One of the reasons jazz improvisation excites performer and listener alike is that it’s akin to walking a tightrope—chances are taken, stakes are high. A musician can create thrilling, in-the-moment art, or fall flat. Collective improvisation ups the ante—it’s never a given that multiple players can be so attuned to one another that they know when to listen as well as when to speak. The 3 Cohens—siblings Anat on clarinet and tenor saxophone, Avishai on trumpet and Yuval on soprano sax—explore this concept fully on “Tightrope,” their fourth album together. The material ranges from free improvisations and fresh originals to classics by Ellington, Monk, Tadd Dameron, Art Farmer and Gerry Mulligan, plus tunes associated with Joao Gilberto and Jo Stafford.
New Music Monday for December 16, 2013
With the much-awaited second volume of his “Unsung Heroes” project, Grammy Award-winning trumpeter Brian Lynch extends his salute to underappreciated trumpet masters in fine form. From the same sessions as the original disc, “Unsung Heroes Volume 2” continues the mix of little known or unrecorded compositions by ‘under the radar’ jazz trumpeters such as Idrees Sulieman, Tommy Turrentine, and Joe Gordon, with original Lynch pieces in the spirit of these masters. He and his crack band, including alto sax great Vincent Herring, pay tribute ‘in the tradition’ while staying fresh, creative and highly swinging. Lynch’s trumpet work shows why he’s considered one of “the best and busiest trumpeters in jazz,” according to Jazz Times magazine.
Also this week, Al Di Meola fulfills a long-time dream of creating his own unique tribute to the Beatles with “All Your Life,” recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London; for his eighth recording as a leader, guitarist B.D. Lenz offers up his first straight-ahead jazz record, “Ready or Not”; and San Diego bassist Ben Wanicur debuts with “The Excluded Middle.”
Special Programs for the Week of December 16 – 22
Short List with Bob Naujoks
Mon. – Thurs. at 8:35 AM and Saturday at 7 AM
Vocal Short List 13: Barbara Lea (new)
A new Vocal Short List series continues with Barbara Lea. Barbara Lea seemed to float just under the surface of the ocean of jazz, out of hearing for the average jazz fan and pop music lovers. It is too bad because her voice was distinctive and her presentation impeccable. Her singing career was interrupted by many years on the stage as an actress, but fortunately in the mid-70s she found opportunities to sing professionally again. Barbara Lea never got the acclaim that she should have, but her rich, deep voice graced innumerable melodies from the Great American Songbook.
Jazz Profiles with Nancy Wilson
Monday at 6:00 PM
Louis Armstrong: “The Trumpeter”
Armstrong displayed a blend of talent and dedication that has not been matched by any trumpeter since. His improvisation paved the way for the jazz soloist. In this program, we trace Armstrong’s development as a trumpeter and reflect on his contributions. Jazz expression remains forever steeped in the innovations of Armstrong’s trumpet solos. The scope and magnitude of his virtuosity was nothing short of world-altering. Each time he held his horn up to his lips, he made melodies ring out in a joyful, brilliant tone.
Jazz Corner of the World with Craig Kessler
Monday, 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM (follows Jazz Profiles)
“Tribute to Forestorn “Chico” Hamilton — 9/20/1921 to 11/25/2013″
Craig pays tribute to the recently departed jazz drummer, Chico Hamilton, by presenting an excellent mix of selections from throughout his stellar career. We’ll hear Chico as a sideman with the likes of Billie Holiday, Lester Young, Chet Baker, Gerry Mulligan, and a host of others…and also leading some of his own groups from the mid 1950’s, several movie soundtracks, up through his years with Impulse! Records, and the more recent Soul Note Records.
Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wendell Pierce
Tuesday at 6:00 PM
Brazilian Nights: Leny Andrade with Paquito D’Rivera
New York Times writer Stephen Holden calls her “both the Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald of bossa nova.” Vocalist Leny Andrade embodies the spirit of jazz with the soul of her native Brazil. Andrade is inspired and accompanied by reedman and friend Paquito D’Rivera through bossa nova, sambas and choros including Manha de Carnival, Batida Diferente and Ceu e Mar.
JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater
Wednesday at 6:00 PM
Dee Alexander’s Funkin with Electric Soul: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix and James Brown
A heart-stopping moment in this free family concert comes when Dee Alexander sings a classic — Jimi’s “Hey Joe, where you goin’ with that gun in your hand?” It’s an anthem and a plea to stop the violence, in the middle of a funky dance-a-thon. The Jazz Institute of Chicago presented Alexander and her Evolution Arkestra at South Shore Cultural Center.
