Kingsman: The Golden Circle with Hollis Monroe, Denny Lynch and Monica Schmidt.
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Special Programs: Week of September 25 – September 30
The Short List with host Bob Naujoks
Monday – Friday at 8:35 AM and Saturday at 7 AM
Jazz In The Pacific Northwest
Featured this week is a survey of clubs in the Pacific Northwest. Portland had an active jazz scene, but the bassist Leroy Vinnegar’s move to that city in the mid-80s, invigorated the jazz community even more. Portland is also home to several other fine jazz artists, including singer Rebecca Kilgore. Seattle is not known as a hot spot of jazz, but they, too, have some fine venues. Seattle was also the place for a significant appearance by John Coltrane. Hear stories and some great jazz from the Pacific Northwest on this week’s Short List.
Jazz Corner of the World with host Craig Kessler
Monday, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
John Coltrane’s Atlantic Years
Craig celebrates the birthday of John Coltrane by shining a spotlight on Trane’s “transitional” years — 1959 to 1961 – and his great releases for Atlantic Records. Enjoy some of the finest and most popular jazz of the mid-20th century!
Jazz Profiles with host Nancy Wilson
Monday at 11:00 PM
Charles Mingus: Fables of Bass, Part 2
By the time Charles Mingus’ groundbreaking 1956 composition, “Pithecanthropus Erectus” came out, Charles Mingus had grown out of Watts, out of Los Angeles and the west coast, to establish himself as an innovative bassist and challenging composer. He moved east to “jazz central” – New York – and established his legacy as one of jazz’s finest writers and most provocative bandleaders.
Wednesday Night Special
6:00 PM
Jazz In The Stacks: The Music of the Gershwins & Cole Porter
and
A John Shifflett Documentary
No composers contributed more to the Great American Songbook than George and Ira Gershwin and Cole Porter. The songs they wrote for stage and screen are woven into the fabric of American culture. Their shows are frequently revived and their music has been covered by thousands of artists. Dennis McPartland leads an all-star ensemble – including Peter Hart, Bob Dunn, Craig Dove, and Sheila Wagner – in an exploration of this great music. Join us for this special performance, hosted by KCCK’s Bob Naujoks, and recorded live as part of Jazz In The Stacks series at the Cedar Rapids Public Library.
Then, stay tuned for a special documentary on bassist John Shifflett. Born in Dubuque,
Shifflett studied and taught at the University of Iowa before moving to San Jose, California. There, he became what has been described as a leader of the west coast jazz scene. Sadly, Shifflett passed away in April at the age of 64.
Jazz Night in America with host Christian McBride
Thursday at 11:00 PM
Live From San Jose!
Jazz Night In America continues its mini-series featuring the best performances from festivals across the country. The spotlight shines this week on singers Cyrille Aimee and Dayme Arocena at the San Jose Jazz Festival.
Jazz Corner of the World with host Craig Kessler
Saturday, Noon – 4:00 PM and Monday, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Tribute To Guitarist John Abercrombie
Craig salutes recently departed guitarist and composer John Abercrombie with a special program of choice examples of Abercrombie’s artistry. We’ll hear from his early 1968 sessions with Johnny ‘Hammond’ Smith, through his time as a mainstay of ECM records (beginning in 1974), to his most recent recordings. Craig will spin material from Abercrombie’s records as a leader, as well as his sideman with the likes of Billy Cobham, Jack DeJohnette, Kenny Wheeler, and many others.
KCCK’s Midnight CD
The Monday – Sunday Midnight CD for this week can be found at:
New Music Monday for September 25, 2017
Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify.
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra’s 2016-2017 season opened with a program entitled “Handful of Keys: A Century of Jazz Piano,” kicking off a year-long celebration of the many artists, styles, and movements encompassed in the century-long jazz continuum. The concert was an “encapsulated history” exploring the many rich traditions and styles that define jazz piano today, featuring the combined forces of the stellar Orchestra with six guest pianists. These guests, along with the Orchestra’s own wonderfully versatile Dan Nimmer, covered a wide age span, from 13-year-old Joey Alexander to 89-year-old Dick Hyman, with Helen Sung, Larry Willis, Myra Melford, and Isaiah J. Thompson filling in the decades. The repertoire included music by some of the 20th century’s outstanding pianist/composers, with new arrangements by some of the evening’s performers.
“The Sky Remains” is native Angeleno Josh Nelson’s love letter to Los Angeles. Each of the ten story-driven tunes on the thematic album tells a tale of hidden gems and little-known stories about the city. Throughout this ambitious outing, Nelson and his talented band of fellow Angelenos musically explore the city’s treasures while uncovering lost history and acknowledging a few L.A. icons along the way. With his Discovery Project, Nelson collaborates with visual artists in live shows to create a multi-disciplinary, immersive experience for audiences. He’s explored a different theme with each project, including early science fiction and the planet Mars, and now with the history of Los Angeles.
Also this week, lauded American singer Lizz Wright reveals the web of deep-running roots of story and song that bind together the diverse traditions that are the soul of the American South with “Grace,” including tunes by Allen Toussaint, Nina Simone, Ray Charles, Mitchell Parish and Bob Dylan.
Indianapolis-based trumpeter, composer and educator Jen Siukola debuts a collection of original pieces on “Lighthouse Reverie”.
Saxophonist Ralph Bowen unveils his P
hylogeny Suite on his new, self-titled CD.
