Ron Adkins Takes Over KCCK Afternoon Jazz Show

Author and KCCK “Gentle Jazz” host Ron Adkins will move to weekdays on beginning Aug. 1. Ron replaces Gordon Paulsen, who is retiring after thirty-seven years at KCCK, more than twenty of those years spent in the 2-6pm shift.

Ron has co-hosted Gentle Jazz with Bob Naujoks since 2007, while also managing the Digital and Music departments at Barnes & Noble in Cedar Rapids. Previous radio work includes a stint at KKRL in his home town of Carroll, Iowa.

As a writer, Ron’s work has been published in Texas Rangers and Guns of the West by Berkeley Books, 100 Words through the UI International Writing Program, the Cedar Valley Divide, as well as a number of freelance writing and editing projects. He also is the MC of the Iowa Motion Picture Association Awards, and announces for the Heart of America Triathlon series.

Aside from his previous work at KCCK, his jazz exposure dates back to his years at Coe College, where the legendary Paul Smoker was one of his teachers.

“I’m honored and thrilled to add my voice full time to this amazing team of producers at KCCK,” Ron says. “Gordon Paulsen and I have been friends for many years, and I’ve learned so much from his experience. To step into the position of such a legendary musicologist is both thrilling and humbling. I’m excited to continue his work advocating jazz and promoting the mission of 88.3.”

Special Programs: Week of June 26 – July 2 + July 4th

Short List with Bob Naujoks    

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

Short List: Jazz Women – The Instrumentalists (Leslie Pintchik)

Leslie Pintchik

Lyrical New York pianist and composer Leslie Pintchik was an English major in college, but while working on a doctorate found jazz to be more fascinating than academia. She would study with the fine pianist, Bruce Barth. One of her first professional jobs was working with a touring Hawaiian music show. However, it was the veteran bassist Red Mitchell who gave Pintchik’s career a boost by including her in his Sunday appearances at the fine jazz venue, Bradley’s. Her trio now includes her husband, bassist Scott Hardy.      

 

 

Jazz Corner of the World with Craig Kessler

Monday, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM

“The Jazz Corner of The World’s Annual Iowa City Jazz Festival Preview Show”

Craig samples the output from the artists who are appearing at this year’s fest…Friday June 30th, Saturday July 1st, and Sunday July 2nd. We’ll hear recordings from Main Stage acts….Stacey Kent, Jeff Coffin, Chris Merz, Jacob Garchik, Kris Davis, Billy Hart, George Cables, Cecil McBee, Eddie Henderson, Laura Caviani, Donny McCaslin, and others. We’ll also hear recordings from many of the Side Stage performers….The Dandelion Stompers, Laranja, Jim Buennig, Blake Shaw, and others.  It’s going to be another great year for THE IOWA CITY JAZZ FESTIVAL!!!….and, by the way, be sure to check out KCCK’s 24-7 Jazz Fest channel, and, if you can’t attend in person, the entire festival is broadcast LIVE on 88.3 and 106.9. You can find all of the details at KCCK.ORG!!                  

 

Night Lights (Classic Jazz) with David Brent Johnson

Monday, 10:00 PM – 11:00 PM (follows Jazz Corner the World)  

Night Lights, is a weekly one-hour jazz radio program hosted by David Brent Johnson, focusing on jazz from the 1945-1990 era—covering artists such as Jackie McLean, Charles Mingus, and Nina Simone and themes ranging from jazz recordings of spirituals to avant-garde interpretations of the Great American Songbook. Night Lights also features many lesser-known talents of post-1945 jazz. Every program is archived after broadcast for online listening. This week: “After the All-Stars: Live at the Lighthouse 1960 – 1972”.  

www.indianapublicmedia.org/nightlights/archives/2017

 

Jazz Profiles with Nancy Wilson    

Monday at 11:00 PM (follows Nightlights)

