Monday, January 27, 2014

Kennedy Student wins Corridor Jazz Project CD Cover Contest

Cover Art for Corridor Jazz CD, by Kelsey Bills
Kelsey Bills, a junior at Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids, has been chosen as the winner of the Corridor Jazz Project CD Cover design. Bills will receive a $100 cash prize from KCCK-FM and her design will adorn the cover of the “The Corridor Jazz Project VII”, a compilation of recordings from the top jazz bands from Jefferson, Kennedy, Prairie, Xavier and Washington High Schools in Cedar Rapids, Linn Mar and, Marion in Marion; City and West High Schools in Iowa City, Solon High School and Lisbon High School.

Receiving Honorable Mention in the contest were seven other students, also from Kennedy:
  • Elektra Noble
  • Emily Fitzpatrick
  • Lydia Luton
  • Brittainy Gail
  • Aimee Ermer
  • Rowan Bergen
  • Ryann Jensen

The Corridor Jazz Project CDs, along with tickets for the CD Release Concert, March 31st at Iowa City West High School, will go on sale February 15th. Tickets are $10, and will be available at the door.

Bills’ original piece, and those receiving Honorable Mention will all be exhibited during the March 31st concert. 

The Corridor Jazz Project is a jazz education and mentoring program for jazz band students at the public high schools in the Creative Corridor  The program, developed as a part of the education outreach of Jazz 88.3 KCCK, matches each school’s top jazz band with a professional jazz player, who performed as a guest soloist with the band. The subsequent recordings have been collected and will be released on a compilation CD. CDs will be made available to each school to sell and keep the proceeds. CDs will be available at local retail outlets as well.  

Support for the Corridor Jazz Project comes from MidWestOne Bank, Rockwell Collins, and West Music.

Sunday, January 19, 2014

New Music Monday for January 20, 2014

     Award-winning soprano saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom has always had a special feeling for ballad performances. Her love for melody comes directly from her earliest exposure to American standards.  A few years ago, she noticed that the two or three ballads she would regularly include in live settings attracted special attention from the audience. This led to the idea of ‘all ballads’ programs in her concert and club performances, and is what ultimately informed the concept for her CD, “Sixteen Sunsets.” The beautiful new recording features expressive interpretations from the American Songbook along with five original compositions. Her 15th CD as leader teams her up with long-time colleagues Cameron Brown on bass and Matt Wilson on drums and the exciting new pianist Dominic Fallacaro.

     Picture a giant New Orleans brass big band playing wild funk-jazz with some wild odd meters and twisted melodies. Add in a dollop of whacky lyrics and you have Frank Macchia’s “Grease Mechanix. Jazziz magazine describes the three-time Grammy nominated composer and saxophonist as “an inventive composer and arranger who deserves comparison to Gil Evans and Pat Metheny.” Macchia, who composed and arranged the project, is joined by some of Los Angeles’ best jazz players including Peter Erskine, Eric Marienthal, Bob Shepard, Bill Reichenbach and Wayne Bergeron.


     Also this week, drummer Matt Wilson and his quartet are joined by special guest keyboardist John Medeski for “Gathering Call”; alto saxophonist Matt Criscuolo is joined by veteran pianist Larry Willis for his fourth CD as a leader, “Blippity Blat”; and pianist Larry Gelb offers up a new trio recording, “The Love Songs of Ian Ops.”




Special Programs for the Week of January 20 - 26

Short List with Bob Naujoks                                           
Mon. - Thurs. at 8:35 AM and Saturday at 7 AM
Vocal Short List 13: Boz Scaggs                                 
The former pop-rock artist Boz Scaggs has in recent years turned his attention to the Great American Songbook, and to good effect. Scaggs is a veteran of the early Steve Miller Blues Band and a top-selling artist in the 1970s, but on the suggestion of a friend began singing the standards, and finally in 2000, issued an album of love songs. To his credit, Boz Scaggs is at the service of the songs.