Wednesday Night Special
7:00 PM (Follows JazzSet)
Jim Hall Trio with Julian Lage at the Newport Jazz Festival 2013
We remember jazz guitar legend Jim Hall, who passed away December 10th at age 83, with a special broadcast of the Jim Hall Trio with Julian Lage at the Newport Jazz Festival 2013. Jim Hall, one of the finest guitar players in jazz history, made several classic records with Sonny Rollins, Bill Evans, Art Farmer, Ron Carter and many others. Jim Hall’s rhythm section featured Scott Colley on bass and Lewis Nash on drums. Julian Lage, a much younger guitar phenom, joined them in a cross-generational meeting of guitar heroes.
Personnel
• Jim Hall, guitar
• Scott Colley, bass
• Lewis Nash, drums
• Julian Lage, guitar
Set List
• “Big Blues” (Hall)
• “All the Things You Are” (Kern, Hammerstein)
• “My Funny Valentine” (Rodgers, Hart)
• “In a Sentimental Mood” (Ellington)
• Free Improvisation
• “Eatrice” (Lage)
Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland
Thursday at 6:00 PM
Christmas with Marian McPartland
Piano Jazz swings into the holiday season with a special program of Christmas music. McPartland and her guests from seasons past share their favorite memories and perform yuletide classics and original holiday tunes. Guest artists include George Shearing, Tony DeSare and Dena DeRose.
Jazz Corner of the World with Craig Kessler
Saturday, Noon – 4:00 PM
“The Jazz Corner of the World’s 2013 Holiday Show”
Craig will play a relaxing but stimulating program of contemplative jazz, mellow ballads, and a tasteful mix of holiday favorites. We’ll hear from Ben Webster, Ella Fitzgerald, Jimmy McGriff, Keely Smith, Duke Ellington, Dave McKenna, Horace Silver, Dave Holland, Lee Morgan, and many, many others.
Riverwalk Jazz
Sunday at 5:00 PM
Home for the Holidays
Holiday favorites performed by The Jim Cullum Jazz Band and special guests, along with excerpts from Louis Armstrong’s historic reading of ’Twas the Night Before Christmas. Break out the ornaments and turn up the volume. Riverwalk Jazz puts listeners in the mood for trimming the tree, stuffing stockings, and sharing the holiday spirit.
KCCK’s Midnight CD
The Monday – Sunday Midnight CD for this week can be found at:
Special Programs for the Week of December 9 – 15
Short List with Bob Naujoks
Mon. – Thurs. at 8:35 AM and Saturday at 7 AM
Vocal Short List 13: Michael Feinstein (new)
A new Vocal Short List series continues with singer-pianist Michael Feinstein, a champion of Music from the Great American Songbook. When very young he started playing piano by ear. By the time he graduated from high school he was playing in local nightclubs. At twenty-one he was hired by lyricist Ira Gershwin to catalogue and research a large collection of recordings and unpublished manuscripts. By the mid-80s Feinstein was a nationally known performer.
Jazz Profiles with Nancy Wilson
Monday at 6:00 PM
Louis Armstrong: ‘The Man and His Music,’ Part 2
Louis Daniel Armstrong transcended a lifetime of obstacles to become America’s most influential singer and trumpeter. In the process, he became a true American hero, shaping the destiny of the jazz world forever. By going from rags to riches, Louis Armstrong realized the American dream and became arguably the most important artist in American culture.
Jazz Corner of the World with Craig Kessler
Monday, 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM (follows Jazz Profiles)
“Tribute to Frank Wellington Wess (January 4, 1922 – October 30, 2013)”
Craig pays tribute to the recently departed composer and master musician by spinning a tasty variety of goodies featuring Mr. Wess, both as a leader and as a sideman. Wess is considered by most to be the “father of modern jazz flute playing”. We’ll spotlight his flute work as well as his warm tenor saxophone sound. We’ll hear him featured with Count Basie, Milt Jackson, Dorothy Ashby, Osie Johnson, Gene Ammons, and of course with his long-time collaborator, Thad Jones, among others.
Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wendell Pierce
Tuesday at 6:00 PM
Prohibition and the Jazz Age
“The parties were bigger…the pace was faster…and the morals were looser” (F. Scott Fitzgerald). Prohibition was intended to stifle vice – but instead, it nourished crime and the clubs that would become a hot bed for jazz. Ken Burns joins Wendell Pierce to bring us the sound of the speakeasies in the work of Beiderbecke, Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton and James P. Johnson. Songs like Snake Dance, New Orleans Bump, and Variety Stomp will doubtless provoke merrymaking on par with the era of bathtub gin and backroom carousing. Special guests Doug Wamble and Vince Giordano join the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.
JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater
Wednesday at 6:00 PM
Bill Frisell and Music of John Lennon
Like balloons floating above the Newport Jazz Festival, the guitarist and his group send up “Beautiful Boy,” “Come Together,” “In My Life,” and a piece by the late drummer Paul Motian. Frisell opens on violinist Jenny Scheinman’s stage, playing duets.
Wednesday Night Special
7:00 PM (Follows JazzSet)
Terence Blanchard Quintet at the Newport Jazz Festival 2013
by Patrick Jarenwattananon (npr.org)
As a whole, Terence Blanchard’s high-functioning quintet reliably serves up sleek modernism in the form of post-bop jazz. Individually, its members are also becoming great composers: Blanchard’s new album, Magnetic, features tunes from everyone in the band. The new repertoire sees Blanchard cop some electric feels for his trumpet. And a guest turn from guitarist Lionel Loueke, who also appears on the album, makes this band a rare six-person quintet.
Personnel
• Terence Blanchard, trumpet
• Brice Winston, tenor saxophone
• Fabian Almazan, piano
• Joshua Crumbly, bass
• Kendrick Scott, drums
• Lionel Loueke, guitar
Set List
• “Pet Step Sitters Theme Song” (Fabian Almazan)
• “Hallucinations” (Terence Blanchard)
• “Autumn Leaves” (Joseph Kosma)
• “Footprints” (Wayne Shorter) (feat. Herbie Hancock, piano)
Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland
Thursday at 6:00 PM
Stefano Bollani
Italian pianist Stefano Bollani stretches the limits of the imagination with improvisations that range from quirky to transcendent. Virtuoso technique and a keen harmonic sense bolster Bollani’s improvisations, which owe as much to Charlie Parker and Oscar Peterson as to Sergei Prokofiev and Frank Zappa. Bollani performs an original, “Buzzilare,” and Scott Joplin’s classic, “Maple Leaf Rag.”
Jazz Corner of the World with Craig Kessler
Saturday, Noon – 4:00 PM
“Tribute to Forestorn “Chico” Hamilton — 9/20/1921 to 11/25/2013″
Craig pays tribute to the recently departed jazz drummer, Chico Hamilton, by presenting an excellent mix of selections from throughout his stellar career. We’ll hear Chico as a sideman with the likes of Billie Holiday, Lester Young, Chet Baker, Gerry Mulligan, and a host of others…and also leading some of his own groups from the mid 1950s, several movie soundtracks, up through his years with Impulse! Records, and the more recent Soul Note Records. Don’t miss this salute to a true jazz giant.
Riverwalk Jazz
Sunday at 5:00 PM
Gennett Records: The Little Studio That Could
Old rugs hung from the ceilings of the little ragtag studio, and the walls were stuffed with straw to dampen the sound from the trains passing by. Some of the most important jazz recordings in American musical history were recorded in the back of the Starr piano factory. The Jim Cullum Jazz Band and guests perform the music of Jelly Roll Morton, Bix and His Gang and more from Starr-Gennett Records.
KCCK’s Midnight CD
The Monday – Sunday Midnight CD for this week can be found at:
New Music Monday for December 9, 2013
We’re adding a couple of late-arriving Christmas releases to our line-up this week. Twin Cities-based pianist Laura Cavianiunveils up “Holly, Jolly and Jazzy,” her second holiday disc and her first since 1999. Laura has appeared with many jazz luminaries over the years, including Karrin Allyson, Toot’s Thielemans and Bob Mintzer. This release features her current trio mates, drummer Joe Pulice and bassist Gordon Johnson. The Rob Parton Big Band out of Chicago also has a new seasonal offering, “Christmas Time is Here.” This is a compilation of some previously unreleased charts from over the past 15 years highlighted by the work of noted Windy City players like Mark Colby, Bob Rummage and Byron Stripling.
Canadian-born trumpeter Kenny Wheeler is closing in on his 84th birthday, which is coming up in January, but he continues to remain active on the jazz scene. His new disc, “Six for Six,” features a sextet which includes cohorts from his adopted British homeland. It’s a recording made in Germany in 2008 but just getting its release for the first time. In his liner notes, Scottish writer Brian Morton, who is co-author of “The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings,” says, “Wheeler has never written more clearly and luminously than here.”
Also this week, 17-year-old organ prodigy Kevin Coelho follows up his 2012 debut with “Turn It Up,” a new trio recording with Derek DiCenzo on guitar and Reggie Jackson on drums; and the trio of drummer Colin Stranahan, pianist Glenn Zaleski, and bassist Rick Rosato, who formed in 2010 for a special performance in Montreal, release their second CD, “Limitless.”
