Riverside Theatre artistic director Sam Osheroff talks about the return of Shakespeare Fest to Iowa City’s Lower City Park from June 17-July 10.
This Week’s Shows: Week of June 20 – 26
Short List with Bob Naujoks
Monday – Friday at 8:35 AM and Saturday at 7 AM
The Short List: Vocal Short List 14 (Renée Yoxon)
Renée Yoxon
Another Canadian import is featured on the Vocal Short List 14 this week. It’s Renée Yoxon who was raised in Ottawa, but now is in Montreal, going to the university, teaching and performing. An artist award let her study and sing in New York for two months in 2011. She is somewhat of a retro singer with a modern presentation. She loves standards and the Great American Songbook, and has a clear, unadorned presentation. Renée Yoxon is also a songwriter and her second album from 2012 is all originals.
Jazz Profiles with Nancy Wilson
Monday at 6:00 PM
Betty Carter: Fiercely Individual
Betty Carter
For nearly 50 years, Betty Carter was an irrepressible and incomparable practitioner of jazz vocal tradition. She was a “pure” jazz singer whose strong musical style and instrument-like voice was keenly original and distinct. She was also a fiercely dedicated and demanding bandleader who helped hone the skills of gifted young musicians like Cyrus Chestnut and Jacky Terrasin. This program explores Carter’s many sides and talents — as a song stylist, composer, a bandleader, and teacher.
Jazz Corner of the World with Craig Kessler
Monday, 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM (follows Jazz Profiles)
“A Salute to The Genius of Organist, Larry Young – Part Two”
On May 14th, Craig tipped his hat to one of the masters of the Hammond B – 3 organ. For this week’s show (Part 2), we’ll hear an entirely different program of classic material highlighting Young’s genius…more from Miles Davis, Tony Williams, Sam Rivers, Grant Green, and many others. As one of the truly gifted innovators in jazz, this show is not to be missed!!
New Orleans Calling with George Ingmire
Tuesday at 6:00 PM
Portrait of A Drummer: Johnny Vidacovich
Johnny Vidacovich
There are so many great drummers in New Orleans that it’s hard to stand out — but Johnny Vidacovich does. He’s one of the living greats in New Orleans today, with a unique voice, in many ways. In this episode, he invites us into his living room to talk about the musicality of his playing, being inspired by late Smokey Johnson, and inspiring students to find their own voice. Plus we hear a live performance by Johnny with Chris Severin and Tony Dagradi, recorded at Basin Street Station. And we also talk about Johnny’s favorite way to eat shrimp — and in a special new segment with a guest producer, we take a look at how that shrimp is getting to the table nowadays.
One of Johnny’s most famous projects is the jazz group Astral Project, featuring Johnny on drums, Steve Masakowski on guitar, James Singleton on bass, and Tony Dagradi on sax.
In February 2015, Johnny Vidacovich performed with Tony Dagradi on sax and Chris Severin on bass, in a special set recorded for New Orleans Calling at the historic Basin Street Station.
Stanton Moore was one of Johnny’s students, and is now one of the most respected drummers in America. He is a founder of the band Galactic.
Jazz Night in America with Christian McBride
Wednesday at 6:00 PM
“Harpin’ on Jazz”
Edmar Castaneda (harp) performs on JNIA and July 3rd at the Iowa City Jazz Festival
Jazz Night in America is exploring one of the least frequently used instruments in jazz — the harp! Groundbreaking harpists, Edmar Castaneda (performing with his trio at the Iowa City Jazz Festival July 3rd) and Brandee Younger take the stage for two concerts from Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Wednesday Night Special
7:00 PM (Follows Jazz Night in America)
Best of the 2015 Iowa City Jazz Festival: Charles Lloyd Quartet
Charles Lloyd at the 2015 Iowa City Jazz Festival
Charles Lloyd was born in Memphis, Tennessee and from an early age, he was immersed in that city’s rich musical life and was exposed to jazz. Beginning in his early teens, he was working as a sideman in the blues bands of B.B. King, Howlin’ Wolf, Johnnie Ace, Bobbie “Blue” Bland, and others. His closest friend in high-school was trumpeter, Booker Little.
