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Culture Crawl 1048 “For Anyone Who Has Had a Job”

Crooked Path is back with Rob Bell‘s new play “We’ll Get Back to You“ as they raise funds and get ready to take the play to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this August. In the studio we have director Kristin Hanggi and one of the cast principles, Chris Okiishi.

The show will run April 4-19 at The James Theater in Iowa City, Thursdays-Saturdays at 7:30pm, Sundays at 2pm.

A special one-day workshop with playwright and bestselling author Rob Bell will take place 10am-5pm at The James Theater on Saturday, April 5th.

Tickets and more info can be found at croojkedpaththeatre.com.

Subscribe to The Culture Crawl at kcck.org/culture or search “Culture Crawl” in your favorite podcast player. Listen Live at 10:30am most weekdays on Iowa’s Jazz station. 88.3 FM or kcck.org/listen.

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Iowa City Jazz Festival Returns July 3-5, 2026

IOWA CITY, IA – Award-winning headliner ARTEMIS featuring Renee Rosnes, Ingrid Jensen, Nicole Glover, Noriko Ueda & Allison Miller, will perform on the Strauss Community Main Stage at 8:00 PM on Saturday, July 4th, 2026, as part of the Iowa City Jazz Festival. Summer of the Arts is thrilled to announce the dates for the 2026 Iowa City Jazz Festival, taking place July 3-5, 2026, in downtown Iowa City. This beloved summer tradition will once again bring three days of world-class jazz performances to the heart of the community—and admission is FREE for all.

This year’s festival will feature ARTEMIS, the powerhouse jazz quintet that has taken the jazz world by storm. Founded by renowned pianist and composer Renee Rosnes, ARTEMIS brings together five instrumental virtuosos: Rosnes on piano, trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, saxophonist Nicole Glover, bassist Noriko Ueda, and drummer Allison Miller.

The group has won Jazz Group of the Year in the Downbeat Readers Poll for two consecutive years (2023 and 2024), and their performances have earned widespread acclaim. NPR praised them as “a killer line-up of players, composers and performers…who converge on an extremely cosmopolitan, sleek, rhythm-forward, modern sound.” The band will be touring in support of their third Blue Note Records album “Arboresque,” released in February 2025.

Festival Details:

When: July 3-5, 2026
Where: Downtown Iowa City, two stages
Cost: FREE admission
What to Bring: Blankets, lawn chairs, and your love of music

The weekend will showcase a diverse lineup of well-known jazz musicians alongside emerging talent, with performances in downtown Iowa City. In addition to outstanding music, attendees can browse artist and organization booths, sample delicious food offerings, and enjoy the festival’s lively beverage garden.

“The Iowa City Jazz Festival creates a welcoming space for jazz music of all ages,” says Lisa Barnes, Executive Director of Summer of the Arts. “Whether you’re a longtime fan or new to jazz, this festival offers something special for everyone.”

Important Planning Note:

With the Savannah Bananas baseball games scheduled for July 3 and 4 at Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City will be bustling with visitors that weekend. Festival attendees are strongly encouraged to book hotel accommodations early to ensure availability.

The complete 2026 festival schedule, including additional performers and stage times, will be announced in early spring 2026. Stay tuned to www.summeroftheARTS.org for updates.

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Talking Pictures 4-2-25

“The Woman in the Yard” (2025) and “The Residence” Season 1 (2025 Netflix) with Hollis Monroe, Phil Brown and Monica Schmidt.

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2025 Guest Djs-Xavier

Cate Brown, Aaron Stadelmann, and Sophia Mittlestat from Xavier kicked off our 2025 parade of guest Djs. This year, Xavier Jazz Band One received their 10th consecutive Division I rating at the State Jazz Band Festival, 3rd place at Tallcorn and Coe, 2nd place at Liberty, and 2nd Place at the NEIBA District Jazz Festival! This earned them a spot to compete in the Iowa Jazz Championships on April 8.

But most importantly, after years of hearing about JBO’s pineapple mascot, for the first time ever, we had it in-studio!

Cate, Aaron, and Sophia’s playlist:

Etta James, At Last
Dave Brubeck, Blue Rondo a la Turk
Ramsey Lewis Trio, The “In” Crowd
Maynard Ferguson, Chameleon
Herbie Hancock, Watermelon Man
Cedar Rapids Xavier High School Jazz Band One feat. Toni LeFebvre, La Luz En Ti

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Kirkwood Board of Trustees to meet April 10, 2025

The regular meeting of the Kirkwood Board of Trustees will take place April 10, 2025. Time, place, and meeting agenda can be found at this link.

Culture Crawl 1047 “The Same 12 Notes”

Jazz music meets Chamber music as Miera Kim and Carey Bostian of Red Cedar have commissioned leading Iowa jazz players Blake Shaw and Dan Padley to write new music for this “all strings but different strings” group, dubbed the Crossover Quartet. Also on the program will be some new arrangements of jazz standards, along with a tune composed by John Rapson, a mentor to both pairs.

Several changes around the region to see this unique show, culminating in performances at Kirkwood, Marion’s Lowe Park, and CSPS April 15-18, Full scheduled at www.redcedar.org.

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New Music Monday for March 31, 2025

Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify

Nnenna Freelon’s voice is a reflection of life, filled with personal stories, deep emotion, and quiet wisdom. Since her 1992 debut, the seven-time Grammy nominee has used her unique perspective to tell familiar stories—from reimagining Billie Holiday to paying tribute to Stevie Wonder. On “Beneath the Skin,” she goes the extra step, reaching in to create heart-spoken songs, born from curiosity to more closely visit stories inhabiting her own life. With co-arranger and pianist Alan Pasqua, Nnenna has created her most personal musical statement to date.

Max Leake began his musical training early and by the time he was 15 was working with local Pittsburgh bands and backing up national acts in local supper clubs. The accomplished keyboardist has been recording, composing, arranging and performing for 30 years now with some of the best jazz and blues artists in the world including Roger Humphries, Stanley Turrentine, Slide Hampton, and David ‘Fathead’ Newman, to name a few. His new project, “Threads,” pays homage to the threads that have woven the tapestry of his musical life. The musicians all play a role in who Leake is as a musician and are considered family.

Also this week, trombonist, composer and arranger Ben Patterson and his Washington, D.C.-based jazz orchestra deliver “Mad Scientist Music,” an expansive display of the state of the art in large ensemble composing and performance; bassist Rodney Jordan, born and raised in the city known as the “Home of the Blues,” channels that heritage on “Memphis Blue,” his personal tribute to the “soulful people of Memphis”; and contemporary jazz icons Bob James and Dave Koz mark a milestone in both their careers with the aptly titled duo album, “Just Us.”

This Week In Jazz March 30 through April 5

Hey, Jazz fans! Be sure to tune in this week as we celebrate the birthdays of singers Alberta Hunter and Doris Day, vibist Red Norvo, trumpeters Booker Little, Al Hirt and Al Naylor, guitarists Freddie Green and Larry Coryell, pianist/composer Duke Jordan, saxophonist Harry Carney, bassist Scott Lafaro, drummer Duduka da Fonseca and more.

We’ll also mark the recording anniversaries of Miles Davis All-Stars’ “Walkin’” (1954), Bud Powell’s “The Complete Essen Jazz Festival Concert” (1960), Maynard Ferguson’s “Chameleon” (1974), Hank Crawford & Jimmy McGriff’s “On the Blues Side” (1989), Mongo Santamaria’s “Mambo Mongo” (1992), Ernest Dawkins ‘s “Afro Straight” (2012) and many others Mondays thru Fridays at noon on Jazz Masters on Jazz 88.3 KCCK.