“Last Breath” (A 2025 adaptation of a true story that follows deep-sea divers as they battle the raging elements to rescue a crewmate trapped hundreds of feet below the ocean’s surface) with Ron Adkins and Phil Brown.
Podcast (talkingpics): Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
A.J. Plummer & Jason Wright in the studio today ahead of their upcoming cabaret show at Opus Concert Café, In My Imagination, Friday 3/14 and Saturday 3/15 at 7:30pm. The space is tight and tickets will go fast!
Tickets and more info can be found at artsiowa.com.
Subscribe to The Culture Crawl at kcck.org/culture or search “Culture Crawl” in your favorite podcast player. Listen Live at 10:30am most weekdays on Iowa’s Jazz station. 88.3 FM or kcck.org/listen.
Podcast (culturecrawl): Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
Kirsten Brooks and Franco Machado-Pesce are in the studio amidst Riverside Theatre’s production of “Native Gardens” by Karen Zacharías, directed by Kirsten Brooks. This immersive play deals with property lines, feuding neighbors, and… acorns?
The show is open through March 16. Get your tickets now at riversidetheatre.org.
Subscribe to The Culture Crawl at kcck.org/culture or search “Culture Crawl” in your favorite podcast player. Listen Live at 10:30am most weekdays on Iowa’s Jazz station. 88.3 FM or kcck.org/listen.
Podcast (culturecrawl): Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
Hey, Jazz fans! Be sure to tune in this week as we celebrate the birthdays of bassists Alcide “Slow Drag” Pavageau, Red Callender, Pierre Michelot, Jimmy Garrison and Rocco Prestia, reedmen Barney Bigard and Ricky Ford, trumpeters Howard McGhee and Bobby Shew, guitarist Wes Montgomery, singer Carol Sloane and more.
We’ll also mark the recording anniversaries of Sonny Rollins’ “Way Out West” “(1957), Miles Davis’ “Someday My Prince Will Come” (1961), Gary Burton’s “The New Quartet” (1973), Manhattan Jazz Quintet’s “Autumn Leaves” (1985), Ricky Ford’s “Manhattan Blues” (1989), Carol Sloane’s “The Songs Sinatra Sang” (1996), The Godfathers of Groove’s “3” (2008) and many others Mondays thru Fridays at noon on Jazz Masters on Jazz 88.3 KCCK.
Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify
Lillian “Lil” Hardin Armstrong is a name most jazz aficionados recognize. She was the second wife of jazz icon Louis Armstrong and is often credited with spurring him forward to greatness. But not only did Lil’s music become the staple foundation of her husband’s career, but she went on to write hits for greats throughout history such as Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin. For pianist Caili O’Doherty, the story of Ms. Armstrong became the caper of an unsung heroine of jazz history. With “Bluer Than Blue,” she draws on the beloved and deep works from the songwriter and instills her reinterpretations with new vigor.
With the release of her aptly named debut album, “The Vibe,” Japanese-born, Michigan-based Nanami Haruta plants her flag as one the most thrilling new voices on the jazz trombone in recent history. Her premiere outing is granted the imprimatur of no less a master than Michael Dease, Haruta’s mentor at Michigan State University turned producer and frontline partner for this exhilarating session in the Kai Winding/J.J. Johnson mold. The all-star rhythm section is stocked with modern giants of the tradition: pianist Xavier Davis, bassist Rodney Whitaker and drummer Ulysses Owens, Jr.
Also this week, drummer Richard Baratta takes us down a nostalgic road of classic rock and soul recordings from the mid-to-late 1960’s with “Looking Back”; pianist Rick Roe’s latest release, “Tribute: The Music of Gregg Hill,” is a heartfelt homage to the prolific Lansing, Michigan-based composer; and reedman Paul Vornhagen, a veteran of the Detroit jazz scene and winner of seven Detroit Music Awards, was recorded at the stylish Ann Arbor jazz club for “Live at the Blue Llama.”
Jazz Corner of the World (Encore)
Mondays at 6:00pm
Sunnyside Records, Part Two
Craig continues his series of presentations that explore the top-notch Sunnyside record label founded in 1982 and operated by Francois Zalacain. We’ll hear a variety of diverse selections from premier artists, such as Dan Tepfer, Deidre Rodman, Happy Apple, Roswell Rudd, Sal Mosca, Judy Niemack, Ben Wendel, and others!
Wednesday Night Special
Wednesdays at 6:00pm
Kid Logic at First Friday Jazz
Fans of great jazz fusion from the 70s and 80s enjoyed the music of Kid Logic at a 2022 First Friday Jazz. Kid Logic plays classics from Weather Report, David Sanborn, the Crusaders, and much more.
Jazz Night In America
Thursdays at 11:00pm
Isaiah Collier’s “400 Years”
Isaiah Collier’s “The Story of 400 Years” is an ambitious 13-movement suite that traces Black American history through sound—from the Middle Passage to the Great Migration to modern times. Collier takes us inside the music, sharing the personal and historical moments that shaped his powerful work.
Jazz Corner of the World
Saturdays from 12:00 noon to 4:00pm
Mose Allison, Part 3
Craig continues his 4-part chronological series on the artistry of legendary pianist, poet, singer, and composer Mose Allison. We’ll listen to selections from his final three Atlantic releases, his two albums for Elektra Records, the first few Blue Note releases, and a few other odds and ends.
KCCK’s Midnight CD
KCCK features a new album every night, played from start-to-finish.
Just the Three of Us by Alan Chaubert on Monday; Swing Set by Eric Lilley Trio on Tuesday; What Is? by Russ Anixter’s Hippie Big Band on Wednesday; Fasten Up by Yellowjackets on Thursday; With Love by Mitch Ryder on Friday; Honeysuckle by Rev. Payton’s Big Damn Band on Saturday; All That Matters by Benjie Porecki on Sunday.
The regular meeting of the Kirkwood Board of Trustees will take place March 6, 2025. Time, place, and meeting agenda can be found at this link.
The KCCK Featured Album for April is KCCK’s Corridor Jazz Project Volume 18, featuring the outstanding students from a record twenty-one Eastern Iowa high school jazz bands. Each band is paired up with a professional guest artist who mentors the students during rehearsals and professional recording sessions. The experience culminates with concerts featuring the bands and their special guests. It’s all part of KCCK’s educational outreach program. Purchase