In the intervening sixty years, Lloyd has become a true giant of the jazz world, playing with Billy Higgins, Don Cherry, Bobby Hutcherson, Chico Hamilton, Keith Jarrett, Jack DeJohnette and many more.
In 1970, Lloyd moved to California and entered a state of semi-retirement. He practically disappeared from the jazz scene, but can be heard on recordings with the Doors, Canned Heat, and the Beach Boys. Occasionally during the 1970s Lloyd played with The Beach Boys; both on their studio recordings and as a member of their touring band.
Upon his recovery from a near death experience in 1986, Lloyd decided to rededicate himself to music. He started performing occasionally in 1987 and 88. In 1989, Lloyd reestablished an active touring schedule and began recording for ECM Records. The ECM recordings showcased his sensitivity as a ballad player and composer. In 2014, Lloyd received the 2014 Monterey Jazz Festival Jazz Legend Award.
Jazz Corner of the World with Craig Kessler
Saturday, Noon – 4:00 PM and Monday, 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM
“The Annual Iowa City Jazz Festival Preview Show”
Poncho Sanchez headlines the 2016 Iowa City Jazz Festival July 2nd
Craig presents tasty “preview” selections from a variety of this year’s jazz festival artists, including Allison Miller’s “BOOM TIC BOOM”, organist AKIKO TSURUGA, pianist VIJAY IYER, Latin jazz percussionist PONCHO SANCHEZ, alto saxophonist DAMANI PHILLIPS, saxophonist MIGUEL ZENON, pianist DAVID BERKMAN, and many others! It’s going to be another great festival…and, as usual, it’s ALL FREE OF CHARGE! We’ll see you on the Pentacrest in downtown Iowa City Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, JULY 1, 2, and 3…with the annual Iowa City fireworks display taking place at the conclusion of the festival on Sunday night!!
KCCK’s Midnight CD
The Monday – Sunday Midnight CD for this week can be found at:
Culture Crawl 6-16-16
Rebecca Larkin from the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance runs down weekend activities with KCCK’s Hollis Monroe.
New Music Monday for June 20, 2016
Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify.
For the past five yea
rs, 29-year-old trumpeter Marquis Hill has been invigorating the Chicago jazz scene with his sleek approach to modern jazz, which often incorporates elements of spoken word and hip-hop. JazzTimes magazine praised his trumpet playing by stating, “His articulation, precise but unlabored, calls to mind the precedent of Clifford Brown, while his bravura phrasing suggests an equal immersion in Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw.” All of which surely helped his cause at the 2014 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, where he won first prize. Hill now splits most of his time between his hometown of Chicago and New York City—a decision that provides him a greater pool of jazz talent to help hone his musicianship. With the release of “The Way We Play,” his profile as a new commanding voice on the jazz landscape will undoubtedly rise. He’ll be appearing this year at the Iowa City Jazz Festival as well.
Although he remains rooted in the worlds of his early idols Louis Armstrong and Clifford Brown, trumpeter Dominick Farinacci has managed to create his own musical universe, aided my musicians of the highest caliber. He had already achieved enough stature by his mid-teens that Wynton Marsalis offered to help him set his sights on going to New York, and by 2001, Farinacci was one of only four trumpeters in the world to be selected as the inaugural students in The Julliard School’s first jazz curriculum. A short glance at the artists he brought together for his new disc, “Short Stories,” speaks for itself: Christian McBride, Steve Gadd, Larry Goldings, and Gil Goldstein for starters. The repertoire is as eclectic as it is stunningly interpreted, including pieces by Tom Waits, Cream, Horace Silver and Dianne Reeves.
Also this week, New Zealand-born organist Adrienne Fenemor unveils her first instrumental album, “Mo’ Puddin’,” which features Peter Bernstein and Willie Jones III.
