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Culture Crawl 299 “Demon Cheerleaders & The Gelatinous Cube”

The Iowa City Community Theatre presents “She Kills Monsters” Oct. 27 through Nov. 5. It’s the tale of a young woman’s journey to deal with tragedy against the backdrop of the role playing game “Dungeons & Dragons.”

Director Nate Sullivan, an avowed D&D’er himself, says the play combines stage combat, and special effects that include a half dozen monsters, but that the tech does not take away from the message of the play, which is the protagonist’s journey to deal with the death of her little sister.

Tickets and information at www.iowacitycommunitytheatre.com.

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Clean Up Your Act 11-14-17

Fertilizer might be causing less plant diversity in Iowa.

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Special Programs: Week of October 16 — October 21

The Short List with host Bob Naujoks

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

Ramsey Lewis had a monster hit in the 1960’s with “The In-Crowd.” It shouldered aside both the Beatles and Barbra Streisand from the charts. The Gospel-Funk groove launched Lewis into a long, successful career that included, among other things, a stint as a disc jockey. Now in his 80’s, he still performs live a couple of times a month.

Jazz Corner of the World with host Craig Kessler

Monday, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM.

Thelonious Monk Centennial Celebration, Part Two

Craig continues the birthday party with still more fabulous live recordings from Monk’s astonishing career. We’ll once again hear some popular favorites, as well as some obscure gems that should cause some jaws to drop! Looking forward to having you along!

Jazz Profiles with host Nancy Wilson

Monday at 11:00 PM

Count Basie: The Man and His Music, Part Two

The story picks up with the death of Benny Moten and the genesis of Count Basie’s first band at the Reno Club in Kansas City. Broadcasts on experimental station W9XBY bring Lester Young and others to Kansas City to see the band they had heard on the radio. Thanks to the addition of Young and the All-American rhythm section, the Basie band bursts onto the national scene. Basie comes to New York with an uncertain reception and then breaks through with his first record contract with Decca. This installment covers a period that marks the both the pinnacle of success for Basie’s Kansas City style and also some setbacks, including the death of tenor man Herschel Evans, the recording ban of the early 1940s, and the advent of World War II.

Wednesday Night Special

6:00 PM

Jazz Under The Stars 2017: 10 of Soul

The crowd came to Noelridge Park to groove on Week Three of Jazz Under the Stars 2017. They were not disappointed. 10 of Soul laid down some serious jazz, soul, and funk that got hundreds of people dancing! Based out of the Quad Cities, this 10-ish piece band played the gamut – from classic soul to smooth groove and everything in between. Crank up the volume and be prepared for a serious dose of get-down!

Jazz Night in America with host Christian McBride

Thursday at 11:00 PM

Abdullah Ibrahim

Jazz Night in America dives into a piece of South African jazz history with pianist Abdullah Ibrahim. Also known by the nickname “Dollar Brand,” Abdullah Ibrahim is the composer symphonic works, choral works, film scores and — in his early 80s — is still very active with his band touring the world. This episode’s concert comes from Town Hall in New York City on 2017 South Africa Freedom Day. In addition to his own compositions, Ibrahim revisits music from his years in the Jazz Epistles (1960), a short lived, legendary South African bebop band.

Jazz Corner of the World with host Craig Kessler

Saturday, Noon – 4:00 PM

Mode Records, Part Two

Craig continues his look at the short-lived Hollywood jazz label from the year 1957. We’ll hear from a new batch of releases that spotlight artists like tenorman Warne Marsh, vibist Terry Gibbs, pianist Ronnie Ball, vocalist Joy Bryan, guitarist Al Viola, drummer Paul Togawa, and a number of other “west-coasters.” Some eye-popping jazz that continues to languish in obscurity. You’ll be glad you tuned in!

KCCK’s Midnight CD

The Monday – Sunday Midnight CD for this week can be found at:

http://www.kcck.org/midnight-cd/

New Music Monday for October 16, 2017

Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify.

