Glass, The Other Side of the Wind and The Favorite with Hollis Monroe, Denny Lynch and Phil Brown.
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Culture Crawl 423 “In the Basement, Looking for Inspiration”
Three composers, including Cedar Rapids native Robert Lindsay-Nassif, were given rare access to Grant Wood works by the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art as they worked on a commission for the Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre. To aid them in creating the works that would become “Strokes of Genius,” the composers were able to view works by Wood in storage at the Museum, in an area usually reserved only for staff.
CRMA director Sean Ulmer says the community will get its first taste of the product of these labors at the “Grant Wood Birthday Bash,” Feb. 13 at the CR Museum of Art, at 6pm. The composers will introduce segments of their pieces, which will be sung by Jessica Pray Patel, whom we interviewed in Culture Crawl #414.
There will be more Museum/Opera tie-ins in March and April, prior to the Opera premiere April 12-14. More information at www.crma.org and www.cr-opera.org.
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Linn-Mar – 2019 Corridor Jazz Project Recording Session
Check out the latest featured video from this year’s Corridor Jazz Recording Sessions.
It’s the Linn-Mar High School Colton Center Jazz Ensemble. Directed by Jen Tiede. Pianist and University of Northern Iowa faculty member Michael Conrad joins the band for Mary Lou Williams’ “Roll ’em.” Also featuring tasty solos from Cavan O’Hara, Tye Skilang, Isaac Langley, and Ben Lepsch.
Clean Up Your Act 2-25-19
A look at
lost biodiversity in Iowa.
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Iowa City West – 2019 Corridor Jazz Project Recording Sessions
Today’s Corridor Jazz Recording of the day features the Iowa City West High School Jazz Ensemble, directed by Rich Medd, with guest artist Chris Merz.
The Huntertones are a Brooklyn-based band making quite a stir on the east coast. They attracted the attention of West alum and New York musician Gabe Medd, who recommended “Star of the East” to his dad.
Merz directs the jazz department at the University of Northern Iowa.
Kennedy – 2019 Corridor Jazz Recording Session
Today’s featured Corridor Jazz recording is John F. Kennedy High School Jazz Band One performing Jeff Coffin‘s “Tall and Lanky.” Coffin’s compositions are really popular with our bands. There’s a local connection to this arrangement, which you can read about below.
Guest soloist is Ryan Smith, saxophone. Kennedy’s Rufaro Muskwe solos as well.
This arrangement of “Tall and Lanky” is by Bret Zvacek, director of jazz studies at SUNY-Potsdam. Bret is a Cedar Rapids native, a graduate of Prairie High School, and is a past Corridor Jazz guest artist himself.
Lisbon – 2019 Corridor Jazz Recording Session
Today’s Corridor Jazz featured recording is from the Lisbon High School Jazz Band, directed by Jimmy Higgenbotham. Here is their up-tempo version of the classic ballad “Secret Love,” with guest artist Rich Medd, trombone. Lisbon students Chris Cannon and Renae Hasselbusch have solos, too.
KCCK’s Featured CD for March 2019
The KCCK Featured CD for March is KCCK’s “Corridor Jazz Project Volume Twelve.” The disc showcases the outstanding high school jazz programs in the area, which now numbers thirteen with the addition of the brand new Liberty High School. The bands are matched with professional musicians and educators from the area who serve as guest soloists, this year including Chris Merz, Steve Shanley, Blake Shaw, Rich Medd and Michael Conrad among others. The Iowa Bandmasters Association has called it the “crown jewel” of jazz education in Iowa, and participating students and teachers say it’s one of their biggest highlights of the year. Purchase the CD.