Special Programs for the Week of December 2 – 8
Short List with Bob Naujoks
Mon. – Thurs. at 8:35 AM and Saturday at 7 AM
Vocal Short List 13: Carmen Lundy (new)
A new Vocal Short List series beings this week with the underrated and perhaps unappreciated jazz singer Carmen Lundy. Carmen Lundy has been an excellent singer and performer for over three decades. And she had done this, not by using Great American Songbook retreads, but by writing her own songs—she has over 80 published works.
Vocal Short List 13: Carmen Lundy (new)
A new Vocal Short List series beings this week with the underrated and perhaps unappreciated jazz singer Carmen Lundy. Carmen Lundy has been an excellent singer and performer for over three decades. And she had done this, not by using Great American Songbook retreads, but by writing her own songs—she has over 80 published works.
Jazz Profiles with Nancy Wilson
Monday at 6:00 PM
Louis Armstrong: ‘The Man and His Music,’ Part 1
It’s hard to overstate the incredible reach of this original American artist. Louis Armstrong defined American culture and did it with the force of his talent as a musician, singer, composer, author, innovator, entertainer, actor, and bandleader. He transcended racial barriers and became America’s ambassador to the world.
Louis Armstrong: ‘The Man and His Music,’ Part 1
It’s hard to overstate the incredible reach of this original American artist. Louis Armstrong defined American culture and did it with the force of his talent as a musician, singer, composer, author, innovator, entertainer, actor, and bandleader. He transcended racial barriers and became America’s ambassador to the world.
Jazz Corner of the World with Craig Kessler
Monday, 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM (follows Jazz Profiles)
“Shirley Scott – Queen of the Hammond B-3 Organ”
Craig takes us on a tour looking at a general overview of the career of the great jazz organist, Shirley Scott. We’ll hear classic recordings from throughout her 35 year career including sides from Prestige, Impulse, Blue Note, Atlantic, Candid, and other record labels. She was truly one of the greats!
Craig takes us on a tour looking at a general overview of the career of the great jazz organist, Shirley Scott. We’ll hear classic recordings from throughout her 35 year career including sides from Prestige, Impulse, Blue Note, Atlantic, Candid, and other record labels. She was truly one of the greats!
Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wendell Pierce
Tuesday at 6:00 PM
Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra
Pianist, composer, and arranger Toshiko Akiyoshi mixes intricate bebop sensibilities and Japanese influences in a big band sound. Joined by long-time partner, saxophonist Lew Tabackin and Japanese taiko drummer Eitetsu Hayashi, Akiyoshi leads a dazzling performance of her own compositions including Remembering Bud and Pollination, alongside classics like Ellington’s Black and Tan Fantasy.
Pianist, composer, and arranger Toshiko Akiyoshi mixes intricate bebop sensibilities and Japanese influences in a big band sound. Joined by long-time partner, saxophonist Lew Tabackin and Japanese taiko drummer Eitetsu Hayashi, Akiyoshi leads a dazzling performance of her own compositions including Remembering Bud and Pollination, alongside classics like Ellington’s Black and Tan Fantasy.
JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater
Wednesday at 6:00 PM
Jason Moran & The Bandwagon
In his second season as Artistic Advisor for Jazz at The Kennedy Center, pianist Jason Moran brings serious ideas and fun. He’s a recent MacArthur Fellow and current faculty member at New England Conservatory of Music as well. Moran’s Bandwagon with Tarus Mateen and Nasheet Waits have been together for 13 years, in this new concert from November, 2013, at the KC Jazz Club.
In his second season as Artistic Advisor for Jazz at The Kennedy Center, pianist Jason Moran brings serious ideas and fun. He’s a recent MacArthur Fellow and current faculty member at New England Conservatory of Music as well. Moran’s Bandwagon with Tarus Mateen and Nasheet Waits have been together for 13 years, in this new concert from November, 2013, at the KC Jazz Club.
Wednesday Night Special
7:00 PM (Follows JazzSet)
Jon Batiste And Stay Human at the Newport Jazz Festival 2013
by Patrick Jarenwattananon (npr.org)
by Patrick Jarenwattananon (npr.org)
A 20-something singing pianist of the New Orleans virtuoso tradition, Jonathan Batiste has a natural entertainer’s charisma and chops to match. He now lives in New York — he met his band in school at Juilliard — and can do “modern jazz” with a metropolitan attitude. But Stay Human is named for its dedication to live music magic, which results in second-line-style parades in the subways and through the Lower East Side. It’s perfect for Newport’s festive setting — and yes, there’s a tuba.