With his Caribbean heritage, classical training and a unique rhythmic and melodic approach to jazz improvisation, Nestor Torres’ talkative and mellifluous flute sound remains in a class all by itself. Now, with his 15^th album release, “Jazz Flute Traditions,” the Latin Grammy Award-winner shows his deep respect and knowledge for the traditions of jazz and Latin jazz in its purest forms. The disc pays homage to legendary pioneers like Herbie Mann and Eric Dolphy, as well as Torres’ idol and mentor, Hubert Laws. The tribute expands further, from Frank Wes and Moe Koffman, who were playing the instrument when it was still showing up in the ‘miscellaneous’ categories of major 1950’s jazz polls, to revolutionaries such as Yusef Lateef and Esy Morales.

Drums from Martinique and Cuba mingle with rhythms of Turkey and Bulgaria in the jazz world of percussionist and composer Julian Gerstin on his new CD, “The One Who Makes You Happy.” Living in Martinique for two years, Julian studied the unusual tanbou drum, played with both hands and one foot. To bring this instrument home, he composes music that combines rhythmic drive with lyrical melodies and jazz inventiveness. He draws also on his experience traveling and working with musicians from Cuba, Brazil, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and Egypt. To bring these compositions to life, Julian has assembled creative like-minded musicians. Clarinetist Anna Patton has a grounding in Bulgarian and Macedonian music as well as jazz. Trumpeter Don Anderson is a salsa veteran while pianist Eugene Uman has worked extensively in Columbia. Bassist Wes Brown has spanned the history of jazz styles, working with giants from Earl Hines to Wadada Leo Smith.

Also this week, saxophonist Vincent Herring offers up a tonic to help calm the turbulence of modern life with “Hard Times,” featuring a core quartet of pianist Cyrus Chestnut, drummer Carl Allen and bassist Yasushi Nakamura, with special guests Steve Turre on trombone and guitarist Russell Malone; Toronto-based pianist Teri Parker debuts with her trio on “In the Past”.

French horn ace Ken Wiley presents a dozen moody, atmospheric themes on “Urban Horn Project.”

Culture Crawl 298 “We Won’t Ask You To Turn Off Your Phone”

“Dead Man’s Cell Phone” is the story of a woman whose life is forever changed by the group of unusual characters she gets involved with after answering someone else’s phone.

Theatre Cedar Rapids’ Scenic Director Daniel Kelchen moves into the director’s chair for the first time since college in this dark comedy, which opens Oct. 20.

Tickets and information at www.theatrecr.org.

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Culture Crawl 297 “Like Seeing The Grateful Dead”

Riverside Theatre presents “Circle Mirror Transformation,” a play written by Annie Baker, who earlier this week one of the famous MacArthur Fellowship “genius grants.” The play is about a group of people taking an acting class at a Vermont Community Center, and the unintended emotional directions the experience takes them.

Director Angie Toomsen and cast member Nina Swanson say that while the words of the play have a very firm structure, right down the number of seconds a long or short pause should be, the emotional content is totally up to the performers and director, creating the possibility of the show enfolding in very different ways on different nights.

Running Oct. 19 – Nov. 5 at Riverside Theatre in Iowa City. Tickets at www.riversidetheatre.org.

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Culture Crawl 296 “Secret Message”

Tim Hankewich and Orchestra Iowa present Tchaikovsky’s final symphony, “Pathetique,” which premiered just nine days before the famous composer’s death. Tim says he thinks the piece is Tchaikovsky’s most profound work.

The Orchestra will feature its principal cellist, Laura Usiskin, in a Shostakovich concerto. Shostakovich lived during the Soviet Union era, and actually wrote a musical secret message into the composition in case he was ever declared an “un-person.”

Oct. 14 at the Paramount, Oct. 15 at West High in Iowa City, and a special show Monday, Oct. 16 at the Sondheim Center in Fairfield.

Tickets and information at www.orchestraiowa.org.