Eddie Piccard with a 9-year-old Grant Lapointe in 2013.
It’s the rare musical series that puts an artist who is eligible for Medicare and one who is in Middle School on the same bill, but KCCK’s Jazz Under The Stars will do that very thing on Aug. 25.
Legendary Eastern Iowa pianist Eddie Piccard will headline at Jazz Under The Stars, where his warmup act will be thirteen year-old Grant Lapointe.
“Grant just finished his third year at KCCK’s Middle School Jazz Band Camp,” says general manager Dennis Green, “and his mom told me that he’d been playing out a bit, and would love to play for a KCCK event.”
Since West Music was bringing a grand piano to Eddie’s concert, Green thought there would be a natural fit, but he did not realize the extent of the connection.
“Eddie Piccard introduced Grant to jazz standards when he was nine,” says Grant’s mom Allie. “We went to see Eddie at the Longbranch where Grant wrote him a letter asking to be mentored in jazz.”
Piccard no longer takes students, but referred Grant to Coe jazz band director Steve Shanley, who began working with him. This led Grant (who is home-schooled and dual-enrolled) to join the Franklin jazz band, co-directed by Shanley’s wife Val, and to come to KCCK’s jazz band camp.
“Jazz has traditionally been taught one-on-one,” Green continues. “An aspiring musician takes on an apprentice role with an experienced player, and learns the music from him or her. It is very exciting to see that traditional mentor-student experience continue to play out today. What an amazing full-circle experience!”
Eddie Piccard and his quintet will play August 25th at McGrath Amphitheatre. The other three Jazz Under The Stars concerts will take place in the traditional Noelridge Park location, and will feature the Jazz Under The Stars debut of the new City Bandshell.
Ten of Soul
Here is the full lineup:
August 4 – Ten of Soul at Noelridge Park
August 11 – Mirage at Noelridge Park
August 18 – Summit at Noelridge Park
August 25 – Eddie Piccard Quintet at McGrath Amphitheatre.
All concerts begin at 7pm.
Mirage
In case of inclement weather listen to Jazz 88.3 over the air, online at www.kcck.org or follow @jazz883kcck on Twitter or Facebook for schedule updates.
Food and refreshments will be available for purchase at the concerts. Attendees are also invited to bring lawn chairs, blankets and their own picnic if they wish.
Major support for KCCK’s Jazz Under the Stars series comes from Collins Community Credit Union, the McGrath Family of Dealerships, Concept By Iowa Hearing Aid Centers, Rockwell Collins, Latta, Harris LLC, Great Harvest Bread Company, Martin Gardner Architecture, Shive Hattery Architecture Engineering, That Cellular Place, West Music, New Pioneer Food Co-op and Kirkwood Community College.