Personnel
• Jonathan Batiste, piano/melodica/voice
• Eddie Barbash, alto sax
• Ibanda Ruhumbika, tuba
• Philip Kuehn, bass
• Joe Saylor, drums
Set List
• “Star-Spangled Banner”
• “Red Beans” (Batiste)
• “Killing Me Softly with His Song” (Fox, Gimbel)
• “On the Sunny Side of the Street” (McHugh, Fields)
• “St. James Infirmary Blues” (Trad.)
• “The Entertainer” (Joplin)
• “Floor Tom”
• “Why You Gotta”
• “Amazing Grace” (Trad.)
Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland
Thursday at 6:00 PM
Ellen Seeling
The Montclair Women’s Big Band keeps the jazz ensemble tradition alive and swinging in the San Francisco Bay area. Trumpeter and veteran bandleader Ellen Seeling brings along tenor saxophonist Jean Fineberg and drummer, Allison Miller to this Piano Jazz recorded in 2007. They join McPartland and bassist Gary Mazzaroppi for quintet versions of “Georgia” and “St. Thomas”.
Corner of the World withCraig Kessler
The Montclair Women’s Big Band keeps the jazz ensemble tradition alive and swinging in the San Francisco Bay area. Trumpeter and veteran bandleader Ellen Seeling brings along tenor saxophonist Jean Fineberg and drummer, Allison Miller to this Piano Jazz recorded in 2007. They join McPartland and bassist Gary Mazzaroppi for quintet versions of “Georgia” and “St. Thomas”.
Corner of the World with
Saturday, Noon – 4:00 PM
“Tribute to Frank Wellington Wess (January 4, 1922 – October 30, 2013)”
Craig pays tribute to the recently departed composer and master musician by spinning a tasty variety of goodies featuring Mr. Wess, both as a leader and as a sideman. Wess is considered by most to be the “father of modern jazz flute playing”. We’ll spotlight his flute work as well as his warm tenor saxophone sound. We’ll hear him featured with Count Basie, Milt Jackson, Dorothy Ashby, Osie Johnson, Gene Ammons, and of course with his long-time collaborator, Thad Jones, among others.
Craig pays tribute to the recently departed composer and master musician by spinning a tasty variety of goodies featuring Mr. Wess, both as a leader and as a sideman. Wess is considered by most to be the “father of modern jazz flute playing”. We’ll spotlight his flute work as well as his warm tenor saxophone sound. We’ll hear him featured with Count Basie, Milt Jackson, Dorothy Ashby, Osie Johnson, Gene Ammons, and of course with his long-time collaborator, Thad Jones, among others.
Riverwalk Jazz
Sunday at 5:00 PM
When Swing Was the Thing: Diary of a Swing Era Teen
Swing was the thing in 1935 — a teenage music craze that erupted on the heels of the Depression in the years before World War II. This week, we hear what the Swing Era was like from the perspective of the teenage diaries of Bob Inman, author of Swing Era Scrapbook. The Jim Cullum Jazz Band and an all-star cast perform pieces from Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Count Basie and more.
Swing was the thing in 1935 — a teenage music craze that erupted on the heels of the Depression in the years before World War II. This week, we hear what the Swing Era was like from the perspective of the teenage diaries of Bob Inman, author of Swing Era Scrapbook. The Jim Cullum Jazz Band and an all-star cast perform pieces from Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Count Basie and more.
KCCK’s Midnight CD
The Monday – Sunday Midnight CD for this week can be found at:
New Music Monday for December 2, 2013
New York Voices, the internationally acclaimed vocal ensemble renowned for their seamless vocalizing and intricate jazz-influenced arrangements, unveil their long-awaited Christmas CD, “Let It Snow.” The disc also tops off a special year, one that commemorates the quartet’s 25th anniversary. The release finds Kim Nazarian, Lauren Kinhan, Darmon Meader and Peter Eldridge celebrating a host of traditional and sacred holiday classics as well as secular favorites. Settings vary, from a cappella performances to robust arrangements featuring big band and studio orchestra accompaniment.
Nnenna Freelon’s mother was a lover of Christmas—the story, the anticipation, the excitement, but most of all, the gathering of her family around her. In her passing, she left her daughter with a gift that has resulted in a dream fulfilled and a holiday album that will extend a mother’s love of Christmas to listeners everywhere. The venerated jazz vocalist and six-time Grammy nominee had long wanted to do a holiday album, but couldn’t garner enough interest from her label. So she did what most people do in need of a little help, she turned to a loved one. With a small inheritance received from her mother, she approached John Brown, a long-time member of her musical family, director of Duke University’s jazz program and leader of John Brown’s Big Band. The two, who have shared the stage and collaborated often during their twenty-year friendship, have now joined together to release a selection of holiday songs on “Christmas.”