Pianist Cyrus Chestnut is joined by the dynamic Lenny White on drums and the redoubtable Buster Williams on bass in breathing new life and vitality into the piano trio format on “Natural Essence”, and the Welsh singer/songwriter Ian Shaw has returned to working with that format on his new release, “The Theory of Joy.”
Talking Pictures 6-16-16
Conjuring 2, Now You See Me 2
2017 Recipients of Nation’s Highest Award in Jazz Announced
This week at the DC Jazz Festival’s concert at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, the National Endowment for the Arts announced the 2017 NEA Jazz Masters Fellows, recipients of the nation’s highest honor in jazz. These five individuals—four musicians and one advocate—are recognized for their lifetime achievements and exceptional contributions to the advancement of jazz. Each will receive a $25,000 award and be honored at a tribute concert on Monday, April 3, 2017, produced in collaboration with the Kennedy Center.
The 2017 NEA Jazz Masters are:
- Dee Dee Bridgewater – Vocalist, Producer, Broadcaste
- Ira Gitler – Author, Editor, Producer, Educator
- Dave Holland – Bassist, Cellist, Composer, Bandleader
- Dick Hyman – Keyboardist, Composer, Arranger
- Dr. Lonnie Smith – Organist, Composer
To read the entire story Click HERE.
This Week’s Shows: Week of June 13 – 19
Short List with Bob Naujoks
Monday – Friday at 8:35 AM and Saturday at 7 AM
The Short List: Vocal Short List 14 (Ori Dagan)
Ori Dagan
Ori Dagan is a deep-voice male jazz singer who scats. Dagan who was born in Israel, but moved to Canada at a young age. He is a significant part of the active Toronto music scene and in a few short years has issued two albums and several singles. His musical career began by studying classical piano, but after he discovered Ella Fitzgerald, it was all jazz. He was attracted to Ella’s scat style and that of Anita O’Day and with a lot of practice seems to have mastered the tricky nuances of scatting.
Jazz Profiles with Nancy Wilson
Monday at 6:00 PM
Norman Granz: Jazz Genious Behind the Scenes
Ella Fitzgerald with Norman Granz
Norman Granz has no equal as an impresario in jazz and popular music. He founded Verve and Pablo records. He created Jazz at the Philharmonic, a touring concert series that was helpful in promoting the careers of Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Roy Eldridge, Lester Young, and Art Tatum. As a jazz producer, he has probably done more than anyone to bring modern jazz to a wider audience. This show celebrates Granz’s outstanding achievements while exploring the shrewdness and audacity of his producing style. Interviewees include Granz, pianists Oscar Peterson and Benny Green, drummers Buddy Rich and Louis Bellson, and others.
Jazz Corner of the World with Craig Kessler
Monday, 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM (follows Jazz Profiles)
“Birth Date Anniversary Celebration For Sheldon “Shelly” MANNE”
Craig celebrates the birthday of extraordinary drummer and percussionist SHELLY MANNE (6/11/20 to 9/26/84) by spinning a tasty collection of tunes from throughout the lengthy career of this jazz master. We’ll hear selections from Manne’s early days (30s and 40s) with Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Kenton, as well as a host of (mostly) “west coast jazz” recordings from the 50s, 60s, and 70s.
New Orleans Calling with George Ingmire
Tuesday at 6:00 PM
Aint Misbehavin: Leroy Jones
Leroy Jones
Leroy Jones started out his career playing trumpet in his parents’ garage in New Orleans — and he played so loud it caught the attention of jazz legend Danny Barker, who lived in the neighborhood. Since then his journey has taken him to the Superbowl Halftime show and around the world — and now all the way back to us for an intimate interview and performance at the historic Basin St Station.
Harry Connick Jr said “No one could touch him. For young musicians like me, he was exciting, intimidating. For the older ones, he was the keeper of the flame. But Leroy did more than keep the flame. He started a forest fire…”
Leroy grew up in the same neighborhood as famous musicians Danny Barker, Dave “Fatman” Williams, and Ernest Cagnolatti.