Jazz Profiles with Nancy Wilson    
Monday at 6:00 PM
Charlie Parker: 'Bird Lives!' Part 2   
Charles "Yardbird" Parker was a self-taught innovator who could fly higher and cut deeper than any other musician of his day. Parker pioneered the bebop movement in jazz with trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. He influenced generations of musicians. The concluding half of this story focuses on Bird's influence on other musicians, his celebrated return to New York, his superstar acceptance in Europe, his experimentations with strings, and his premature, tragic death. Interviewees include Jackie McLean and Mitch Miller.  

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 - Part Two"
Craig takes us on a tour looking at more material from the sparkling career of this great jazz organist.  We'll hear additional classic recordings from throughout her 35 year career including sides from Cadet, Prestige, Impulse, Blue Note, Candid, and other record labels. She was truly one of the greats!   

Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wendell Pierce  
Tuesday at 6:00 PM
Bird with Strings   
In 1949, Charlie Parker envisioned an album that would link jazz to pop and influence artists to come.  His legendary venture with strings has done just that. Parker with Strings set his searching solos against a lush string quartet. And onstage Bird lives - as we feature saxophonists Wess Anderson and Charles McPherson and the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas.  

JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater
Wednesday at 6:00 PM
Abbey Lincoln’s Songs
Always a vocalist, Lincoln (1930-2010) acted in movies, fought for Civil Rights, and – in her long, productive last chapter – wrote and recorded personal songs about life. New meanings begin to emerge as Dee Dee Bridgewater, Dianne Reeves and Cassandra Wilson sing Abbey. Musical Director Terri Lyne Carrington.     

Wednesday Night Special     
7:00 PM (Follows JazzSet)
Christian Scott Quintet at the 2013 Iowa City Jazz Festival
Christian Scott, the Grammy Nominated and two time Edison Award winning jazz trumpeter, composer and producer, was only 13 when he began playing with his uncle, jazz alto saxophonist, Donald Harrison. By 14, he was accepted into the New Orleans Center of Creative Arts where he studied jazz under the guidance of program directors, Clyde Kerr, Jr. and Kent Jordan. His New Orleans roots served him well and he earned two degrees in two years at Berklee College of Music in Boston where he studied under Charlie Lewis, Dave Santoro, and Gary Burton. He eventually launched a music career that has positioned him as one of the great innovators of his generation.

In 2002 he made his solo debut with his self-released and self-titled album, Christian Scott. In 2006, landing a record deal with Concord Jazz, Scott released Rewind That, an album whose mixture of modern jazz, rock and R&B garnered both criticism and praise – but ultimately a Grammy nomination. Anthem was released the following year and Yesterday You Said Tomorrow came out in 2010. During 2011-12, he toured and recorded with the band 90 Miles that also featured Stefon Harris and David Sanchez. His 2-CD release, Christian aTunde Adjuah in 2012, also on Concord, is his most ambitious and expansive recording to date.

Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland    
Thursday at 6:00 PM
Jim Hall
Widely admired as a gifted and innovative player, jazz guitarist Jim Hall (he passed away Dec. 10th at the age of 83) had an amazing career spanning more than five decades. Recently, Hall had entered a new creative space, writing and arranging choral and orchestral compositions, all the while continuing to record and perform in a variety of settings. The NEA Jazz Master teams up with McPartland and bassist Gary Mazzaroppi for “Blue Monk” and solos on “All the Things You Are.”                     

Jazz Corner of the World with Craig Kessler
Saturday, Noon - 4:00 PM
"Birthday Celebration for Benny Golson"
Craig celebrates the 85th birthday of the great tenorman, composer, and arranger, Benny Golson, with a wonderful mix of jazz gems from throughout his career of 60+ years! We'll hear his writing and playing with jazz giants like Tadd Dameron, Art Blakey, Lee Morgan, Dizzy Gillespie, Wynton Kelly, Charles Mingus, and so many others. We'll also hear from his own group, The Jazztet, as well as other dates that feature Golson as the band leader. Come along and join in on the fun!  

