Culture Crawl 580 “Oh, The Car Chase is Still In!”

Actor Patrick Du Laney is back in Iowa after the pandemic forced the closure of the Broadway show he’s been a part of for over a year, the hit “Harry Potter and The Cursed Child.” He’s used his free time to finish writing a new play which will have its world premiere July 17 as a part of the Mirrorbox Theatre “Out The Box” series.

Patrick was able to tap one his Harry Potter castmates, Karen James Woditsch, who plays Professor McGonagoll, to help, along with Curtis Jackson, last seen in the Corridor in Riverside Theatre’s “The Agititators.”

July 17 at 8pm. The show will be online, and limited to the first 100 reservations. Get your virtual seat at www.mirrorboxtheatre.com.

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Talking Pictures 7-15-20

Shirley (2020) and Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am (2019) with Hollis Monroe, Phil Brown and Ron Adkins.

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Jazz Under the Stars – Smaller… But Still Happening!

The COVID-19 pandemic will shrink but not cancel Jazz Under the Stars.

Instead of four concerts, there will be a single, physically-distanced show August 27 at McGrath Amphitheatre, featuring two bands. But get there early! Admission is free, but in-person attendance will be limited. The msic starts at 6pm rather than our traditional 7pm start. Masks and physical distancing will be required, and there will be a video livestream if you prefer to watch from home. 

Two bands will headline the concert, The Blake Shaw Quintet and the Iowa Women’s Jazz Orchestra Sextet. The event is still FREE!  You are welcome to pack a picnic.

In-person attendance will be limited to 900. Attendees will be required to keep a minimum of six feet between non-household groups. Adults will be required to wear face coverings unless seated. An announcement on food vendors will be made in the next few weeks.

“Holding big public events in Noelridge Park is a non-starter this year,” says KCCK general manager Dennis Green. “There simply is no way we can guarantee a way to keep our patrons, staff, and performers safe. However, Venuworks anticipates that they will receive permission to open McGrath Amphitheatre in August. We’re working with Venuworks, Wired Productions, and our other vendors to put on a concert that will incorporate physical distancing and also provide the community with the opportunity to get out and enjoy live music, which we have all missed so much.”

Gates open at 5:30pm.

About The Bands

The Blake Shaw Quintet

Blake Shaw is one of Iowa’s busiest musicians, leading his own quintet and Big(ish) Band, as well as performing in groups including Thrio, Goose Town, and many others. He began his music career at Kirkwood Community College, and moved on to get his Bachelors and Masters degrees at the University of Iowa. He teaches music at the Cedar Rapids Day School, and is a member of the talent committee for the Iowa City Jazz Festival. Blake has performed with a cruise line in Australia, as well as alongside jazz stars such as Wycliffe Gordon,  Carmen Bradford, Terrell Stafford, and Dick Oatts. . Joining Blake will be Nolan Schroeder and Ryan Smith, reeds; Dan Padley, guitar; and Chris Jensen, drums

The Iowa Women’s Jazz Orchestra

The Iowa Women’s Jazz Orchestra was founded by trumpeter Toni LeFebvre when she was a grad student at the University of Iowa. The band’s purpose is to showcase the artistry of women jazz performers, and to provide role models for girls in Iowa Jazz programs, to let them know their voices are valid and meaningful. The sextet version of the band is comprised of some of Iowa’s leading musicians and educators of any gender: Toni LeFebvre, trumpet; Lynne Hart and Jen Tiede, saxophone; Gail Williams, piano; Vivian Shanley, bass; and Farron Johnson, drums.

 

This Week In Jazz July 12 thru July 18

Hey, Jazz fans!!! Be sure to tune in this week as we celebrate the birthdays of bassist Leroy Vinnegar, clarinetist George Lewis, trumpeter Conte Candoli, singers Little Jimmy Scott and Linda Ronstadt, vibist Cal Tjader and more!!! We’ll also mark the recording anniversaries of Jackie McLean’s “4, 5 & 6” (1956), Leroy Vinnegar’s “Leroy Walks!” (1957), Charles Mingus’ “Mingus at Antibes” (1960), Miles davis’ “Miles In Tokyo” (1964), George Benson’s “Body Talk” (1973), Pharoah Sanders’ “Oh, Lord, Let Me Do No Wrong” (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 July 13 thru July 18

Short List with host Bob Naujoks   

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

B-3 Blitz: Jack McDuff

Brother Jack McDuff’s energy at the keyboard helped drive the hard bop and soul jazz eras of the 1960s. His finest albums, like 1961’s The Honeydripper and 1962’s Screamin’, allowed him to work with the likes of Jimmy Forrest, Grant Green, Gene Ammons, and Kenny Burrell. McDuff is also credited with giving a young George Benson his first big break.

