December 15, 2016, marks the 50th anniversary of the death of Walt Disney. KCCK’s “Talking Pictures” co-host Dennis Lynch spoke by phone with documentary filmmaker and author Dr. John G. West who has written a new book Walt Disney and Live Action.
This Week’s Shows: Week of December 12 – 18
Short List with Bob Naujoks
Monday – Friday at 8:35 AM and Saturday at 7 AM
The Short List: International Jazz Stars (Michael Gibbs)
Michael Gibbs
English arranger and composer Michael Gibbs was born in Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, but educated in England. He was on track to be a scientist, but his friends liked jazz. When he first heard jazz icon Charlie Parker soon after Bird’s death, that changed his direction — that at the fact that he flunked Chemistry. Soon he was working with jazzmen like Johnny Dankworth and saxophonist Tubby Hayes. Gibbs was a trombonist and piano player, but soon arrangements became his major activity — charts for jazz bands and movies and television.
Jazz Profiles with Nancy Wilson
Monday at 6:00 PM
Miles Davis, Part 2: ‘Kind of Blue’
Photo taken at the first “Kind of Blue” recording session with: (L to R) John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Miles, Bill Evans
Miles Davis’s album Kind of Blue is widely recognized as one of the most important jazz recordings ever. Out of two fairly routine recording sessions in 1959 came the modal jazz masterpiece that’s become one of the best-selling jazz recordings of all time. The inside story on the making of the work is told by the musicians, record personnel, critics and jazz fans.
Jazz Corner of the World with Craig Kessler
Monday, 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM (follows Jazz Profiles)
“Savoy Records”
Craig presents an exciting overview of SAVOY RECORDS, one of the more important pioneering record labels dedicated to presenting “bebop” and the modern jazz of the 1940s and 50s. We’ll hear from a number of jazz greats, including Charlie Parker, Dexter Gordon, Curtis Fuller, Hank Mobley, Milt Jackson, Art Pepper, Dizzy Gillespie, Fats Navarro, Miles Davis, and others. Essential material!
New Orleans Calling with George Ingmire
Tuesday at 6:00 PM
Champion Jack Dupree: Pieces of The Puzzle Part One
Champion Jack Dupree
The story of New Orleans boogie-woogie piano player Champion Jack Dupree is hard to track down – there’s no biography, and the twists and turns of his life took him all over the world. Orphaned as an infant, he taught himself piano in the Waif’s Home, and went on to play barrelhouse piano alongside some of the greats of the 1920s and 1930s. And then he became a championship boxer. And then he was a prisoner of war in the Pacific for two years. And only then did he became a successful recording artist — but he then left America for Europe, not returning for over thirty years. The facts of his life are scattered — in archived papers and recordings, and in the memories of those who knew him or saw him perform. In this episode, part one of this special two-part program of New Orleans Calling, we go searching for pieces of the puzzle, to try to figure out who Champion Jack Dupree really was.
Jazz Night in America with Christian McBride
Wednesday at 6:00 PM
Eddie Palmieri’s Harlem River Drive
Eddie Palmieri
Nuyorican pianist Eddie Palmieri turns 80 this month and to celebrate Jazz Night in America presents the Latin jazz legend’s Harlem River Drive project featuring an 18-piece orchestra recorded in (where else, but) Harlem! In the words of Eddie himself, “The message of Harlem River Drive is the past, present, and future. We’re talking about conditions that exist past, present, and future and why we struggle to survive. We’re talking about the unequal distribution of wealth; we’re talking about broken homes.” Eddie and the band trace the genesis and commercial failure of the 1972 cult album, and how the message is still today.
Wednesday Night Special
7:00 PM (Follows Jazz Night in America)
Mirage at KCCK’s Jazz Under the Stars 2016 (indoors at Parlor City Pub)
Mirage at Jazz Under the Stars 2016 (indoors at Parlor City Pub)
A downpour forced our 2nd scheduled Jazz Under the Stars concert of the 2016 season indoors at Parlor City Pub in Cedar Rapids, but that didn’t put a damper on the area’s newest band from playing their own unique brand of high energy Fusion-Celtic-Funk, or keep the crowd from groovin’ to the music. Mirage, led by violinist and long-time area educator Natalie Brown, plays a lot of Jean-Luc Ponty – classics such as New Country, Mirage, Enigmatic Ocean, Infinite Pursuit and Ponty collaborations with Frank Zappa and Mahavishnu Orchestra. Mirage also performs Ponty influenced fusion, jazzy funk, and their own, original creations! In addition to Natalie, the band features Ryan Phelan – guitar, vocals Luke Viertel, – keys, vocals, Richard Wagor – bass and Matthew Bernemann – drums. Check them out at: http://www.facebook.com/mirageponty
Jazz Corner of the World with Craig Kessler
Saturday, Noon – 4:00 PM and Monday, 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM
“The Music of Tenorman Charlie Rouse”
Charlie Rouse
Craig looks at the recorded legacy of jazz great, Charlie Rouse. Although best known for his work with pianist Thelonious Monk, we’ll listen to sides that feature Rouse as a leader, as well as his many sideman dates with the likes of Sonny Clark, Joe Gordon, Donald Byrd, Louis Smith, Oscar Pettiford, and many others including, of course, some choice dates with Monk! Rouse sports one of the unique tenor sounds that will always be cherished!
Tropical Heat (hosted by Kpoti Senam Accoh)
Sunday, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Featured Album: “Feel Like Dancing” by the Jefferson Rose Band
The Jefferson Rose Band is a world music dance party with hard hitting, bass-driven Caribbean, Spanish and African music laid on the roots of funk and reggae.
Since 2011, JRB has rocked packed houses in Seattle’s biggest venues and gotten crowds dancing at Northwest festivals big and small. Their newest album, Feel Like Dancing, was released in June 2014 to rave reviews and earned 28 weeks on the CMJ World Music Top 40. Feel Like Dancing is also a window into their high-energy, superbly executed live show.
Listeners who enjoyed the first album, Seismic, will love the addition of singer Alex Kitchen, whose wild and potent voice adds another layer to the complex and dance-worthy rhythms. Singing in English and Spanish and a sincere approach to each note, Kitchen transports the listener to places that are at once familiar and exotic. Her powerful, heartfelt vocal style draws influences from R&B, neo-soul and Latin music. JRB has played Bumbershoot, Folklife, Everett Music in the Parks, Anacortes Arts Festival, Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, The Tractor, Nectar, The Royal Room and many more.
KCCK’s Midnight CD
The Monday – Sunday Midnight CD for this week can be found at:
New Music Monday for December 12, 2016
Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify.
In the aftermath of one of the most bizarre presidential elections the country has ever seen, Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra do their part to “Make America Great Again!” On their debut recording, the trombonist/composer and his rollicking big band take that slogan and run it up the flagpole of great American music, tracing its sound from its African roots through the streets of New Orleans to the country as a whole. The Orchestra adds some home-cooked seasoning to original material and jazz classics that pay homage to America’s great cultural traditions—blues, swing, groove and good old-fashioned Southern hospitality.
Following two critically-acclaimed organ group outings, New York saxophonist/composer Dan Pratt heads in a different direction on “Hymn for the Happy Man,” his fourth recording overall. “After eight years, the organ group had a great run,” says Pratt. “For this record I decided to go with the piano-bass-drums-sax quartet instrumentation that is such an essential strand to jazz’s DNA.” Pratt assembled his ‘dream team’ of bassist Christian McBride, drummer Gregory Hutchinson and pianist Mike Eckroth to help him realize seven well-crafted originals and breathe new life into one well-chosen standard.
Also this week, Chris Hazelton’s Boogaloo 7, who have held down a wildly successful residency every Friday night at Kansas City’s acclaimed Green Lady Lounge, are captured live at the club on “Soul Jazz Fridays”.
“Intenso” by the C
lare Fischer Latin Jazz Big Band, directed by Brent Fischer, features more previously unreleased tracks recorded by the late keyboard master Clare Fischer.
Guitarist Jeff Libman, who’s part of the musical faculty at Arizona State University, offers up “Strange Beauty.”
Laura Caviani Brings the Holiday Cheer
Pianist Laura Caviani stopped by KCCK to play some of her music and talk a little about her career. Laura is a Twin Cities-based jazz player, composer, and arranger, whose most recent CD is a holiday collection “Holly, Jolly, and Jazzy.” She plays two carols for us, and one original, inspired by the Nutcracker’s Russian Dance.
Culture Crawl 217 “YEAH!”
It doesn’t matter how “O Holy Night” you’re feeling, when Ron DeWitte finishes a guitar solo, you want to shot “YEAH!”
Lynne Rothrock admits sometimes that’s her. Lynne’s Christmas show is in its 14th year and features her husband Ron, Julia West, Greg Kanz, and Dave Ollinger in the band, and special guests Cathy Koebrick and Heather Akers.
And did we mention homemade cookies and cocoa after the show?
Dec. 8-10 in the Whipple Auditorium at the Cedar Rapids Public Library. Tickets at www.lynnerothrock.com or at the door.
Culture Crawl 216 “Teens Without Phones in Their Hands”
Only seven tickets remain for this weekend’s final shows of “Little Women” at Giving Tree Theater in Marion. Director Hollie Ternary talks about the challenges and rewards of guiding a group of 21st Century teens through this Civil War period piece.
Giving Tree co-founder Heather Akers explains the concept behind Giving Tree, and previews upcoming shows, including a Holiday(wish) Cabaret with Alex Schulte and Alicia Strong Dec. 17-18, that will range from traditional tunes all the way to Michael Jackson and Adele.
Information and tickets at www.givingtreetheater.com.
Clean Up Your Act 1-10-17
Johnson County government expands its solar energy production.
Special Holiday Music Thursday!
You’re not going t
o want to miss a very special holiday treat Thursday, December 8 at 7:30 PM! Big Mo will be bringing his tuba and playing some holiday tunes live in the studio!