Other holiday offerings debuting this week include “Seasons Greetings from Dan Padley,” a project the local guitarist has been working on for the past few years and who finally found the right players to bring his ideas to fruition; singer Karrin Allyson offers up her first Christmas collection, “Yuletide Hideaway”; and pianist Ted Rosenthal and his trio are in a Winter “Wonderland.”
New Music Monday for November 25, 2013
After a full career which has spanned decades without a lull, Tom Harrell is as busy as ever. His current band has released five excellent CDs since 2007 alone. He’s so prolific that he’s been writing and arranging music for other ensembles such as Carlos Santana, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and others all the while. On his brand new disc, “Colors of a Dream,” he introduces a new, two-bass project which supplements most of his working quintet with two new additions—saxophonist Jaleel Shaw and bassist/singer Esperanza Spalding. Esperanza can be heard lending her voice to a number of Tom’s impressive compositions, mostly using it in the role of another instrument. The recording is perhaps Harrell’s most imaginative to date.
“Life’s a Movie” is the third project by pianist Bill Mays’ highly imaginative Inventions Trio. Featuring the versatile and impeccable Marvin Stamm on trumpet and the excellent young classically-trained and vividly swinging cellist Alisa Horn, the Inventions Trio embodies the essence of synergy and masterful interplay that is so important to successful ‘chamber’ jazz. The disc is centered around an imaginary film soundtrack that beautifully displays Mays’ compositional and conceptual skills. There is also a heartfelt tribute to the immortal Bill Evans with a medley of four Evans originals, and a three-piece medley from the utterly unique Thelonious Monk.
Also this week, a distinctive voice emanating from Western Canada, the Hutchinson Andrew Trio, releases its third CD, “Prairie Modern”; singer Ed Reed’s fourth album, “I’m a Shy Guy,” is a tribute to the music of the Nat King Cole trio; and the band Kneebody, who wowed the crowd at the 2011 Iowa City Jazz Festival, unveils its fourth studio release, “The Line.”
Special Programs for the Week of November 25 – December 1
KCCK’s Special Thanksgiving Day Broadcast
Thursday, November 28 10:00 AM – Midnight
Highlights from KCCK’s Jazz Under the Stars 2013 (10 am–3:15 pm)
The United States Air Force Band Jazz Heritage Series Radio Broadcasts (3:15 pm-6:35 pm)
Our annual Thanksgiving Day special includes an encore from three top area bands captured live in concert this past August at Jazz Under the Stars.
Al Naylor and the I-380 Express
Led by trumpeter, teacher and 2013 inductee into the Jazz Educators of Iowa Hall of Fame, Al Naylor, the I-380 Express was for many years, the premier big band in Eastern Iowa. The group was best known for serving as the “house band” for the Variety Club Telethon on KCRG-TV, where it played its own charts and also backed up many regional and national artists. The band included music faculty from UNI, UI and Drake, along with professional players from all over the state. This reunion performance was the first for I-380 Express since 2007.
Led by trumpeter, teacher and 2013 inductee into the Jazz Educators of Iowa Hall of Fame, Al Naylor, the I-380 Express was for many years, the premier big band in Eastern Iowa. The group was best known for serving as the “house band” for the Variety Club Telethon on KCRG-TV, where it played its own charts and also backed up many regional and national artists. The band included music faculty from UNI, UI and Drake, along with professional players from all over the state. This reunion performance was the first for I-380 Express since 2007.
The Steve Grismore Quartet
Guitarist Steve Grismore has had a long and successful career, both locally and nationally. He is the founding director of the Iowa City Jazz Festival, a 20-year veteran and original member of Orquesta Alto Maiz, and teaches at the University of Iowa and at Augustana College. Steve put together an exciting, new quartet featuring Coe College and Cedar Rapids Municipal Band director Steve Shanley on piano, Koplant No’s Drew Morton on bass, and Dave Tiede on drums. Dave is a Cedar Rapids native and UNI alum who recently returned to Iowa after playing professionally in the Twin Cities for many years.
Guitarist Steve Grismore has had a long and successful career, both locally and nationally. He is the founding director of the Iowa City Jazz Festival, a 20-year veteran and original member of Orquesta Alto Maiz, and teaches at the University of Iowa and at Augustana College. Steve put together an exciting, new quartet featuring Coe College and Cedar Rapids Municipal Band director Steve Shanley on piano, Koplant No’s Drew Morton on bass, and Dave Tiede on drums. Dave is a Cedar Rapids native and UNI alum who recently returned to Iowa after playing professionally in the Twin Cities for many years.