 

 

Jazz Corner of the World with Host Craig Kessler

Mondays at 6:00 PM

Tribute to Robert Northern     

Craig pays tribute to jazz French horn player, Bob Northern (aka “Brother Ah”).  We’ll hear from a number of his own releases, as well as from a number of jazz classics by the likes of John Coltrane, Donald Byrd, Gil Evans, Andrew Hill, Thelonious Monk, McCoy Tyner, and many others.

 

 

 

The Wednesday Night Special

Wednesdays at 6:00 PM

Eddie Piccard Quintet at Jazz Under the Stars

Legendary jazzman Eddie Piccard always brings his superb keyboard work, his deep soulful voice, and his fresh interpretations of jazz standards to every performance. He’s been a fixture of the Iowa jazz scene for decades, and KCCK was delighted to bring Eddie and his Quintet to the Jazz Under the Stars stage in 2016.

 

 

 

Jazz Night In America with Host Christian McBride

Thursdays at 11:00 PM

Orquesta Akokan Join host Christian McBride on a guided tour of the Musical Museum in Phoenix, Arizona. We also get a brief history of the mambo through the dynamic and groundbreaking music of Orquesta Akokan.

 

 

 

 

Jazz Corner of the World with Host Craig Kessler 

Saturdays at 12:00 Noon

Herbie Hancock & the Mwandishi Era, Part 3     

Craig presents his 3rd show spotlighting this stunning jazz group that Herbie operated from 1969 into 1973. We’ll hear studio and live recordings from Herbie and his artistic cohorts, Dr. Eddie Henderson, Julian Priester, Bennie Maupin, Buster Williams, Billy Hart, and Dr. Patrick Gleeson. This material is some of the most overlooked and underrated music of the 20th century. We hope that you can join us!

 

 

KCCK’s Midnight CD

Every Night at Midnight

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

BruMa: Celebrating Milton Nascimento by Antonio Adolfo on Monday; Battle Lines by Steve Fidyk on Tuesday; “… and then they played …” by HGTS on Wednesday; Still I Rise by Derrick Gardner & the Big dig! Band on Thursday; Step Up by Tower of Power on Friday; Daydreams In Blue by Anthony Geraci on Saturday; Ascension by Robert Lee on Sunday

New Music Monday for July 13, 2020

     Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify
The John Fedchock NY Sextet recording, “Into the Shadows,” is the trombonist’s tenth album as a leader, this time with an all-star group showcasing Fedchock’s notable solo skills and bringing his special composing/arranging to the forefront. The recording features new treatments of familiar standards coupled with five Fechock originals in a dynamic album capturing a seasoned group of veterans. Fedchock shares the spotlight equally with the sextet’s other top-notch soloists: trumpeter Scott Wendholt, tenor saxophonist Walt Weiskopf, pianist Allen Farnham, bassist David Finck, and drummer Eric Halvorson.

 

 

 

     Maceo Parker, American funk and soul jazz saxophonist best known for his work with James Brown in the 1960s, as well as Parliament Funkadelic in the ‘70s, returns with his first solo album in eight years. “Soul Food—Cooking with Maceo” features Parker’s punchy signature saxophone sound, as well as an ensemble from New Orleans featuring multi-instrumentalist Ivan Neville mixing together to create a fresh selection of soul-funk infused jazz classics, R&B soul, as well as a few Parker originals.

 

 

                 

Also this week, guitarist Steve Cardenas presents a new view of his breadth as a player, composer and collaborator on “Blue Has a Range,” remaining attached to the essence of jazz while alluding to blues in all its tones;

 

 

 

                

the Mark Masters Ensemble delves into the Alec Wilder songbook on “Night Talk,” featuring baritone sax great Gary Smulyan;

 

 

 

 

           

     and drummer Jeff Hamilton offers up a new trio recording, “Catch Me if You Can.”

 

 

 

Talking Pictures 7-8-20

Hamilton (Disney+), Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (Netflix) and Artemis Fowl (Disney+)

with Hollis Monroe, Phil Brown and Monica Schmidt.

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This Week In Jazz July 5 thru July 11

Hey, Jazz fans!!! Be sure to tune in this week as we celebrate the birthdays of guitarist Ray Biondi, drummers Louie Bellson and Colin Bailey, trombonist Frank Rehak, saxophonists Hank Mobley, Arthur Blythe and Kirk Whalum, keyboardists Milt Buckner, Joe Zawinul and Jorge Dalsto, trumpeter Lee Morgan, bassist Major Holley and more!!! We’ll also mark the recording anniversaries of “Duke Ellington at Newport” (1956), “Count Basie at Newport” (1957), Horace Silver’s “Horace-scope” (1960), Buddy Rich Big Band’s “Mercy, Mercy” (1968), Red Rodney’s “Bird Lives” (1973), Shirley Horn’s “A Lazy Afternoon” (1978), Kenny Barron Trio’s “Green Chimneys” (1983), Jessica Williams’ “Live at Yoshi’s, Vol. 1 (2003) and many others throughout the week and Mondays thru Fridays at noon on our ‘JAZZ MASTERS’ program on Jazz 88.3 KCCK.