Leroy was mentored by Danny Barker, forming the Fairview Baptist Church Marching Band, which also included Lucien Barbarin, Big Al Carson, Anthony “Tuba Fats” Lacen, Herlin Riley, Gregg Stafford, Joseph Torregano, and many others. This was followed by the Hurricane Brass Band.
The Leroy Jones Quintet played a special show for New Orleans Calling at the historic Basin St Station this spring, and we featured tracks on our Live from Basin St Station segment in this episode.
Jazz Night in America with Christian McBride
Wednesday at 6:00 PM
Wayne Horvitz, The Pianist and the Poet
Wayne Horvitz
The keyboardist and composer Wayne Horvitz made his name in New York, but for over 20 years, he’s been synonymous with his adopted hometown of Seattle. He’s one of the key players of the town’s improvised music community — as a player, a bandleader, a venue operator, and a teacher
at several levels. Jazz Night returns to Seattle to track his influence on the city’s jazz ecosystem through his students, his collaborators, and a concert he leads during the annual Earshot Jazz Festival of music inspired by the late local poet Richard Hugo.
Wednesday Night Special
7:00 PM (Follows Jazz Night in America)
Best of the 2015 Iowa City Jazz Festival: Ben Allison Think Free
Ben Allison Think Free at the 2015 Iowa City Jazz Festival
As we are looking ahead to the 2016 Iowa City Jazz Festival (July 1-3), we revisit some of the best performances from the main stage at last year’s festival.
Bassist/composer Ben Allison is one of a few band leaders working in jazz today who has developed his own instantly identifiable sound. Known for his inspired arrangements, inventive grooves and hummable melodies, Ben draws from the jazz tradition and a range of influences from rock and folk to classical and world music, seamlessly blending them into a cinematic, cohesive whole.
Called “one of today’s best young jazz musicians” by the Boston Globe and a “visionary composer, adventurous improviser, and strong organizational force on the New York City jazz scene” by JazzTimes, Allison has released eleven CDs of original music, including 2013’s The Stars Look Very Different Today (on his own Sonic Camera Records).
Ben’s album Action-Refraction, reached #1 on the CMJ National Jazz radio charts and remained in the top 20 for over three months, making it one of the most-played CDs of 2011. Action-Refraction was named one of the Best Albums of 2011 (of any genre) by NPR and Time Out New York.
Jazz Corner of the World with Craig Kessler
Saturday, Noon – 4:00 PM and Monday, 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM
“A Salute to The Genius of Organist, Larry Young – Part Two”
Larry Young
On May 14th, Craig tipped his hat to one of the masters of the Hammond B – 3 organ. For this week’s show (Part 2), we’ll hear an entirely different program of classic material highlighting Young’s genius…more from Miles Davis, Tony Williams, Sam Rivers, Grant Green, and many others. As one of the truly gifted innovators in jazz, this show is not to be missed!!
Tropical Heat with Kpoti Accoh
Sunday, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Featured Album: “Live at the St. George Theatre” by Galt MacDermot 
http://www.allmusic.com/album/hair-live-at-the-st-george-theatre-mw0002192654
In a career packed with varying types of compositions, Galt MacDermot is still best-known for the music he wrote in the late-’60s Aquarian musical Hair. Born and raised in Montreal, MacDermot was the son of a Canadian diplomat. He studied at Bishop’s University, then at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, before moving to New York in 1964. Three years later, MacDermot’s music for Hair, combined with lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni, made the show first an off-Broadway success, then a Broadway smash, and later a major motion picture. Of the several pop standards are “Let the Sunshine In,” “Aquarius,” “What a Piece of Work Is Man,” “Good Morning Starshine,” and the title song. In addition to the musicals, Two Gentlemen of Verona and The Human Comedy, MacDermot composed ballet and film scores, chamber music, band repertory, and drama accompaniments. Also, he formed the New Pulse Jazz Band in 1979. ~ John Bush
KCCK’s Midnight CD
The Monday – Sunday Midnight CD for this week can be found at: