2015 Iowa City Jazz Festival – Memorial Day Special

Monday, May 30th at 6:00 AM 

Charles Lloyd Quartet at the 2015 Iowa City Jazz Festival

KCCK gives you a great way to kick-start the summer and get pumped for the 2016 Iowa City Jazz Festival (July 1-3) when we bring you all of the 2015 Iowa City Jazz Festival Main Stage performances plus our exclusive, behind the scene, backstage interviews with the major artists during our special Memorial Day broadcast. Enjoy 12 different bands during 18 hours of non-stop coverage from all three days of last summer’s festival. Hear several of today’s top international jazz artists, some outstanding local players, plus many of the area’s best high school jazz musicians. Our line-up includes the United Jazz Ensemble, Brian Charette Trio, The Becca Stevens Band, North Corridor Jazz All-Stars, Colossus Big Band, James Dreier and Ritmocano!, Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Bird Calls, Dave Douglas & High Risk, Atlantis Quartet, Julian Lage Trio, Ben Allison & Think Free and the Charles Lloyd Quartet!

Here are the approximate start times for each band:

United Jazz Ensemble   6:00 am

Brian Charette Trio  7:45 am

Becca Stevens Band  9:05 am

North Corridor All Stars  10:35 am

Colossus Big Band  12:15 pm

James Dreier’s Ritmocano!  1:55 pm

Rudresh Mahanthappa Bird Calls  3:30 pm

Dave Douglas & High Risk  4:45 pm

Atlantis Quartet  6:10 pm

Julian Lage Trio  8:05 pm

Ben Allison Think Free  9:35 pm

Charles Lloyd Quartet  11:20 pm

Don’t forget… listen from wherever you happen to be on Memorial Day. With our IOS and Android apps, KCCK goes where you do.

Short List with Bob Naujoks  

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

The Short List: Vocal Short List 14 (Jill Seifers)            

Jill Seifers is a singer who came and went quietly. Her sweet, quiet and pure vocalizing is a treat to hear. Seifers was raised in Portland, Oregon, trained at the Berklee School of Music and the Manhattan School of Music, and was a minor fixture on the New York cabaret scene. She teamed up with trumpeter Ingrid Jensen in the mid-90s, but her main accompanist was pianist Michael Kanan. They issued an album 1n 1998 titled Birdland Sessions that is a treasure. Jill Seifers would move from the Big Apple to Nashville after the millennium, but unexpectedly passed on in 2012.

Jazz Profiles with Nancy Wilson  

Monday at 6:00 PM

(pre-empted this week for our Memorial Day Special – the 2015 Iowa City Jazz Festival)

Jazz Corner of the World with Craig Kessler

Monday, 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM (follows Jazz Profiles)

“Prestige Records in 1966”               

Craig travels back 50 years to look in on the operations and output from one of the “Big 3” modern jazz record labels, PRESTIGE RECORDS, back in 1966. We’ll hear a mixed bag of jazz goodies from Johnny ‘Hammond’ Smith, Jaki Byard, Bobby Timmons, Houston Person, Frank Foster, Teddy Edwards, Don Patterson, and many others. The most when it comes down to the “Ultra – Cool”!!!

New Orleans Calling with George Ingmire     

Tuesday at 6:00 PM 

Rock With the Hot 8     

The story of the Grammy nominated Hot 8 Brass Band is one of trials and tribulations, but also of triumphs over adversity and a determination to continue on. Over the past 20 plus years, the band has carried on despite Hurricane Katrina, a band member losing both of his legs in a car accident, and the deaths of four band members.

Tuba player Bennie Pete, the leader of the Hot 8, sat down with host George Ingmire at the Howlin Wolf in New Orleans, where the band holds down a weekly Sunday night gig when they’re not on tour. And they talked about everything from the early days of the band, rehearsing for a neighborhood audience in Shakespeare Park uptown, to how they established themselves in the city’s blossoming brass band scene.

Jazz Night in America with Christian McBride

Wednesday at 6:00 PM

“The Ladybugs Do Disney”                 

In an era where the ³jazz standard² songbook is ever expanding into the 21st century, The Ladybugs look back at the Disney catalogue. The Ladybugs are a young, band rooted in the vocal harmony jazz tradition but draw on elements of ³hot² swing, American folk music and blues. Jazz Night in America dives into how the group developed on the New York ‘hot’ jazz scene and what new things can be done with the Disney songbook.

Wednesday Night Special               

7:00 PM (Follows Jazz Night in America)

Brian Charette Trio at the 2015 Iowa City Jazz Festival

Best of the 2015 Iowa City Jazz Festival: Brian Charette Trio    

As we are looking ahead to the 2016 Iowa City Jazz Festival (July 1-3), we revisit some of the best performances from the mainstage at last year’s festival.

New York City organist/pianist Brian Charette has established himself as a leading voice in modern jazz. Charette is a Grammy-nominated, Hammond-endorsed artist who was just named the winner of the 2014 Downbeat Critics’ Poll in the “Rising Star: Organ” category.  On his newest recording, Good Tipper, (Posi-Tone, 2014), Charette presents elegantly lyrical original music and fun, funky covers with a great trio featuring Will Bernard on guitar and Rudy Royston on drums. Charette was born in Meriden, Connecticut in 1972, and was introduced to music by his mother. By the age of 17, he was playing with jazz luminaries Lou Donaldson and Houston Person. After graduating on the Dean’s List from UConn in 1994 with a BA in Classical Piano Performance, Charette began touring Europe and was drawn to the culture and scene of Prague, Czech Republic, where he now lives half the time.Besides being a critically acclaimed composer and bandleader, Brian has worked with notable artists such as Joni Mitchell, Chaka Khan, Paul Simon, Cyndi Lauper, and many more. Charette is also an active author and educator, writing for Keyboard magazine, DownBeat, and the Czech magazine Muzikus.

 Jazz Corner of the World with Craig Kessler    

Saturday, Noon – 4:00 PM and Monday, 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM

“The State of The Instrument – Part 9…Jazz Flute”

Nicole Mitchell

Craig presents music from eight current jazz flautists. We’ll hear interesting selections from Ali Ryerson, Charles Lloyd, Jane Bunnett, Bennie Maupin, Jamie Baum, James Newton, Nicole Mitchell, and Jeremy Steig. Don’t miss it!!

 Tropical Heat with Kpoti Accoh      

Sunday, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Featured Album: “Save the World” by Enzo Avitabile 

http://www.allmusic.com/album/save-the-world-mw0000633640

Enzo Avitabile is a Southern Italian, from Naples to be precise, and is a well-known figure in world music, particularly for jazz fusion. In the past he also collaborated with James Brown and Tina Turner.

This time he is going deep into his roots, “Bottari”, the very praised traditional rhythm from Southern Italy, only accessible to a few. It involves the (wine) barrels, wooden drums, etc…

Taking the Bottari culture, Enzo experimented with Jazz (sax, trumpets, etc) and created an amazing piece of music that is highly ‘Energetic’.

This Album truly defines the sound of world music and cross culture experiments. and is a must for the fans of world music. Satisfaction guaranteed!

KCCK’s Midnight CD

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

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

2015 Iowa City Jazz Festival – Memorial Day Special

Monday, May 30th at 6:00 AM 

Charles Lloyd at the 2015 Iowa City Jazz Festival

KCCK gives you a great way to kick-start the summer and get pumped for the 2016 Iowa City Jazz Festival (July 1-3) when we bring you all of the 2015 Iowa City Jazz Festival Main Stage performances plus our exclusive, behind the scene, backstage interviews with the major artists during our special Memorial Day broadcast. Enjoy 12 different bands during 18 hours of non-stop coverage from all three days of last summer’s festival. Hear several of today’s top international jazz artists, some outstanding local players, plus many of the area’s best high school jazz musicians. Our line-up includes the United Jazz Ensemble, Brian Charette Trio, The Becca Stevens Band, North Corridor Jazz All-Stars, Colossus Big Band, James Dreier and Ritmocano!, Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Bird Calls, Dave Douglas & High Risk, Atlantis Quartet, Julian Lage Trio, Ben Allison & Think Free and the Charles Lloyd Quartet!

Don’t forget… listen from wherever you happen to be on Memorial Day.  With our IOS and Android apps, KCCK goes where you do.

Short List with Bob Naujoks  

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

The Short List: Vocal Short List 14 (Cris Barber)

Cris Barber

Cris Barber is a little heralded Los Angeles-based singer. She’s been seen often on the regional scene, but rarely outside of California. This is an attempt to give her an introduction to the Midwest through several recent albums; one of them a Christmas treat.

Jazz Profiles with Nancy Wilson  

Monday at 6:00 PM

Melba Liston: Bones of an Arranger

Melba Liston

Melba Liston (1926-1999) made her mark as one of the few women to succeed as a jazz instrumentalist, composer, and arranger. A trombonist in the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s, she played in big bands and led her own group in the ’70s and ’80s. As an accomplished arranger, she brought musical life to the songs of artists as diverse as Billie Holiday, Gloria Lynne, Art Blakey, Milt Jackson, and even Marvin Gaye. And her musical collaboration with pianist Randy Weston for more than thirty years produced such critically acclaimed albums as The Spirits of Our Ancestors and Volcano Blues.

Jazz Corner of the World with Craig Kessler

Monday, 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM (follows Jazz Profiles)

“State of The Instrument – Part Eight….More Pianists”              

Craig continues the “STATE OF THE INSTRUMENT” series with Show  # 8…a close look at 4 more current jazz pianists who are held in very high regard! We’ll hear selections from from the recorded output of GERI ALLEN, DAVID BERKMAN, GERALD CLAYTON, and ORRIN EVANS. Essential listening from 4 very distinct and magnetic voices from today’s modern jazz pianists!

New Orleans Calling with George Ingmire     

Tuesday at 6:00 PM 

That’s A Plenty: The Journey of Seva Venet

Seva Venet
Photo: Zack Smith

Guitarist and banjoist Seva Venet is a musician’s musician. He came to New Orleans in 1999, in search of traditional jazz; finding it in places like Jackson Square and in music clubs. But he didn’t stop there – he’s also spent hundreds of hours researching the 19th century roots of early jazz, before this music was even recorded.

Seva’s Storyville String Band, which performs live in this episode, continues the traditions of the classic string band era in New Orleans. The Storyville String Band instrumentation was based on the 6 and 7/8 String Band, which Seva describes in the program.

In addition to his recordings, he periodically publishes important articles on traditional jazz music and musicians. His articles often appear in Offbeat magazine.

Seva speaks about the influence of the great New Orleanian musician, songwriter, and mentor Danny Barker (1909-1994), who died five years before Seva arrived in the city.

Jazz Night in America with Christian McBride

Wednesday at 6:00 PM

Dew Drop Jazz Hall with Leroy Jones

Leroy Jones

Trumpeter Leroy Jones started playing New Orleans back when Bourbon Street was lined with jazz clubs instead of bars. The city has changed since then and Leroy has evolved right along with it. He’s led second lines with the Fairview Brass Band and its successor, The Hurricane Brass Band, played club gigs with modern jazz combos, and toured with Harry Connick Jr’s band for two decades. Always dapper and always swinging, Leroy Jones is known in the Big Easy as the “Keeper of the Flame” for keeping these New Orleans traditions foremost in his playing and his personal character. He brings his septet to the historic Dew Drop Jazz Hall in Mandeville, LA for a special Big Easy Jazz Night in America.

Wednesday Night Special                 

7:00 PM (Follows Jazz Night in America)

“Miles Ahead” 

Don Cheadle as Miles Davis In ‘Miles Ahead’

We celebrate the 90th birthday anniversary of Miles Davis (born May 26, 1926) with a one hour radio special: “Miles Ahead.” Our special features interviews with Don Cheadle, who stared in, wrote and directed the recent biopic “Miles Ahead”, Robert Glasper (pianist, Miles Ahead score composer), plus Miles’ son (Erin Davis) and nephew (Vince Wilburn, Jr) who co-manage his estate. The hour includes classic Miles Davis recordings “Seven Steps to Heaven”, “So What”, “Frelon Brun”, “Solea”, “Black Satin”, Prelude, Part 2” and “Back Seat Betty” plus new cuts from Robert Glasper’s original film score. Hosted by Joshua Jackson (WVTF – Roanoke, VA)

Repeats Thursday at 12:00 pm during the Jazz Masters with Hollis Monroe.

Jazz Corner of the World with Craig Kessler    

Saturday, Noon – 4:00 PM and Monday, 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM

“Prestige Records in 1966”               

Craig travels back 50 years to look in on the operations and output from one of the “Big 3” modern jazz record labels, PRESTIGE RECORDS, back in 1966. We’ll hear a mixed bag of jazz goodies from Johnny ‘Hammond’ Smith, Jaki Byard, Bobby Timmons, Houston Person, Frank Foster, Teddy Edwards, Don Patterson, and many others. The most when it comes down to the “Ultra – Cool”!!!

Tropical Heat with Kpoti Accoh      

Sunday, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Featured Album: “Publico” by Adriana Calcanhotto 

http://www.allmusic.com/album/publico-mw0001008066

Adriana Calcanhotto (formerly Calcanhoto) is a MPB/pop singer/composer revealed in 1990 who had great success in Brazil, and helped bring Brazilian music again to the hit parade after the 1980s were characterized as the Brazilian rock period.

Her father, a jazz drummer, accompanied Elis Regina in her early career, and influenced Calcanhotto’s taste for music. She started out in Porto Alegre playing and singing at small bars then moved to Rio, where she was invited to sing at bars of the same style. Her novice repertory of only ten songs wasn’t enough for a gig, but she insisted anyway. The widespread notion that she began her career as a barbecue restaurant singer is not true; she sang only one night there and never returned, due to her small repertory. In 1990, she recorded her first album, Enguiço. There she revealed a young singer with unusual taste for MPB as the album had “Nunca” (Lupicínio Rodrigues, also a gaúcho). Those were still Brazilian rock times and other musics didn’t have a chance. Fortunately to her, other singers like Marisa Monte were making the same choice, which dislocated the popular taste during the 1990s to a re-approximation with Brazilian music. The album also brought “Sonífera Ilha,” a cheesy hit by the Os Titãs improved in her rendition, and “Caminhoneiro,” another corny hit by Roberto Carlos that reaffirmed her capacity for creating sensitive performances of uneven material.

KCCK’s Midnight CD

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

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