Oscar Pettiford: Bass Beyond Bop   

Though he lived just 37 years, the jazz world will never forget bassist, composer, and bandleader Oscar Pettiford. The man helped define and refine the bass into the melodic, solo instrument we hear today. He also wrote tunes that lay easy on the large resonant bass body. From his birthplace on a Native American reservation in Oklahoma to his death in 1960 in Copenhagen, Pettiford’s musical breadth was a match for the distances he’d traveled, finding a home for himself and his music.                                                                                      

 

Wednesday Night Special               

6:00 PM   

A Geri Allen Memorial: Geri Allen Trio at the 2003 Iowa City Jazz Festival 

Geri Allen
(1957 – 2017)

Pianist and composer Geri Allen passed away at age 60 on June 27th from cancer.  In her memory we rebroadcast her performance with her trio at the 2003 Iowa City Jazz Festival.      

 

 

 

 

 

Jazz Night in America with Christian McBride

Thursday at 11:00 PM

Joshua Redman

Joshua Redman: New Dreams Joshua Redman has embraced a vibrant career for more than 25 year. Since being launched into the public eye in 1991 after winning the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, Redman has paved his career with acrobatic hard-bop, groove-oriented funk and and sensitive ballads. For the first time the saxophonist confronting the music of his father, saxophonist Dewey Redman. In this episode of Jazz Night in America Josh Redman and a group featuring Ron Miles (cornet); Scot Colley (bass); and Brian Blade (drums) play homage to Old and New Dreams — a band from 1976 that lasted until 1987 — that featured Dewey Redman and other contemporaries of Ornette Coleman.                      

 

Jazz Corner of the World with Craig Kessler     

Saturday, Noon – 4:00 PM and Monday, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM

(pre-empted for KCCK’s special live broadcast of the 2017 Iowa City Jazz Festival)

 

Tropical Heat (hosted by Kpoti Senam Accoh)

Sunday, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

(pre-empted for KCCK’s special live broadcast of the 2017 Iowa City Jazz Festival)

 

KCCK’s Fourth of July Special:  The Jazz Heritage Series Radio Broadcasts 

Karrin Allyson performs with the USAF Band Airmen of Note July 4th at 1:00 pm

Tuesday, July 4th 6:00 AM – 12:00 Midnight

Let KCCK be part of your Fourth of July celebration when we bring you the Jazz Heritage Series Radio Broadcasts featuring The United States Air Force Band Airmen of Note, the premier jazz ensemble of the United States Air Force, with special guests. Enjoy 18 hours of unique performances recorded in concert at various locations in Washington, D.C. Each program includes short, insightful interviews with the guest soloist. Special guests include Doc Severinsen, Paquito D’ Rivera, Karrin Allyson, Kirk Whalum, Stefon Harris, Terell Stafford and many more!

 

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 June 26, 2017

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

Veteran musical colleagues Don Braden and Joris Teepe continue a nearly quarter- century of collaborations with their new disc, “Conversations.” Having met back in 1992 at a session in New York City, the two titans of jazz immediately recognized their potential to work well together. As Teepe recalls, “We quickly recognized the compatibility of our personalities and attitudes, as well as our musical tastes and goals.” With the help of esteemed drummers Gene Jackson and Matt Wilson, reedman Braden and bassist Teepe deliver creative, grooving performances of jazz classics and originals, which incorporate uniquely interactive improvisation.

 

 

 

Passionate, airy, poetic, refined, gentle, evocative: this is “Lantern,” the new offering from Oregon. It’s a landmark of sorts for the quartet as it marks the 30th album of their 47 years of recorded output. It’s also their first with new bassist Paolino Dalla Porta, who joined the band over two years and three tours ago. Most of the pieces were composed by guitarist and keyboardist Ralph Towner, with Dalla Porta and drummer Mark Walker contributing one each and hornman Paul McCandless adding a beautiful rendition of the traditional gem, “The Water is Wide.”

Also this week, drummer Peter Erskine debuts a new trio on “In Praise of Shadows”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The duo of guitarist John Stein and bassist Dave Zinno shines an intimate light on the simple joys of collaboration with “Wood and Strings”.  

 

 

 

 

Pianist Spike Wilner and his trio release, “Odalisque,” a program of nine pieces balancing standards from the Great American Songbook and Wilner’s own pen, celebrating his heroes Walter Davis and Jacki Byard.

 

 

Culture Crawl 269 “Dance Comes to Mt. Vernon”

Alvon Reed, a graduate of the dance programs at Coe and UI, is now on the faculty at Cornell College, where he is organizing the first Cornell Summer Dance Institute, June 26-30. Participants as young as age 12 will be taking classes including Ballet, Jazz, Hip-Hop and West African. There will also be some clinics open to the public, as well as a showcase performance Friday night that anyone can attend.

The Summer Dance Institute is presented by Cornell College, and with grants from the Iowa Arts Council and the Mt. Vernon Area Arts Council.

Find the Summer Dance Institute on Facebook at facebook.com/ccsdi.

Culture Crawl 268 “When He Dances, Everything Stops”

Theatre Cedar Rapids presents the musical “Billy Elliot,” June 30 through July 22. Set against the backdrop of British political turmoil in the 1980s, it’s the story of a miner’s son who dreams of being a dancer. Tad Paulson plays Jackie, the blue collar dad who learns to adjust to and support the unique dreams of his son.

Director Angie Toomsen says much of the show rests on the shoulders of eleven-year-old Jesse Flaherty, in his very first singing and speaking role, but the young man is more than equal to the task. He is just one of a cast of thirty-eight who bring this complicated show to life.

Tad also gives us a little demo of Jackie’s dialect!

Information and tickets at www.theatrecr.org.

Talking Pictures 6-22-17

Cars 3, My Cousin Rachel, Wonder Woman Redux with Dennis Green,  Denny Lynch and Monica Schmidt.

Culture Crawl 267 “The Case of the Disappearing Director”

Get a good look at CR Municipal Band director Steve Shanley, as this will be your only chance this week. Kennedy High School’s Jared Wacker is guest director for the concerts on June 21 and 24. This week, the public is invited to bring an instrument and join the band! The Wednesday concert is at Cleveland School, Sunday at Bever Park.

The following week, Steve will be back to conduct the patriotic programs that the Band always performs around the Fourth of July, including the Armed Forces salutes, Stars & Stripes Forever, and a featured performance by nationally-renown gospel vocal group, The Marshalls. Those concerts will be June 28 at Noelridge Park and July 2 at McGrath Amphitheatre.

More details at www.crmuniband.org. Follow @crmuniband on Twitter for last minute schedule changes due to weather.

Special Programs: Week of June 19 – 25

Short List with Bob Naujoks    

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

Short List: Jazz Women – The Instrumentalists (Annette Peacock)                                   

The individualist composer-pianist-singer Annette Peacock was the wife of bassist Gary Peacock at a young age in the early 1960s. She became a typical bohemian artist living in Greewnich Village in New York, even to the extent of using drugs directly from Dr. Timothy Leary. She began a musical relationship with the avant-garde pianist Paul Bley in the mid-1960s and would eventually marry him. Together they received an early version of the Moog synthesizer from its inventor. Using the Moog to alter her voice, they went on the road with the Bley-Peacock Synthesizer Show. Her first album, I’m The One, is a classic from 1972. Peacock would influence several generations of pop singers including David Bowie.  

 

Jazz Corner of the World with Craig Kessler

Monday, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM

“Blue Note Records In 1967 – Part Two”                                          

“The Piano Artistry of Malcolm Earl ‘Mal’ Waldron”

Craig examines the 50 year career of the brilliant pianist who began working in jazz in 1950. We’ll hear solo and group recordings under Mal’s name, as well as a number of classics featuring his piano work with John Coltrane, Billie Holiday, Charles Mingus, Eric Dolphy, Jackie McLean, and many others. Waldron was a true “jazz original”, who remains overlooked and underappreciated!                  

 

Night Lights (Classic Jazz) with David Brent Johnson

Monday, 10:00 PM – 11:00 PM (follows Jazz Corner the World) 

Night Lights, is a weekly one-hour jazz radio program hosted by David Brent Johnson, focusing on jazz from the 1945-1990 era—covering artists such as Jackie McLean, Charles Mingus, and Nina Simone and themes ranging from jazz recordings of spirituals to avant-garde interpretations of the Great American Songbook. Night Lights also features many lesser-known talents of post-1945 jazz. Every program is archived after broadcast for online listening. This week: “Norman Granz’s Jazz Scene”.  

www.indianapublicmedia.org/nightlights/archives/2017

 

Jazz Profiles with Nancy Wilson    

Monday at 11:00 PM (follows Nightlights)

Etta Jones: “The Best Kept Secret in Jazz” 

Etta Jones sang with clarity and precision reminiscent of Carmen McRae, but with the edge of Dinah Washington or Billie Holiday. She liked ballads and loved an accompanying saxophone, as evidenced by her long association with Houston Person.

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday Night Special               

6:00 PM   

Highlights from the 2016 Iowa City Jazz Festival: Miguel Zenón Quartet

Miguel Zenón at the 2016 Iowa City Jazz Festival

Multiple Grammy Nominee and Guggenheim and MacArthur Fellowship recipient, Miguel Zenón was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Zenón continued on to take over New York by receiving his bachelor’s in Jazz Studies from Berklee College and a master’s degree in Jazz Performance at the Manhattan School of Music. Zenón is a founding member of the all-star group, SFJAZZ Collective, and has worked with Fred Hersh, David Sanchez, and many others.

Miguel Zenón has been known to be one of the most influential saxophonists of his generation. His music concentrates on the balance between both Latin American Music and Jazz. Zenón’s newest album was released in 2014, “Identities are Changeable.” Spoken word along with instrumentals truly make this album unique and inspirational. Zenón’s produces a sound that is unmistakably original.       

 

Jazz Night in America with Christian McBride

Thursday at 11:00 PM

“Harpin’ on Jazz”

Brandee Younger

Jazz Night in America is exploring one of the least frequently used instruments in jazz — the harp!  Groundbreaking harpists, Edmar Castaneda and Brandee Younger take the stage for two concerts from Jazz at Lincoln Center.                      

 

 

 

 

Jazz Corner of the World with Craig Kessler     

Saturday, Noon – 4:00 PM and Monday, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM

“The Jazz Corner of The World’s Annual Iowa City Jazz Festival Preview Show” 

The Cookers perform July 1st at 9 p.m. at the 2017 Iowa City Jazz Festival

Craig samples the output from the artists who are appearing at this year’s fest…Friday June 30th, Saturday July 1st, and Sunday July 2nd. We’ll hear recordings from Main Stage acts….Stacey Kent, Jeff Coffin, Chris Merz, Jacob Garchik, Kris Davis, Billy Hart, George Cables, Cecil McBee, Eddie Henderson, Laura Caviani, Donny McCaslin, and others. We’ll also hear recordings from many of the Side Stage performers….The Dandelion Stompers, Laranja, Jim Buennig, Blake Shaw, and others.  It’s going to be another great year for THE IOWA CITY JAZZ FESTIVAL!!!….and, by the way, be sure to check out KCCK’s 24-7 Jazz Fest channel, and, if you can’t attend in person, the entire festival is broadcast LIVE on 88.3 and 106.9. You can find all of the details at KCCK.ORG!!                   

 

Tropical Heat (hosted by Kpoti Senam Accoh)

Sunday, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Featured Album: TBA          

 

KCCK’s Midnight CD

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

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