Riverwalk Jazz
Sunday at 5:00 PM
A Triple Crown of Tunesmiths: Youmans, Barris and Green  
The Jim Cullum Jazz Band welcomes New Orleans vocalist Topsy Chapman, Broadway’s Carol Woods, and piano legend Dick Hyman. They honor a trio of top composers of jazz standards — Vincent Youmans (“Time on My Hands”), Harry Barris (“Mississippi Mud”), and Johnny Green (“Body and Soul”).               

KCCK's Midnight CD
The Monday - Sunday Midnight CD for this week can be found at:

Sunday, January 12, 2014

New Music Monday for January 13, 2014

     Any recording made by the legendary pianist Randy Weston is cause for celebration. His legacy with jazz music has spanned over six decades and has put him in contact with the lion’s share of progenitors and innovators of the music. Tenor sax great Billy Harper comes from an equally diverse musical background with a musical journey spanning from his Texas blues background to the avant-garde sounds of New York of the 1970s, where the Brooklyn born Weston had already been innovating and exploring African inspirations of jazz for nearly twenty years. Originally having met in 1972, Weston and Harper have collaborated on and off for over four decades. The pair’s new recording, “The Roots of the Blues,” brings these two giants of jazz together to create moving renditions of ten compositions from Weston’s incredible anthology along with three standards and a Harper original.

    Saxophonist and flutist Mitch Frohman, known for his 25-year stint with the Tito Puente Orchestra; Latin Jazz Ensemble, as well as his membership in the Mongo Santamaria band, is finally set to release his debut album. Leader and co-leader of three of the most in-demand Latin and Latin jazz groups (the Bronx Horns, The Mambo Legends Orchestra, and the Eddie Torres Mambo Kings), Frohman is long overdue to present his own music to the faithful Latin jazz audience. His new two-disc set, “From Daddy, With Love,” features a young and experienced cast of players: Zaccai Curtis of Donald Harrison’s Quartet, Luques Curtis of Eddie Palmieri’s band, and drummer Joel Mateo from the Miguel Zenon Quartet. For this project, Frohman showcases himself as a multi-reed instrumentalist, playing tenor, baritone and soprano saxophones and flute.
     Also this week, the singular guitarist John Stowell and saxophone legend Dave Liebman present an intimate set of duets on “Blue Rose”; Israeli natives Avishai Cohen on bass and Nitai Hershkovits on piano pair up for “Duende”; and 7 On 7 brings a modern mainstream spin to the great small band sound of the hard bop era on “Back When It Was Fun,” featuring trumpeter Clay Jenkins and trombonist Paul McKee.


Special Programs for the Week of January 13 - 19

Short List with Bob Naujoks                                           
Mon. - Thurs. at 8:35 AM and Saturday at 7 AM
Vocal Short List 13: Lisa Kelly                                
The Vocal Short List program this week is an expansion of a couple of segments of the earlier New Face of Jazz series. The singer is Floridian Lisa Kelly, and with her trumpeter husband, J. B. Scott, has to be the busiest musicians in that part of the country. She has a mission to keep jazz alive in her area, and support all of the jazz players and teachers everywhere in the country. Her voice is clear and precise, and she has a distinctive and challenging way of approaching the music.

Jazz Profiles with Nancy Wilson    
Monday at 6:00 PM
Charlie Parker: 'Bird Lives!' Part 1   
Charles "Yardbird" Parker was a self-taught innovator who could fly higher and cut deeper than any other musician of his day. Parker pioneered the bebop movement in jazz with trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. He influenced generations of musicians. He accomplished all of this and other feats despite a crippling drug addiction that ended his life at thirty-four. This program focuses on "Bird" the improviser, and traces his instrumental virtuosity from his early days in Kansas City to his bebop experiments in New York to his ill-fated trip to Los Angeles in 1945.

