6:00pm September 6 at the Amana Market Barn. More details at https://www.facebook.com/groups/corridorcommunitytheater/?post_id=3464336470288616

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Talking Pictures 8-26-20

The One and Only Ivan (Disney+), Pray the Devil Back to Hell (2008), Project Power (Netflix) and Howard (Disney+) with Hollis Monroe, Denny Lynch and Ron Adkins.

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This Week In Jazz August 23 thru August 29

Hey, Jazz fans!!! Be sure to tune in this week as we celebrate the birthdays of composer of saxophonists Lester Young. Med Flory and Branford Marsalis, singers Dinah Washington, Jimmy Rushing and Cecile McLorin Salvant, pianist Kenny Drew, guitarist Mimi Fox and more!!! We’ll also mark the recording anniversaries of “The Clifford Brown Memorial Album” (1953), “The Mundell Lowe Quartet” (1955), Gerry Mulligan/The Paul Desmond Quartet” (1957), Mal Waldron Quartet’s “The Super Quartet Live at Sweet Basil” (1987) and many others throughout the week and Mondays thru Fridays at noon on our ‘JAZZ MASTERS’ program on Jazz 88.3 KCCK.

Special Programs for August 24 thru August 29

Short List with host Bob Naujoks

Monday – Friday at 8:35 AM and Saturdays at 7 AM

B-3 Blitz: Larry Goldings

As a teenager, Larry Goldings took private lessons from Keith Jarrett. He studied piano with Jaki Byard and Fred Hersch in college, and while still an undergrad, he worked for a year with Jon Hendricks. He honed his B3 chops during an extended gig at Manhattan’s Smoke Club. Goldings remains one of the most sought-after players, collaborating with such diverse artists as Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, and Michael McDonald.

 

 

 

Jazz Corner of the World with Host Craig Kessler

Mondays at 6:00 PM

Charlie Parker on Dial Records     

Craig presents the “master recordings” of each of the selections that Bird recorded for Ross Russell’s Dial label. We’ll also hear some random “live” performances by Parker.

 

 

 

 

 

The Wednesday Night Special

Wednesdays at 6:00 PM

The Fez at Jazz Under the Stars

We put our hands together for an encore of the Fez, Eastern Iowa’s Steely Dan tribute band at 2012’s Jazz Under the Stars. The Fez gave fans of “The Dan” at Noelridge Park at night of ground-breaking Becker and Fagen. 

 

 

Jazz Under the Stars

Thursdays in August at 6:00 PM

I-380 Express Reunion 

Trumpeter Al Naylor reassembled one of Eastern Iowa’s truly legendary groups for a night of incredible music. The Jazz Under the Stars party at Noelridge Park turned into a jammin’ trip down memory lane as the best of Iowa’s music scene thrilled friends both old and new.

 

 

Jazz Night In America with Host Christian McBride

Thursdays at 11:00 PM

Bela Fleck & Edmar Castaneda Béla Fleck, the world’s preeminent banjo player, and Edmar Castañeda, a peerless master of the Andean harp, perform as a duo for the first time at the Big Ears Festival in March, 2019.

 

 

 

Jazz Corner of the World with Host Craig Kessler

Saturdays at 12:00 Noon

Charlie Parker ‘On the Air Waves’     

As Craig concludes the month-long centenary celebration of Charlie Parker, we’ll hear a number of radio and television broadcast performances from Bird and his groups from throughout his career. These broadcast gigs contain many hidden gems not easily found on record.

 

 

 

 

KCCK’s Midnight CD

Every Night at Midnight

Each night, KCCK gives you the chance to hear a new CD played start-to-finish.

For Love by Fahir Atakoglu on Monday; Fear by Sharel Cassity on Tuesday; Omega by Immanuel Wilkens on Wednesday; Keepin’ It Real by Bobby Watson on Thursday; Ain’t Done Yet by Savoy Brown on Friday; Leadbelly Reimagined by Adam Nussbaum on Saturday; Radio by Tom Graf on Sunday

New Music Monday for August 24, 2020

      Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify  
Over the course of two albums, bandleader/composer/arranger John Beasley has reimagined Thelonious Monk’s iconic compositions through his inventive, versatile MONK’estra—a big band able to deftly navigate the legend’s eccentricities from a variety of perspectives, from boisterous swing to raucous funk to Afro-Cuban explosiveness. The discs garnered Grammy nominations alongside critical acclaim. Beasley veers off in a new direction on his stunning third album in the series, “MONK’estra Plays John Beasley.” As the title implies, this time out the band shifts focus to its fearless leader’s own estimable compositions and piano playing, alongside a quartet of Monk classics and a tune apiece by Duke Ellington and Charlie Parker.

 

 

 

     Guitarist Bill Frisell marks the recording debut of his trio with bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Rudy Royston with “Valentine.” “We’ve played a lot for a number of years,” Frisell notes, “but there was no evidence of it, so I really wanted to have a document of it, if only to show it’s real and not this magical thing that I’ve imagined in my fantasies.” The disc sees the guitarist mixing original compositions, both old and new, with jazz standards, traditional songs and other covers. Frisell says that the record is an exploration of the deep creative bond between the three musicians after all their years on the road together, and of the freedom that the trio format gives them.

