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

This Week In Jazz August 9 thru August 15

Hey, Jazz fans!!! Be sure to tune in this week as we celebrate the birthdays of pianists Jess Stacy, George Shearing and Claude Thornhill, singers Lorez Alexandria, Jeannie Cheatham, Joe Jackson and Patti Austin, trumpeter Benny Bailey, saxophonist Arnett Cobb and more!!! We’ll also mark the recording anniversaries of “The Amazing Bud Powell, Vol. 2” (1953), “The Essential Jo Jones” (1955), “Mulligan Meets Monk” (1957), Archie Shepp’s “Four Trane” (1964), Grant Green’s “Alive!” (1970) Joe Chambers’ “Horace to Max” (2009), and many others throughout the week and Mondays thru Fridays at noon on our ‘JAZZ MASTERS’ program on Jazz 88.3 KCCK!!!

New Music Monday for August 10, 2020

    Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify  
On the heels of his 2018 Grammy-nominated album, “Heart of Brazil: The Music of Egberto Gismonte,” comes jazz clarinet icon Eddie Daniels’ new project paying tribute to the world-renowned Brazilian musician and composer Ivan Lins entitled “Night Kisses.” After Antonio Carlos Jobim, Lins is arguably the most successful Brazilian popular composer outside of Brazil. He was discovered in the 1980s by a host of American pop and jazz luminaries who seized upon the English versions of his songs reinterpreted by Sarah Vaughan, Patti Austen, Michael Buble, Sting and countless others. The new disc brings Daniels together with legendary jazz pianists Bob James and Dave Grusin, with new arrangements by James and Grusin along with Kuno Schmid and Josh Nelson.

 

     Electric bassist and composer Fernando Huergo is no stranger to the modern day music scene, with eleven albums as a leader and over 140 as a sideman, including work with Danilo Perez, Dave Valentin, Dave Liebman, Hendrik Meurkens and many others. As one who artfully blends the grooves and melodic conception of Argentinean music with modern jazz, Fernando has played in ensembles of virtually every size, but as a leader, he had exclusively worked in small groups. “The Possibility of Change” showcases his artistry on a large canvas, as he transforms his comfort zone as a bandleader from quintet to big band.

 

 

                   

Also this week, vocalist Kenny Washington offers up impressive renditions of standards from the Great American Songbook on his first studio album, “What’s the Hurry”;

 

                

The Horizons Jazz Orchestra, comprised of some of South Florida’s finest musicians, plays the music of Lee Harris on its debut release, “The Brite Side”;

 

 

 

 

         

     and Polish-born Toronto-based pianist and composer Bartosz Hadala unveils his fourth disc as a leader, “Three Short Stories.”

 

 

 

Blackbaud Breach Affects KCCK

We were recently made aware of a data breach which may have included basic demographic information of KCCK donors and friends. No private data was accessed or compromised. However, because we always want to be completely transparent with our community, you should be aware of the incident.

KCCK is one of many of organizations that works with Blackbaud, a cloud software and data company, to help accomplish various fundraising goals. Unfortunately, as you may have heard, an incident involving data stored with the company recently occurred. This breach only involved information that was already accessible to anyone online including name, address, phone numbers and birthdates. No financial data or social security numbers were included. The breach also affected our parent organization, the Kirkwood Foundation. You may be receiving a notice similar to this from them.

What Happened?

In late July, we were notified that Blackbaud experienced a ransomware attack on the company this past May. In this type of attack, criminals use malicious software to block individuals or organizations from accessing their own data by encrypting files in their system. The data is then rendered inaccessible until a ransom is paid.

In this instance, Blackbaud’s cyber security team discovered and stopped the attack with the help of law enforcement and independent forensics experts. Because of these quick actions, the cybercriminal was prevented from fully encrypting the company’s files and eventually ejected from the system.

However, before this was accomplished the perpetrator was able to remove a small amount of data from Blackbaud’s files. This material did not include any financial information or social security numbers. As mentioned above, the breach only included names, addresses, phone numbers and birthdates, which is basic demographic data already widely available to the public online.

What is Being Done Following the Breach

To ensure the protection of those affected by the theft, Blackbaud paid the ransom that the cybercriminal demanded in exchange for confirmation that the data was destroyed. According to the company and law enforcement that worked on the case, they have determined that there is no reason to believe the information went beyond the cybercriminal. As a safeguard, the company has hired a third-party team of experts to monitor the dark web for any use of the stolen data. In addition, Blackbaud has taken additional steps to prevent future such attacks from happening. 

For More Information

If you would like more information about the breach, please go to www.blackbaud.com/securityincident. You can also speak to someone at Blackbaud about the breach by calling 855-907-2099.

Kirkwood and Your Information

We want to apologize for any concerns you may have as a result of the breach. KCCK takes the security of your important information very seriously. We continue to monitor the situation and remain in contact with Blackbaud for the latest updates. If you would like to speak further about this incident, I encourage you to contact me at dennis@kcck.org.

Thank you for your continued support of KCCK.

 

Dennis Green

General Manager and Donor

Culture Crawl 583 “And An Opera Singer to do Boston”

Brucemore’s Cabaret in the Courtyard concerts have long been an August staple in Cedar Rapids. The pandemic has forced staff and performers to make some adjustments this year. Tara Richards explains the mitigation and distancing procedures. Brucemore Artist in Residence Gerard Estella explains that this year will feature two shows “Unforgettable and Unplugged,” and “Hair + Product.” Both shows will feature unusual and fun new arrangements of songs you know.

The two shows will rotate weeks Aug. 14-Sept. 6. Tickets at www.brucemore.org.

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