Jazz Corner of the World with Craig Kessler
Monday, 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM (follows Jazz Profiles)
"The 65th Anniversary Celebration of Prestige Records"     
In this detailed series of shows, Craig will give us a closer look at the evolution of another of the "big 3" 20th century jazz labels -- PRESTIGE RECORDS. We'll hear at least one selection from each and every jazz recording session done by the label, beginning with the JANUARY 11, 1949 Lennie Tristano/Lee Konitz date. Also, in this inaugural show, we'll hear from Terry Gibbs, Stan Getz, J.J. Johnson, Wardell Gray, Sonny Stitt, and many others. 

Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wendell Pierce  
Tuesday at 6:00 PM
Nuevo Tango: The Music of Astor Piazzolla with Pablo Aslan and Paquito D'Rivera  
Astor Piazzolla's impact on tango heralded a stunning new incarnation of the art form: Nuevo Tango. His native Argentina - and the rest of the world - was never the same. Pablo Aslan and Paquito D'Rivera are no lightweights either, and they present an hour of hot Latin tango.

JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater
Wednesday at 6:00 PM
Edmar Casteñeda and Friends at Americas Society in New York
The “hippest harpist” and his trio play a repertoire from Colombia, Argentina and Venezuela with guests: vocalist Andrea Tierra, bandoneonist Héctor Del Curto, vibraphonist Joe Locke, and cuatro legend Jorge Glem.

Wednesday Night Special     
7:00 PM (Follows JazzSet)
Charlie Hunter and Scott Amendola Duo at the 2013 Iowa City Jazz Festival
New Jersey-born percussionist Scott Amendola is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music. He met guitarist Charlie Hunter soon after arriving in San Francisco in 1992. The two joined forces along with Will Bernard and John Schott to form the innovative band T. J. Kirk (Warner Bros.). T. J. Kirk went on to be nominated for a Grammy in 1995. A year and a half later, Scott joined the Charlie Hunter Quartet. The band toured worldwide and recorded three records for Blue Note. As far as compliments go, guitarist Charlie Hunter and percussionist Scott Amendola are like cold deep-dish pizza and a whiskey-hangover. The groovy, delectable variances of funky jazz is fueled by Amendola’s innate drumming skills and accentuated into a caliber of uniqueness all its own by Charlie Hunter’s equally astounding guitar skills. The pair’s intensive background in composition and performance of almost 20 years gives them the tools and the daring to touch just about every genre of music when they’re on stage. The amazing versatility and perfection of beat trapped in each performance from these two is one of the most distinct on the American Jazz scene today. Be listening for Sott Amendola and Charlie Hunter’s brand new CD “Pucker” on KCCK.

Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland    
Thursday at 6:00 PM
The Hickory House Trio
In the 1950s, New York’s 52nd street was a jazz mecca. The Hickory House was known for its sizzling steaks and a swinging jazz trio led by a young female pianist with a British accent and a God-given touch. Marian McPartland, bassist Bill Crow, and her drummer, the late Joe Morello, held court at the Hickory House for almost ten years. The trio reunited in 1990 for this special Piano Jazz, including performances of “Skylark” and “I’m Beginning to See the Light.” 


Jazz Corner of the World with Craig Kessler
Saturday, Noon - 4:00 PM
"Shirley Scott -- Queen of the Hammond B-3 Organ - Part Two"
Craig takes us on a tour looking at more material from the sparkling career of this great jazz organist. We'll hear additional classic recordings from throughout her 35 year career including sides from Cadet, Prestige, Impulse, Blue Note, Candid, and other record labels. She was truly one of the greats!

Riverwalk Jazz
Sunday at 5:00 PM
At the Jazz Band Ball: Jazz Classics Live
Here’s a high-energy concert of red-hot traditional jazz classics from old New Orleans and 1920s’ Chicago. Join the Jim Cullum Jazz Band and clarinetist Evan Christopher as they perform at the Stanford Jazz Workshop.              