 

 

                 

Also this week, trumpeter and composer Anthony Stanco features stellar performances some of Detroit’s most prominent jazz artists, including bassist Rodney Whitaker, on “You Know the Feeling”;

 

 

 

 

                    

baritone saxophonist Frank Basile and tenor sax man Sam Dillon, both with experience in the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and the Mingus Big Band, team on the quintet recording, “Two Part Solution”;

 

 

 

       

       and Brazilian guitarist Diego Figueiredo is featured in trio and solo settings on “Compilation.”

 

 

 

Culture Crawl 584 “While We Wait (Perhaps for Power)”

Riverside Theatre and Mirrorbox Theatre are teaming up for the first of three co-produced online readings of brand new plays. The first installment takes place Friday, Aug. 21 and is “While We Wait,” by Charly Evon Simpson and directed by Corridor theatre veteran Chris Okiishi.

The reading is live-streamed and free, but you must reserve your spot in advance. Sign up at http://mirrorboxtheatre.com/out-the-box.

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Jazz Under The Stars – Cancelled

Well, we tried.

With regret, KCCK-FM has cancelled the pandemic-reduced Jazz Under The Stars concert scheduled for August 27 at McGrath Amphitheatre.

“We had hoped to give the community a little glimmer of normality as we continue to deal with the ongoing pandemic, but when you pile the additional devastation caused by the derecho on top, it simply isn’t the right time for a party,” said KCCK General Manager Dennis Green. “Plus, our two main operational partners, Venuworks and Wired Productions, have their hands full getting back to full operational capacity, and this is one thing we can take off their plates.”

The concert will not be rescheduled, but there will still be an opportunity to hear live music on the radio in August. KCCK has been soliciting votes from listeners for their favorite Jazz Under The Stars concerts from the past, and broadcasting the most popular choices on Wednesday and Thursday evenings at 6pm through the end of the month.

Here is the Best of Jazz Under The Stars Broadcast schedule:

Aug 19: The Commons Collective (2014)

Aug. 20: The Eddie Piccard Quartet (2007)

Aug. 26: The Fez (2012)

Aug. 27: Al Naylor & The I-380 Express Reunion (2013)

“Our sponsors and audience have been so understanding as we worked to stage an event under ever-changing conditions,” Green said. “Like everyone else, we’re cleaning up and trying to restore order in both our personal and professional lives. Right now, our job is to help each other and look forward to a time when we can celebrate our recovery and a return to the events and music we love.” 

Special Programs for August 17 thru August 23

Short List with host Bob Naujoks   

Monday – Friday at 8:35 AM and Saturdays at 7 AM

B-3 Blitz: Joey DeFrancesco

Joey DeFrancesco signed his first record deal with Columbia at age 16. That same year, he recorded with Miles Davis for his Amandla album. Critically acclaimed and nominated for multiple Grammy’s, DeFranceso is credited by critics with bringing the organ back into mainstream jazz.

 

 

 

Jazz Corner of the World with Host Craig Kessler

Mondays at 6:00 PM

Charlie Parker on Dial Records     

Craig presents the “master recordings” of each of the selections that Bird recorded for Ross Russell’s Dial label. We’ll also hear some random “live” performances by Parker.

 

 

 

 

 

The Wednesday Night Special

Wednesdays at 6:00 PM

The Commons Collective at Jazz Under the Stars

The Commons Collective began as five jazz students at the University of Northern Iowa, and  quickly grew to become one of the region’s most popular jazz groups. They’ve gone on to release four critically-acclaimed albums. KCCK was pleased to welcome the Commons Collective to the stage at 2014’s Jazz Under the Stars. We revisit that show as one Jazz Under the Stars’s fan favorites.

 

 

Jazz Under the Stars

Thursdays in August at 6:00 PM

Eddie Piccard 

One of the most popular performers at Jazz Under the Stars, Eddie Piccard has graced our stage many times – either fronting his own combos, as a member of larger ensembles, or as a special guest. The listeners voted, and Eddie’s 2007 appearance at Jazz Under the Stars was one they wanted to enjoy again.

 

 

Jazz Night In America with Host Christian McBride

Thursdays at 11:00 PM

Gregory Porter’s Soul Journey 

Flowing from the gospel church, Gregory Porter’s voice is a voice of dignity, in the mode of his hero, Nat King Cole. He opens up about his musical journey in conversation with host Christian McBride. We’ll hear about his transition from sports to theater to music, and about the meaning behind some of his soul-baring songs.

 

 

 

 

Jazz Corner of the World with Host Craig Kessler

Saturdays at 12:00 Noon

Charlie Parker Live     

Craig’s 100th anniversary celebration of Charlie Parker’s birth continues as he spins a number of the fabulous live recordings Bird made throughout his career. It’s a great chance to hear Charlie Parker as a stage performer.

 

 

 

 

KCCK’s Midnight CD

Every Night at Midnight

Each night, KCCK gives you the chance to hear a new CD played start-to-finish.

Night Kisses:  a Tribute to Ivan Lins by Eddie Daniels on Monday; Three Short Stories by the Bartosz Hadala Group on Tuesday; The Brite Side: the Music of Lee Harris by the Horizons Jazz Orchestra on Wednesday; The Possibility of Change by the Fernando Huergo Big Band on Thursday; Magnificent Heart by Peter Karp on Friday; Rise by Miller & the Other Sinners on Saturday; What’s the Hurry by Kenny Washington on Sunday