Culture Crawl 291 “From the Sublime to the Ridiculous”
The events at the Iowa City Book Festival run the gamut from a talk by novelist G. Willow Wilson, to the annual presentation of the Paul Engle Award, the 50th Anniversary of the International Writers Program, and even comedy with The Redneck Liberals.
Oct. 8-15 in Iowa City. Most events are free. Details and a downloadable brochure at www.iowacitybookfestival.org.
Talking Pictures 9-20-17
Mother and Land of Mine with Hollis Monroe, Denny Lynch and Phil Brown
Special Programs: Week of September 18 – September 23
The Short List with host Bob Naujoks
Monday – Friday at 8:35 AM and Saturday at 7 AM
The Short List this week spotlights Yoshi’s jazz club in Oakland, California. Originally a Japanese restaurant opened by Yoshi Akiba, the club has moved several times, gone through ups and downs, but today remains one of the country’s premier jazz venues. The roster of artists who have performed and recorded at Yoshi’s is legendary.
Jazz Corner of the World with host Craig Kessler
Monday, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
The Piano Artistry of Joanne Brackeen
Craig surveys the music of Joanne Brackeen, yet another amazing, yet largely overlooked and underrated pianist. She is truly an amazing and cutting edge musician and composer. We’ll hear from a number of her stunning releases as a leader, as well as some work with tenorman Stan Getz, vibraphonist Freddie McCoy, and others.
Jazz Profiles with host Nancy Wilson
Monday at 11:00 PM
Charles Mingus: Fables of Bass, Part 1
Charles Mingus played the instrument seemingly made for him – the bass – and in the process, remade it. Moving the bass down front, he conducted small groups and the occasional big band, playing hundreds of his own tunes. His music expanded jazz and the musicians who played it. Enjoy Part One of this two-part tribute to Charles Mingus – jazz’s “triple threat.”
Wednesday Night Special
6:00 PM
Jazz In The Stacks: Beatles In Jazztime
The timeless compositions of the Beatles transcends all boundaries of music. Today, countless jazz artists include Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, and Starr’s music into their playlists, and many of those tunes are now considered jazz standards. Drummer Dennis McPartland leads his ensemble for “Beatles In Jazztime.” Join us for this special performance, hosted by KCCK’s Bob Naujoks, and recorded live as part of Jazz In The Stacks series at the Cedar Rapids Public Library.
Jazz Night in America with host Christian McBride
Thursday at 11:00 PM
NOLA Local: Staying Home With John Boutte and Shannon Powell
There may be no better place than New Orleans to explore the ties of family and tradition in jazz. This episode of Jazz Night in America visits the Crescent City to get inside two of the city’s best known legends: singer John Boutte and drummer Shannon Powell. With music from their shared bill at the Jazz and Heritage Center, this episode spends time with each of them at their homes, tracing their NOLA familial roots and exploring why they’ve chosen to stay local.
Jazz Corner of the World with host Craig Kessler
Saturday, Noon – 4:00 PM and Monday, 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
John Coltrane’s Atlantic Years
Craig celebrates the birthday of John Coltrane by shining a spotlight on Trane’s “transitional” years — 1959 to 1961 – and his great releases for Atlantic Records. Enjoy some of the finest and most popular jazz of the mid-20th century!
KCCK’s Midnight CD
The Monday – Sunday Midnight CD for this week can be found at:
New Music Monday for September 18, 2017
Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify.
“Wobbly Dance Flower” is the newest project by the versatile, multi-talented John Daversa, the internationally respected trumpeter, composer, arranger, producer, bandleader, and educator. Daversa is one of the leading forces of large ensemble jazz today but is adept at writing and arranging for bands of any size. For the new disc, he brought on board some old friends who just happen to be some of the finest musicians on the scene today, including legendary reedman Bob Mintzer. The sextet also includes keyboardist Joe Bagg, bassist Jerry Watts, drummer Gene Coye and guitarist Zane Carney. All the tunes were composed by Daversa except for one bebop standard from Charlie Parker.
Every so often a musician and his ensemble come along and stamp their name on today’s musical landscape. With their new release, “This Is the Moment,” bassist Nathan Brown and his trio do just that. Nathan has performed with world renowned artists such as Frank Morgan, Jon Faddis, Paquito D’Rivera, Lewis Nash and many others. He’s performed at esteemed venues and festivals worldwide including Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center and the Detroit Jazz Festival. Nathan is joined on the new disc by Felix Lemerle and guitar and Peter Traunmueller on drums on a collection of original pieces along with interpretations of selections from Grant Green, Leslie Bricusse, Walter Davis, Jr. and Frederik Hollander.
Also this week, Grammy Award-winning vocalist Cecile McLorin Salvant unveils her third album, “Dream and Daggers”.
Guitarist Andrew Scott offers up a set of original comp
osition with his quartet on “The Brightest Minute”.
Negroni’s Trio brings a Brazilian flavor to a set of pop tunes and jazz standards on “New Era.”
Culture Crawl 290 “The Traveling Flute”
Jonny Lipford, World Flutist and director of the Sweetgrass Flute and Nature Festival, gives us a preview of some of his music played on a Native American Flute that has traveled from musician to musician across the country for many months.
The Sweetgrass Festival features performances on flute, digeridoo, and drums, from some of the leading players in the world, as well as music classes, and mind, body, and spirit workshops.
The festival is free, and takes place Sept. 29 and Oct. 1 at Prairie Woods in Hiawatha. Information at www.sweetgrassfest.com.