KCCK's Midnight CD
The Monday - Sunday Midnight CD for this week can be found at:
http://www.kcck.org/onair/midnight_cd.php

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Jon Batiste Jazz Workshop for Adults!

Every now and then, sometimes associated with the jazz education work KCCK does in middle and high schools, we'll get asked "How about some jazz education for adults who want to return to playing or play better?"

Well, here is an opportunity! Pianist Jon Batiste is offering a special workshop, targeted at 50+ musicians, prior to his January 16 concert at the Englert.

Batiste, just 25 himself, is a recipient of the "Movado Future Legend" award and is a Steinway Artist. At the forefront of the exciting new generation of musicians coming out of New Orleans, Batiste's unique take on the American Songbook is attracting critical acclaim as well as bringing new fans to jazz, across all demographics.

Batiste and his band, Stay Human will present the workshop at the Englert Theatre, 5pm January 16, prior to their concert. You're encouraged to bring your instrument and participate with the musicians, or just sit and listen.

Admission to the workshop is free, but the Englert would like to know how many people intend to be there. RSVP to katie@englert.org. A limited number of free and discounted tickets to the concert are available as well. Ask when you sign up for the workshop.

More details at www.englert.org

Sunday, January 5, 2014

New Music Monday for January 6, 2014

     A saxophonist, composer and educator from Toronto, Canada, Shirantha Beddage is emerging as a fresh and powerful voice on the baritone saxophone. Drawing inspiration from  John Coltrane, Pepper Adams, Thelonious Monk and other jazz masters, Beddage won the Galaxie Rising Star Award at the 2013 Montreal Jazz Festival for his work as a composer. He studied with Bill Dobbins and Harold Danko at the Eastman School in Rochester and is currently on staff at Humber College in Toronto. “Identity” is his second release as a leader.

     New York drummer Tim Horner’s 2nd adventure as a composer and band leader, “The Head of the Circle,” is certainly a labor of love. Already well-represented musically on over 200 recordings with many of the world’s finest over the last thirty years, he’s combined here his wide-ranging experiences and deep musical friendships to create a very personal recording. Featuring vibraphonist Joe Locke and saxophonist Ted Nash, Horner created an environment where all the musicians shine, bringing to vibrant life his ten masterful originals.
     Also this week, versatile West Coast drummer Dick Weller leads a trio with organist Joe Bagg and saxophonist John Tendy on “Tunes Remembered”; tenor saxophonist Doug Webb is in a quartet setting for his latest release, “Another Scene,” featuring drummer Rudy Royston and bassist Dwayne  Burno, who passed away on December 28 at age 43; and pianist Jon Davis and his trio offer up “One Up Front.”

Special Programs for the Week of January 6 - 12

Short List with Bob Naujoks                                           
Mon. - Thurs. at 8:35 AM and Saturday at 7 AM
Vocal Short List 13: John Pizzarelli                               
Guitarist-singer John Pizzarelli has been on the scene for three decades with his swing-influenced jazz. He is well recorded and a mainstream mainstay. His vocalizing reflects his early influence by Nat King Cole, but as he says, “We are a 21st century version of what that group was.” Pizzarelli will also delve into contemporary music as he did with his Beatles album and the mid-90s “New Standards” recording.

Jazz Profiles with Nancy Wilson    
Monday at 6:00 PM
Max Roach, Rhythmic Innovator  
An innovative drummer, bandleader, composer, and educator, Max Roach is a musical renaissance man. He was Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie's drummer of choice as they developed bebop in the '40s, and his innovations forever changed the way drums are played. In the '50s he co-led (with trumpeter Clifford Brown) one of the seminal groups of jazz, bringing bebop to new levels of sophistication. In the '60s, he created a range of compositions reflecting the struggle for civil rights.