Dennis McMurrin and the Demolition Band
Dennis “Daddy-O” McMurrin, a member of the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame, has been entertaining audiences for more than 45 years. He first picked up a guitar when he was 9 years old, influenced by his maternal grandfather, who played guitar as a hobby. “My first paid gig was in 1963 for the Boddicker School of Music Christmas Party at the Danceland in Cedar Rapids.” says McMurrin. He was 10 years old. “My first band was called The Plannets.” McMurrin’s biggest influences include James Brown, B.B. King, Johnny Winter, and Tower Of Power.
Dennis “Daddy-O” McMurrin, a member of the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame, has been entertaining audiences for more than 45 years. He first picked up a guitar when he was 9 years old, influenced by his maternal grandfather, who played guitar as a hobby. “My first paid gig was in 1963 for the Boddicker School of Music Christmas Party at the Danceland in Cedar Rapids.” says McMurrin. He was 10 years old. “My first band was called The Plannets.” McMurrin’s biggest influences include James Brown, B.B. King, Johnny Winter, and Tower Of Power.
Just in case you miss any of our JUTS 2013 Highlights, we’ll repeat all three performances following The United States Air Force Band Jazz Heritage Series Radio Broadcasts.
The United States Air Force Band Airmen of Note with guest artists
Throughout its long history, the Airmen of Note has regularly performed and recorded with the leading artists in the jazz world. Since 1990, the Airmen of Note has presented a concert series called The Jazz Heritage Series to music lovers in the nation’s capital. Over the years since its inception, music critics and concert goers have praised this high-quality music series, and letters of appreciation have poured in. The series features internationally acclaimed jazz musicians who donate their time and talent to join forces with one of the best and most versatile big bands in America–the Airmen of Note. The 2013 Jazz Heritage Series Broadcasts features singer Roberta Gambarini, trombonist Andy Martin, and vibraphonist Joe Locke.
Throughout its long history, the Airmen of Note has regularly performed and recorded with the leading artists in the jazz world. Since 1990, the Airmen of Note has presented a concert series called The Jazz Heritage Series to music lovers in the nation’s capital. Over the years since its inception, music critics and concert goers have praised this high-quality music series, and letters of appreciation have poured in. The series features internationally acclaimed jazz musicians who donate their time and talent to join forces with one of the best and most versatile big bands in America–the Airmen of Note. The 2013 Jazz Heritage Series Broadcasts features singer Roberta Gambarini, trombonist Andy Martin, and vibraphonist Joe Locke.
Short List with Bob Naujoks
Mon. – Thurs. at 8:35 AM and Saturday at 7 AM
The Short List: B-3 Blitz Two: Papa John DeFrancesco
As the phrase goes “like father, like son,” but in this case, it’s reversed—“like son, like father.” Papa John’s son, Joey, claimed fame first, but the father was on the scene first with bandleader Cab Calloway and others. When the family came along, John decided to forgo touring and stay at home in Philadelphia. He became a Philly jazz legend and with his son’s success, a nationally known jazzman.
The Short List: B-3 Blitz Two: Papa John DeFrancesco
As the phrase goes “like father, like son,” but in this case, it’s reversed—“like son, like father.” Papa John’s son, Joey, claimed fame first, but the father was on the scene first with bandleader Cab Calloway and others. When the family came along, John decided to forgo touring and stay at home in Philadelphia. He became a Philly jazz legend and with his son’s success, a nationally known jazzman.
Jazz Profiles with Nancy Wilson
Monday at 6:00 PM
Mary Lou Williams, ‘Perpetually Contemporary’
Mary Lou Williams achieved and maintained a status that many women in jazz found elusive: unwavering respect from male colleagues as a musical equal. Her accomplishments are many as arranger and pianist with Andy Kirk and his Twelve Clouds of Joy, with her own small groups, and with the be-bop artists of the ’40s. Throughout, she was always — as Duke Ellington once said — “perpetually contemporary.”
Mary Lou Williams achieved and maintained a status that many women in jazz found elusive: unwavering respect from male colleagues as a musical equal. Her accomplishments are many as arranger and pianist with Andy Kirk and his Twelve Clouds of Joy, with her own small groups, and with the be-bop artists of the ’40s. Throughout, she was always — as Duke Ellington once said — “perpetually contemporary.”
Jazz Corner of the World with Craig Kessler
Monday, 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM (follows Jazz Profiles)
“The Works of Charles Mingus — 1960 To 1971”
This week, Craig will examine this interesting 12 year period of the career of the brilliant composer, pianist, and bassist, Charles Mingus. We’ll hear stunning material from Mingus that includes recordings from Emarcy, Atlantic, Candid, United Artists, Impulse, Columbia, a host of rare radio broadcasts, live material from his 1964 European tour, and much more.
This week, Craig will examine this interesting 12 year period of the career of the brilliant composer, pianist, and bassist, Charles Mingus. We’ll hear stunning material from Mingus that includes recordings from Emarcy, Atlantic, Candid, United Artists, Impulse, Columbia, a host of rare radio broadcasts, live material from his 1964 European tour, and much more.
Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wendell Pierce
Tuesday at 6:00 PM
Maceo Parker: Funky Stuff
Funk’s living legend Maceo Parker brings red-blooded soul to the Allen Room. He’s played alongside James Brown, George Clinton, and Prince – but on his own, he’s a force to be reckoned with. Maceo Parker’s compositions burst with energy as he leads “the Tightest Little Funk Orchestra On Earth” through a set including Off The Hook, Georgia on My Mind, and Make It Funky.
Funk’s living legend Maceo Parker brings red-blooded soul to the Allen Room. He’s played alongside James Brown, George Clinton, and Prince – but on his own, he’s a force to be reckoned with. Maceo Parker’s compositions burst with energy as he leads “the Tightest Little Funk Orchestra On Earth” through a set including Off The Hook, Georgia on My Mind, and Make It Funky.
JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater
Wednesday at 6:00 PM
“Bix Factor” and Bandoneon
From the Umbria Winter Festival, trombonist/composer Mauricio Ottolini and Sousaphonix play original music for a science fiction tale. Early jazz cornetist Bix Beiderbecke is a character in the plot. We follow “Bix Factor” with tango from the Umbria Summer Fest. Young bandoneonist J-P Jofre from Argentina and New York and an Italian string orchestra fill a Renaissance opera house.
From the Umbria Winter Festival, trombonist/composer Mauricio Ottolini and Sousaphonix play original music for a science fiction tale. Early jazz cornetist Bix Beiderbecke is a character in the plot. We follow “Bix Factor” with tango from the Umbria Summer Fest. Young bandoneonist J-P Jofre from Argentina and New York and an Italian string orchestra fill a Renaissance opera house.
Wednesday Night Special
7:00 PM (Follows JazzSet)
Eddie Palmieri Salsa Orchestra at the Newport Jazz Festival 2013
by Patrick Jarenwattananon (npr.org)
by Patrick Jarenwattananon (npr.org)
Eddie Palmieri has earned the right to be confident: He’s been leading Latin jazz and salsa bands for more than 50 years, and playing in them even longer. “I don’t guess I’m going to excite you with my band,” he’s been known to say. “I know it.” For a performance on Newport’s main stage, he assembled a large group for maximum effect.
Personnel
• Eddie Palmieri, piano
• Herman Olivera, vocals
• Joseph González, vocals
• Louis Fouché, alto sax
• Jonathan Powell, trumpet
• John Walsh, trumpet
• Conrad Herwig, trombone
• Jimmy Bosch, trombone
• José Claussell, timbales
• Vicente Rivero, congas
• Orlando Vega, bongos
• Nelson González, tres
• Luques Curtis, bass
Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland
Thursday at 6:00 PM
(Pre-empted this week for our Special Thanksgiving Day Broadcast)
Jazz Corner of the World with Craig Kessler
Saturday, Noon – 4:00 PM
“Shirley Scott – Queen of the Hammond B-3 Organ”
Craig takes us on a tour looking at a general overview of the career of the great jazz organist, Shirley Scott. We’ll hear classic recordings from throughout her 35 year career including sides from Prestige, Impulse, Blue Note, Atlantic, Candid, and other record labels. She was truly one of the greats!
Craig takes us on a tour looking at a general overview of the career of the great jazz organist, Shirley Scott. We’ll hear classic recordings from throughout her 35 year career including sides from Prestige, Impulse, Blue Note, Atlantic, Candid, and other record labels. She was truly one of the greats!
Riverwalk Jazz
Sunday at 5:00 PM
Breaking Bread Together: The Spirit of Thanksgiving
In a spirit of gratitude and abundance, New Orleans’ Topsy Chapman joins The Jim Cullum Jazz Band, lending her soulful vocals to classic spirituals and hymns. Trumpeters Clark Terry and ‘Sweets’ Edison, and bass-baritone William Warfield perform with the band. They share heartfelt and humorous family stories of what music has meant in their lives.
In a spirit of gratitude and abundance, New Orleans’ Topsy Chapman joins The Jim Cullum Jazz Band, lending her soulful vocals to classic spirituals and hymns. Trumpeters Clark Terry and ‘Sweets’ Edison, and bass-baritone William Warfield perform with the band. They share heartfelt and humorous family stories of what music has meant in their lives.
KCCK’s Midnight CD
The Monday – Sunday Midnight CD for this week can be found at: