Each spring, KCCK, The Hotel at Kirkwood Center, the Kirkwood Culinary Arts Department, and Kirkwood’s Hospitality Arts Department collaborate for a night of wine and beer, food and music on the Kirkwood campus at The Hotel At Kirkwood Center. All to benefit KCCK’s Jazz Education Programs.
The event features wine and beer tastings, heavy hors d’oeuvres, dessert and a silent auction.
And of course great live music!
Crooked Path is back with Rob Bell‘s new play “We’ll Get Back to You“ as they raise funds and get ready to take the play to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this August. In the studio we have director Kristin Hanggi and one of the cast principles, Chris Okiishi.
The show will run April 4-19 at The James Theater in Iowa City, Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30pm, Sundays at 2pm.
A special one-day workshop with playwright and bestselling author Rob Bell will take place 10am-5pm at The James Theater on Saturday, April 5th.
Tickets and more info can be found at croojkedpaththeatre.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.
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More info and artist bios at Summer of the Arts.
“The Woman in the Yard” (2025) and “The Residence” Season 1 (2025 Netflix) with Hollis Monroe, Phil Brown and Monica Schmidt.
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Cate Brown, Aaron Stadelmann, and Sophia Mittlestat from Xavier kicked off our 2025 parade of guest Djs. This year, Xavier Jazz Band One received their 10th consecutive Division I rating at the State Jazz Band Festival, 3rd place at Tallcorn and Coe, 2nd place at Liberty, and 2nd Place at the NEIBA District Jazz Festival! This earned them a spot to compete in the Iowa Jazz Championships on April 8.
But most importantly, after years of hearing about JBO’s pineapple mascot, for the first time ever, we had it in-studio!
Cate, Aaron, and Sophia’s playlist:
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The regular meeting of the Kirkwood Board of Trustees will take place April 10, 2025. Time, place, and meeting agenda can be found at this link.
Jazz music meets Chamber music as Miera Kim and Carey Bostian of Red Cedar have commissioned leading Iowa jazz players Blake Shaw and Dan Padley to write new music for this “all strings but different strings” group, dubbed the Crossover Quartet. Also on the program will be some new arrangements of jazz standards, along with a tune composed by John Rapson, a mentor to both pairs.
Several changes around the region to see this unique show, culminating in performances at Kirkwood, Marion’s Lowe Park, and CSPS April 15-18, Full scheduled at www.redcedar.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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Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify
Nnenna Freelon’s voice is a reflection of life, filled with personal stories, deep emotion, and quiet wisdom. Since her 1992 debut, the seven-time Grammy nominee has used her unique perspective to tell familiar stories—from reimagining Billie Holiday to paying tribute to Stevie Wonder. On “Beneath the Skin,” she goes the extra step, reaching in to create heart-spoken songs, born from curiosity to more closely visit stories inhabiting her own life. With co-arranger and pianist Alan Pasqua, Nnenna has created her most personal musical statement to date.
Max Leake began his musical training early and by the time he was 15 was working with local Pittsburgh bands and backing up national acts in local supper clubs. The accomplished keyboardist has been recording, composing, arranging and performing for 30 years now with some of the best jazz and blues artists in the world including Roger Humphries, Stanley Turrentine, Slide Hampton, and David ‘Fathead’ Newman, to name a few. His new project, “Threads,” pays homage to the threads that have woven the tapestry of his musical life. The musicians all play a role in who Leake is as a musician and are considered family.
Also this week, trombonist, composer and arranger Ben Patterson and his Washington, D.C.-based jazz orchestra deliver “Mad Scientist Music,” an expansive display of the state of the art in large ensemble composing and performance; bassist Rodney Jordan, born and raised in the city known as the “Home of the Blues,” channels that heritage on “Memphis Blue,” his personal tribute to the “soulful people of Memphis”; and contemporary jazz icons Bob James and Dave Koz mark a milestone in both their careers with the aptly titled duo album, “Just Us.”