Jazz Corner of the World with Craig Kessler
Monday, 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM (follows Jazz Profiles)
"The 75th Anniversary Celebration of Blue Note Records"
In this detailed series of shows, Craig will give us a close look at the evolution of the greatest of all 20th century jazz labels -- Blue Note Records. We'll hear at least one selection from each and every recording session beginning with the January 6th, 1939 piano recordings of Albert Ammons and Meade 'Lux' Lewis. Also, in this inaugural show, we'll hear from the Port of Harlem Jazzmen, J.C.Higginbotham, Sidney Bechet, Earl Hines, Teddy Bunn, Josh White, Edmond Hall, and a number of other infrequently heard 'traditional jazz' masters. Don't miss this first episode spotlighting the story of the fascinating development of the history of Blue Note Records!   

Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wendell Pierce  
Tuesday at 6:00 PM
Re-Imagined: The Music of Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock's timeless innovations are brought to life in the voices of a big band.  Bobby Hutcherson guests with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra in this brilliant outing from the House of Swing.

JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater
Wednesday at 6:00 PM
Ryan Truesdell and the Gil Evans Project at Newport
The young orchestra leader found a treasure trove of Gil Evans arrangements, learned them phrase by phrase, and made a CD (Grammy-nominated in 2012) for the Evans Centennial. Performances are rare. Truesdell brings a big band to play them at Newport. 

Wednesday Night Special     
7:00 PM (Follows JazzSet)
Sachal Vasandi and The Iowa Jazz Orchestra at the 2013 Iowa City Jazz Festival
With his breakthrough 2007 debut, Eyes Wide Open, vocalist/composer/arranger Vasandani established himself as one of the most promising voices in modern jazz. A 2010 Downbeat "Rising Star" poll winner, Vasandani presented his distinctive blend of jazz and pop with the critically acclaimed release, We Move in 2009. Vasandani’s third Mack Avenue release, Hi-Fly, confirms the high praise showered on its two predecessors and proves the singer is one of the freshest, most versatile artists to emerge onto the scene in recent memory.
The Iowa Jazz Orchestra is comprised of some of the top jazz professionals from around the state and is led by long-time area sax and flute player/jazz educator Lynne Hart, who also wrote several original arrangements specifically for the festival performance. 

Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland    
Thursday at 6:00 PM
Marian McPartland with Elvis Costello (Part 2)
Join us as we continue with part two of our program featuring Elvis Costello as host and Marian McPartland as guest. McPartland was the host of Piano Jazz from the beginning, and on this special edition she shares her favorite moments from more than 700 episodes. Guest host Costello provides vocal harmony to McPartland on “Threnody” and performs his song “You Hung Moon.” 

Jazz Corner of the World with Craig Kessler
Saturday, Noon - 4:00 PM
"The 65th Anniversary Celebration of Prestige Records"     
In this detailed series of shows, Craig will give us a closer look at the evolution of another of the "big 3" 20th century jazz labels -- PRESTIGE RECORDS. We'll hear at least one selection from each and every jazz recording session done by the label, beginning with the JANUARY 11, 1949 Lennie Tristano/Lee Konitz date. Also, in this inaugural show, we'll hear from Terry Gibbs, Stan Getz, J.J. Johnson, Wardell Gray, Sonny Stitt, and many others. Don't miss this first episode spotlighting the story of the fascinating development of the history of Prestige Records!

Riverwalk Jazz
Sunday at 5:00 PM
Lester Leaps In: The President of Tenor Sax
The Jim Cullum Jazz Band — along with Harry “Sweets” Edison, Topsy Chapman and more — perform tunes made famous by the President of Tenor Sax: Lester Young. And Vernel Bagneris adds accounts of this remarkable player whose career took him from the tent show circuit to stardom on the bandstands of Kansas City.             

KCCK's Midnight CD
The Monday - Sunday Midnight CD for this week can be found at:
http://www.kcck.org/onair/midnight_cd.php