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.
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.
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!                                 
              
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.  
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.

Wednesday Night Special    
7:00 PM (Follows JazzSet)
Jon Batiste And Stay Human at the Newport Jazz Festival 2013
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 with Craig Kessler
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.
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.           
KCCK’s Midnight CD
The Monday – Sunday Midnight CD for this week can be found at:

http://www.kcck.org/onair/midnight_cd.php

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

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.”         
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.
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.
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.
Wednesday Night Special    
7:00 PM (Follows JazzSet)
Eddie Palmieri Salsa Orchestra at the Newport Jazz Festival 2013
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!
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.          
KCCK’s Midnight CD
The Monday – Sunday Midnight CD for this week can be found at:

http://www.kcck.org/onair/midnight_cd.php

New Music Monday for November 18, 2013

     Big John Patton was a staple of the Blue Note Records roster during the heyday of soul jazz in the 1960s. The link between the bluesy hard bop of Jimmy Smith and the modal free-jazz explorations of Larry Young, Patton had a style that was funky and raw, emotional and honest and thrillingly visceral. In addition to being a respected and in-demand sideman, the keyboardist also made a name for himself as a bandleader and composer, defining the sound of acid jazz for decades to come. Jim Alfredson’s playing and writing for the trio Organissimo has been heavily influenced by Patton. His new project, “A Tribute to Big John Patton,” is his way of honoring the man and his music. The band he’s put together, Jim Alfredson’s Dirty Fingers, includes drummer Randy Gelispie, who performed many times with Patton as well as Jack McDuff, Don Patterson and Larry Young.

     Never before has there been a vocal recording tipping the hat to the divine Ms. Eartha Kitt and her fiery, sensual and clever interpretations of songs. With her incredible range of vocal ability, her powerful emotional resonance and strong independent streak, Rene Marie is the right artist to conceive of this historic project. “I Wanna Be Evil: With Love to Eartha Kitt” burnishes Rene’s reputation as the most provocative risk-taker among today’s jazz divas. It features star turns by trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, trumpeter Etienne Charles and Australia’s Adrian Cunningham on saxophone, clarinet and flute.

     Also this week, pianist and singer Ariel Pocock, who has performed numerous times over the past few years in The Corridor, unveils her debut recording, “Touchstone,” featuring Eric Harland on drums, Julian Lage on guitar and Larry Grenadier on bass; young guitar slinger Jake Hertzog, whom Guitar Player magazine calls a “blazing wunderkind,” offers up his four disc as a leader, “Throwback”; and pianist Mike Jones is joined by the great Jeff Hamilton on drums on “Plays Well With Others.”

Special Programs for the Week of November 18 – 24

Short List with Bob Naujoks                                           
Mon. – Thurs. at 8:35 AM and Saturday at 7 AM
The Short List: B-3 Blitz Two: Ronnie Foster                        
Ronnie Foster is one of the lesser lights in the “acid jazz” genre, but he has gathered in a new following that loves his funky vamps. Foster is not a great improviser, but he IS a great soul-jazz keyboardist, and that has propelled his career through the years. Ronnie Foster’s recorded only five albums—Blue Note in the early 1970s, Columbia Records for two more, and one on the independent—Projazz label. After that he became a session man and a producer who now works continually in Las Vegas. Though his music is not easy to come by, it is worth a listen.  
Jazz Profiles with Nancy Wilson    
Monday at 6:00 PM
Sidney Bechet, ‘Soprano Sax King’                 
Sidney Bechet (1897-1959) started playing the clarinet when he was 13 years old. By the time of his death, at age 62, he was considered one of the most innovative and original clarinetists and soprano saxophonists in jazz. He brought to the instrument an unequaled energy, clarity and verve and was best known for his heavy vibrato. Temperamental and creative, Bechet left a profound mark in the way the clarinet and the soprano saxophone is played today. His autobiography, “Treat It Gentle” is still considered one of the best personal accounts of the life and times of a jazzman. This show explores his legacy.        
Jazz Corner of the World with Craig Kessler
Monday, 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM (follows Jazz Profiles)
“Jazz in 1983”        
Craig gives us a taste of what was going on 30 years ago in the world of jazz. We’ll hear selections recorded during 1983 by a wide variety of artists including Dave Holland, George Russell, Miles Davis, Kenny Wheeler, Abdullah Ibrahim, and many others.

Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wendell Pierce  
Tuesday at 6:00 PM
Kurt Elling and Richard Galliano
Vocalist Kurt Elling and French accordionist Richard Galliano transport us from the New York vista of the Allen Room to the cafes of Paris and the plazas of Buenos Aires.  Don’t miss this heartfelt collaboration exploring the art of the ballad.  We’ll hear classics like Nicht Wandle, Mein Licht, an arrangement of the Beatles’ Norwegian Wood, and La Vie en Rose.
JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater
Wednesday at 6:00 PM
Amir ElSaffar and Two Rivers
From his Iraqi heritage, ElSaffar plays the santur and from his Chicago childhood, the trumpet. His band embraces both sides too, with lute-like oud and buzuq, tenor sax, bass and drums. “ElSaffar is winning over lots of people with invention, precision and emotion,” music blogger Jim Macnie tweeted from the audience. The 2013 Newport Jazz Festival commissioned the music, with funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. 
Wednesday Night Special    
7:00 PM (Follows JazzSet)
Rez Abbasi Trio at the Newport Jazz Festival 2013   
by Patrick Jarenwattananon (npr.org)
Guitarist Rez Abbasi’s new electronics-enhanced trio is driven by what its leader calls “textural surprise.” As heard on the 2012 album Continuous Beat, the Pakistani-born guitarist’s newest repertoire was inspired by the late drummer Paul Motian. On wax, that’s a point of departure to explore material as diverse as tunes by Motian’s contemporaries, Indian ragas and “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Abbasi returns to Newport with a set of original compositions — and one Keith Jarrett tune.
Personnel
•           Rez Abbasi, guitar
•           John Hébert, bass
•           Dan Weiss, drums 
Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland    
Thursday at 6:00 PM
Kenny Werner  
Pianist Kenny Werner is a musician for whom creativity is a credo and improvisation a way of life. Transforming brilliant technique into unbridled creativity is not only Werner’s musical mission; it’s the subject of his popular book, Effortless Mastery. He and McPartland get together on a  pair  of  Bill  Evans tunes –“Very Early” and “Waltz for Debbie.”                 
Jazz Corner of the World with Craig Kessler
Saturday, Noon – 4:00 PM
“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.  Don’t miss this one!
Riverwalk Jazz
Sunday at 5:00 PM
Whiz-Kid of Swing: The Story of John Hammond       
The Jim Cullum Jazz Band celebrates pioneering talent scout and record producer John Hammond, who discovered and championed the careers of jazz greats, from Benny Goodman to Count Basie and Billie Holiday.          
KCCK’s Midnight CD
The Monday – Sunday Midnight CD for this week can be found at:

http://www.kcck.org/onair/midnight_cd.php

Special Programs for the Week of November 11 – 17

Short List with Bob Naujoks                                           
Mon. – Thurs. at 8:35 AM and Saturday at 7 AM
The Short List: B-3 Blitz Two: Ron Levy                       
Ron Levy is a Boston B-3 marvel. While in high school he was playing on the local jazz scene, and not even graduated, would tour with blues singer Albert King. After four years he switched to another blues “King”—B. B.—and would be in his backup band for seven years. From that background Levy formed a great devotion to blues and jazz, he also plays Latin and hip-hop. Still, Levy’s foundation is as a “soul-jazz” musician and his story is interesting.  
Jazz Profiles with Nancy Wilson    
Monday at 6:00 PM
Johnny Hartman, ‘The Romantic Balladeer’                
Johnny Hatman followed in the wake of Billy Eckstine and Nat “King” Cole, two singers who personified the “black baritone movement” of the late ’40s and ’50s. Overshadowed by these two, Hartman never achieved the popularity he deserved. Through the release of the soundtrack to Clint Eastwood’s Bridges of Madison County and the re-release of a recording with John Coltrane, the public has rediscovered this wonderful balladeer.       
Jazz Corner of the World with Craig Kessler
Monday, 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM (follows Jazz Profiles)
“Jazz in 1973”        
Craig gives us a taste of what was happening 40 years ago in the world of jazz.  We’ll hear selections recorded during 1973 by a wide variety of artists including Herbie Hancock, Sun Ra, Billy Cobham, Flora Purim, Keith Jarrett, Charles Mingus, and many others.

Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wendell Pierce  
Tuesday at 6:00 PM
Chucho Valdes and The Afro Cuban Jazz Messengers

Cuban pianist Chucho Valdes is today’s ultimate jazz ambassador – from deep Afro-Cuban roots and improvisational jazz mastery, he creates a sophisticated style all his own.  For their first stateside performance in seven years, Valdes brings his Afro Cuban Messengers to the Allen Room.
JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater
Wednesday at 6:00 PM
Ray Anderson Pocket Brass Band’s “Sweet Chicago Suite”  
The trombonist’s little New Orleans style band celebrates the windy city of his youth, in a New Jazz Work commissioned by Chamber Music America with funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and played at the Newport Jazz Festival.

Wednesday Night Special    
7:00 PM (Follows JazzSet)
Robert Glasper Experiment at the Newport Jazz Festival 2013   
by Patrick Jarenwattananon (npr.org)
One gets the sense that pianist Robert Glasper feels completely at ease with his Experiment band, running his right hand in circles, cracking jokes and switching directions on the fly. Along the way, he’s cracked the mold of how jazz might approach the hip-hop and R&B of today. The breakout success of last year’s album Black Radio, with its real-time boom-bap and myriad vocal cameos, has already led to a sequel, due out yet this year. Here’s a freewheeling set of vamps and vocoder from Glasper and company.
Personnel:
• Robert Glasper, piano/keyboard
• Casey Benjamin, alto saxophone/vocoder
• Derrick Hodge, electric bass
• Mark Colenburg, drums   
Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland    
Thursday at 6:00 PM
Robert Glasper
Pianist and composer Robert Glasper is a powerful voice on the jazz scene. His Grammy-winning group, Robert Glasper Experiment, blends hip-hop, R&B, rock, and  jazz into an appealing and highly intelligent sound. He kicks off the show with an original tune, “Rise and Shine,” and jams with McPartland on Herbie Hancock’s “Dolphin Dance.”                
Jazz Corner of the World with Craig Kessler
Saturday, Noon – 4:00 PM
“Jazz in 1983”         
Craig gives us a taste of what was going on 30 years ago in the world of jazz.  We’ll hear selections recorded during 1983 by a wide variety of artists including Dave Holland, George Russell, Miles Davis, Kenny Wheeler, Abdullah Ibrahim, and many others.
Riverwalk Jazz
Sunday at 5:00 PM
Peck’s Bad Boys: The Peck Kelley Story     
Dick Hyman joins The Jim Cullum Jazz Band for the story of piano virtuoso Peck Kelley. Kelley was in high demand by the top bandleaders of the ’20s, but preferred to spend his life playing in Texas honky-tonks.          
KCCK’s Midnight CD
The Monday – Sunday Midnight CD for this week can be found at:

http://www.kcck.org/onair/midnight_cd.php

New Music Monday for November 11, 2013

     ‘Full bodied and comforting as home-baked apple pie’ is one apt description of Houston Person’s saxophone sound. It has also been compared to ‘mom’s meatloaf.’ Inasmuch as these similes attempt to convey the warm-hearted and effortlessly accomplished nature of the South Carolina-born tenorman’s art, they are spot-on, but it must be remembered that Person’s roots are in organ-centered RnB. This brings a bluesy integrity resulting from his immersion in music forever connected with Gen Ammons, Stanley Turrentine and others, to which Person has added a burnished sophistication, an assured elegance and poise that have rendered his recent discography an object lesson in unfussy, no-gimmicks music-making. Person also possesses an ability to imbue up-tempo material with an irresistible wailing intensity. All these traits are on full display on his new disc, “Nice ‘n’ Easy.”
     Though rooted firmly in the tradition of big band jazz, Dave Slonaker’s Los Angeles-based Big Band looks toward the future of large ensemble jazz on “Intrada,” a set of dynamic modern original compositions and arrangements. The band features an all-star cast of jazz and studio greats including Peter Erskine, Wayne Bergeron, Clay Jenkins, Bob Shepard and Bill Reichenbach. An arranger and orchestrator for many Hollywood composers, Slonaker has credits on dozens of films and TV shows, and his works have been performed by the Count Basie, Clark Terry, and Woody Herman Bands.

     Also this week, drummer Chris Parker, a Chicago native who includes work with Miles Davis, the Brecker Brothers and Freddie Hubbard on his resume, unveils a new recording, “The Chris Parker Trio”; trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, who just completed a residency in Eastern Iowa, offers up “The Intimate Ellington: Ballads and Blues”; and the proto-retro crucible of cool, Chaise Lounge, reminiscent of the glory days of the L.A. studio cats of the ‘60s, releases “Dot Dot Dot.”