Jacob Fields, Patrick Weiss, and Casey Yeaman spin Trombone Shorty, Bob Florence, Duke Ellington & John Coltrane, among others. Plus… why playing flute is HARD!
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2018 Corridor Jazz Guest DJs – City
Culture Crawl 341 “Nerves”
Please pardon Orchestra Iowa’s Tim Hankewich for being just a tad jittery this week, as he takes the stage with world-renown pianist Emanuel Ax for three performances, April 12-15.
It’s a landmark event for Orchestra Iowa, which Emanuel chose out of all the orchestras in the country to come for free to perform and clinic. The UI’s Hancher has had a long and close relationship with Ax, and it was they who brought Orchestra Iowa to Ax’s attention.
He’ll perform Brahm’s 2nd Piano Concerto, coincidentally the same piece he performed as a young artist with the Cedar Rapids Symphony in 1983.
Tim says that Emanuel’s residency is tribute to the resilience and support of the Eastern Iowa Community for Orchestra Iowa, in its return post-flood, and position as one of the nation’s leading small orchestras.
Tickets for the fundraising Gala Friday night, and the concerts Saturday and Sunday are still available at www.orchestraiowa.org.
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Culture Crawl 339 “Breaking the Rules”
Red Cedar Chamber’s Carey Bostian first worked with harpist Katherine Siochi when she was just thirteen and a student at Iowa City’s Preucil School. She went on to win the 2016 USA International Harp competition and is regarded as one of the world’s leading young harp players.
Katherine comes home to perform “HarpStrings” with Red Cedar in several concerts April 18-22. One of the pieces they will perform was written by Katherine’s brother Jeremiah, also a Preucil alum.
Performances in Iowa City and Cedar Rapids, as well as Marion, Solon, Williamsburg, and Washington.
Full schedule and ticket information at www.redcedar.org.
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We Lose A Memorable Voice & A Good Friend
Gordon Paulsen, 64, long-time KCCK air personality, died April 9th after a courageous battle with cancer..
Gordon was a Cedar Rapids native, who began working at KCCK in 1979 while taking classes at the University of Iowa. He soon joined the station full-time and spent his entire career at the station before retiring in 2017.
Gordon held down the late afternoon shift for more than twenty-five years, a consistent tenure rarely achieved in the changeable media environment. During that time, he met and interviewed hundreds of jazz stars. His favorite story was the time he offered the great Dizzy Gillespie a ride to an area hotel, following a performance with the Cedar Rapids Symphony (now Orchestra Iowa).
Gordon told that story, as well as others from his long KCCK tenure in an interview with the Cedar Rapids Gazette in July 2017. Read it at thegazette.com.
Gordon will be remembered for his silky, rich voice, encyclopedic knowledge of jazz and blues, and the warm friendship he extended to all of his listeners and fans.
Gordon’s KCCK family and the family of listeners who tuned in each day for companionship and fine music will miss him greatly.
A memorial fund has been established in Gordon’s name to support Jazz Under The Stars, an event that he helped establish. Donate at kcck.org/gordon.
Special Programs for the Week of April 9 – April 14
Short List with host Bob Naujoks
Monday – Friday at 8:35 AM and Saturday at 7 AM
Local Shortlist: Lynne and Peter Hart
This week spotlights husband-and-wife reed duo Lynne and Peter Hart. Both Lynne and Peter are well known in the Eastern Iowa jazz circuit and both currently teach at Luther College in Decorah. They first met at a gig in Walford, Iowa, but getting together took some time and the repair of a saxophone.
Jazz Corner of the World with host Craig Kessler
Monday, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Birth Date Anniversary of Trumpet Master Freddie Hubbard
Craig celebrates what would have been Freddie’s 80th birthday by spinning a tasty variety of modern jazz gems from his 50-year career. We’ll hear material from Freddie’s sessions with top-notch record labels like Blue Note, CTI, Atlantic, Columbia, and others. Don’t miss this one!
Jazz Profiles with host Nancy Wilson
Monday at 11:00 PM
Milt Hinton: The “Ultimate Timekeeper”
Double bassist Milt Hinton built his reputation on being one of the most versatile and consistent players in jazz. Over a thousand recordings feature his rhythmic handiwork. He played with all the greats, including Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, and the Count Basie Orchestra-and collected funny stories about every one of them. This program features vintage and contemporary recordings from Hinton’s prolific career and interviews with Clark Terry, Dick Hyman, Rufus Reid and David Berger.
Wednesday Night Special
6:00 PM
Double Feature: The U of I Jazz Repertory Ensemble & Johnson County Landmark
April is Jazz Appreciation Month, where we shine the spotlight on all the great jazz produced by our high school and college ensembles. Tonight, we present a double-feature … The U of I Jazz Repertory Ensemble, under the direction of Steve Grismore, and Johnson County Landmark, under the direction of John Rapson. Two amazing bands from the University of Iowa, recorded in 2017!
Jazz Night in America with host Christian McBride
Thursday at 11:00 PM
Joshua Redman: New Dreams
Joshua Redman has embraced a vibrant career for more than 25 years. Redman has paved his career with acrobatic hard-bop, groove-oriented funk and sensitive ballads. For the first time, the saxophonist confronting the music of his father, saxophonist Dewey Redman. On 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 that featured Dewey Redman and other contemporaries of Ornette Coleman.
Jazz Corner of the World with host Craig Kessler
Saturday, Noon – 4:00 PM and Monday, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Birth Date Anniversary of “Tenor Titan” Gene Ammons
Craig celebrates what would have been Gene’s 93rd birthday by presenting some astonishing examples of top-flight tenor sax. Eugene “Jug” Ammons’ life was cut short by cancer and other problems, but he still had a fruitful 31-year recording career, working with masters like John Coltrane, Sonny Stitt, Jack McDuff, Lou Donaldson, and many other jazz giants. Tune in for 4 hours of first-rate soulful jazz!
KCCK’s Midnight CD
The Monday – Sunday Midnight CD for this week can be found at:
New Music Monday for April 9, 2018
Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify.
Legendary Grammy Award winning guitarist and composer Al Di Meola is a pioneer of blending world music and jazz. Over the past four decades, he’s explored the rich influence of flamenco, tango, Middle Eastern, Brazilian and African music. And he has won more guitar awards from Guitar Player magazine than any other guitarist in history. His new CD, “Opus,” explores the 40-plus years of his celebrated career and makes a positive statement about his new-found outlook on life. “For the first time in my life, I have written music being happy, I’m in a wonderful relationship with my wife, I have a baby girl and a beautifarul family that inspires me every day,” Di Meola explains. “I believe it shows in the music.”
The worth of a thing is not only to be found in its bottom-line value. That’s the idea at the heart of Canadian artist Emily Carr’s painting, “Scorned as Timber, Beloved of the Sky,” which depicts a solitary tree, rejected by loggers who have clear-cut its neighbors, stretching improbably but majestically into the heavens. It’s a sentiment that resonates deeply with pianist/composer Renee Rosnes. On her new disc, “Beloved of the Sky”—which borrows its title and cover art from Carr’s painting—Renee explores the beauty and wonder to be found in life’s more elusive, intangible joys. The disc also celebrates the chemistry made possible by a band of truly remarkable musicians, each one a master of their instrument: saxophonist Chris Potter, vibraphonist Steve Nelson, bassist Peter Washington, and drummer Lenny White.
Also this week, guitar virtuoso Adreas Varady, a discovery by legendary producer Quincy Jones, unveils his sophomore release, “The Quest”.
Saxophonist Sharel C
assity presents “Evolve,” her fourth album as a leader and first with her new band Elektra.
Pianist Roger Kellaway and his trio continue the
series of discs featuring the music of Carl Saunders with “New Jazz Standards Vol. 3.”
Mark Letteri and Jason “JT” Thomas
The Mark Letteri Trio was in Cedar Rapids for a show at Dick’s Tap & Shake Room April 5. Mark and Jason “JT” Thomas, who moonlight in another group you may have heard of, Snarky Puppy, stopped by KCCK to chat with Ron Adkins.
Never miss an artist interview or surprise. Subscribe to the KCCK Specials Channel in your favorite podcast app.
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