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.
Special Programs for July 6 thru July 11
Short List with host Bob Naujoks
Monday – Friday at 8:35 AM and Saturdays at 7 AM
B-3 Blitz: Jimmy Smith
Jimmy Smith was not the first keyboardist to take up the B-3, but he is considered the preeminent virtuoso. Smith’s improvisation technique popularized the electric organ as a jazz instrument. Smith’s influenced generations of younger B-3 masters, and he worked within the whole spectrum of music – from Oliver Nelson and Kenny Burrell to Frank Sinatra and Michael Jackson.
Jazz Corner of the World with Host Craig Kessler
Mondays at 6:00 PM
Monday Night Live
Join Craig for a special live Monday night broadcast featuring, a tribute to six jazz artists who have passed on during the previous 9 months. Craig honors pianist Harold Mabern, trumpet and flugelhorn master Herbert Joos, guitarist Vic Juris, pianist Wolfgang Dauner, bassist Henry Grimes, and reedman Giuseppi Logan.
The Wednesday Night Special
Wednesdays at 6:00 PM
The Fez at Jazz Under the Stars
The Fez, 15 of Eastern Iowa’s finest musicians (and biggest fans of Steely Dan), served the Jazz Under the Stars crowd a huge helping of jazz/rock fusion. They’re dedicated to the works of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, and the audience had a blast “rocking the Dan.”
Jazz Night In America with Host Christian McBride
Thursdays at 11:00 PM
Conversation with Wynton Marsalis
Host Christian McBride sits down with Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra’s director, Wynton Marsalis, for a conversation on art and its effect on societal change. Marsalis won the Pulitzer Prize for his magnum opus, Blood on the Fields. He and McBride explore the question, “What is the job of the artist during a time of social upheaval?”
Jazz Corner of the World with Host Craig Kessler
Saturdays at 12:00 Noon
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.
KCCK’s Midnight CD
Every Night at Midnight
Each night, KCCK gives you the chance to hear a new CD played start-to-finish.
Moon Walk by Fred Randolph on Monday; Reed Between the Lines by Jake Reed on Tuesday; For Now by Brian Landrus on Wednesday; The Intangible Between by Orrin Evans & the Captain Black Big Band on Thursday; MacDaddy Mojeaux by Gregg Martinez on Friday; CD Woodbury by the Johnny Burgin on Saturday;All in All by Dan Wilensky on Sunday