tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69431120460236690852008-07-15T17:51:13.467-06:00Jazz 88.3http://www.blogger.com/profile/15416721245643527387noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943112046023669085.post-26414997472624498162008-07-13T09:01:00.013-06:002008-07-15T17:51:13.499-06:00

When working back stage on our live broadcast of the Iowa City Jazz Festival, one misses out a bit on the atmosphere "out front" and you don't really get to listen to much of the music. But it is interesting to see what goes on behind the scenes as the stage crew works to get everything off stage after one act and get things ready for next.  We also get to see the performers arrive and see how

Jazz 88.3http://www.blogger.com/profile/15416721245643527387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943112046023669085.post-82013715153850977632008-06-22T18:18:00.002-06:002008-06-22T18:32:33.235-06:00

I drove through Czech Village on my way to the flood news conferences at the Cedar Rapids police station last Thursday and Friday. What an incredibgle sight. You could see the water lines on houses up to the second floor. The curbs were stacked with with ruined furniture, appliances, carpets and other household goods. People were busy emptying their houses of possessions that had been ruined.

Jazz 88.3http://www.blogger.com/profile/15416721245643527387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943112046023669085.post-20762782088850733672008-06-16T18:05:00.002-06:002008-06-16T18:38:44.023-06:00

I was planning to go to the NCAA Track and Field Championships at Drake Stadium in Des Moines last Thursday. Those plans quickly changed when it became apparent that flooding on the Cedar River was going to be much more serious than anyone anticipated. (I don't know if I could have gotten to Des Moines anyway...and, if I had, who knows if I could have made it back.) Station Manager Dennis

Jazz 88.3http://www.blogger.com/profile/15416721245643527387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943112046023669085.post-35276885016601670912008-06-13T11:04:00.002-06:002008-06-13T11:12:09.748-06:00

KCCK remains on the air during the flooding crisis in Cedar Rapids. While we don't have the resources for the kind of wall-to-wall coverage a full-time news station could provide, we're working hard to make sure that our listeners receive the information they will need to stay safe. I'd like to acknowledge particularly the work of George Dorman, who has been putting in 15 hour days as our lead

Dennis Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07010362188544962005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943112046023669085.post-89831296859427065562008-06-10T15:07:00.003-06:002008-06-10T15:26:02.904-06:00

After a year-and-a-half of searching for a new location, Joe and Wayne Segal are finally ready to reopen the Jazz Showcase in Chicago. That location is in the historic Dearborn Station building at 806 S. Plymouth Ct. Instead of a Tuesday-Sunday run for major artists, it'll now be a Thursday-Sunday run. They're scheduled to reopen this week with Junior Mance, followed by Monty Alexander next week

Jazz 88.3http://www.blogger.com/profile/15416721245643527387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943112046023669085.post-13944051004821066192008-06-10T14:37:00.004-06:002008-06-10T14:40:38.956-06:00

I'm pleased to announce that Cary J. Hahn will be returning to his Sunday afternoon Big Band Memories show on KCCK. Cary's first day back will be Sunday, June 22 at 1pm. Thanks to Murray Kent for filling in these last several weeks!

Dennis Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07010362188544962005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943112046023669085.post-44846043993990859592008-04-28T13:59:00.002-06:002008-04-28T14:22:01.856-06:00

I attended the Saturday session of the 2008 Drake Relays with son Andrew.  Conditions weren't ideal, but many top performances were turned in.  Andy got us excellent seats in the front row right by the tunnel where the athletes exited the track after their events to retrieve their sweats and do interviews. I attended my first Drake Relays in 1997 when son Michael was running for Washington High

Jazz 88.3http://www.blogger.com/profile/15416721245643527387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943112046023669085.post-88898218183860703712008-04-08T09:00:00.000-06:002008-04-08T07:59:53.016-06:00

On the heels of the unfortunate news that local TV station KGAN has dismissed our beloved Cary J. Hahn, many KCCK listeners expressed gratitude that they could continue to hear Cary indulge his OTHER passion, Big Band music, on his weekly show on KCCK. Well, if you've been listening to Big Band Memories lately, you know that there is an "Iowa Traveler"- sized hole in our broadcast day. Cary has

Dennis Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07010362188544962005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943112046023669085.post-19633620628530935582008-03-19T09:32:00.009-06:002008-03-19T10:14:58.085-06:00

"Talking Pictures" co-host and well-known movie buff Denny Lynch found a reference to KCCK in a new coffee table book celebrating "Star Wars." Star Wars Vault was released late last year, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the release of "Star Wars" (later subtitled "A New Hope"). Says Denny, "It is full of all kinds of reproductions of SW artifacts, many of which can be removed from the book

Dennis Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07010362188544962005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943112046023669085.post-72470182044464170552008-03-08T18:21:00.004-06:002008-03-08T19:34:07.960-06:00

It was March 1978 when I arrived in Cedar Rapids to be early morning anchor and general assignment reporter for KCRG-TV9, coming from KSFY-TV in Sioux Falls, SD, where I was a reporter, producer, weekend sports anchor and later assignment editor/assistant news director. Prior to that, I worked a short time at KORN-AM in Mitchell, SD, after getting out of the army. That's the station where Gary

Jazz 88.3http://www.blogger.com/profile/15416721245643527387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943112046023669085.post-89830706097344560662008-02-12T08:39:00.000-06:002008-02-12T08:45:57.281-06:00

If you've been trying to to listen to KCCK at 106.9 (Tuesday, Feb. 12), you've probably already figured out we're off the air. We lost the signal overnight. The tower is at a rural Johnson County site, pretty far down the snowplow-priority list. Plus, the site itself hasn't been plowed, so we can't get in to fix it without getting our repair van stuck. Long story short, we're not exactly sure

Dennis Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07010362188544962005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943112046023669085.post-5399853470085483892008-01-04T16:01:00.000-06:002008-01-04T16:15:28.675-06:00

As of this writing, KCCK's Johnson County translator at 106.9 is back on the air. The recent ice and snow storms have really taken a toll on this aging unit. The current problems are compounded by the fact that our auxiliary transmitter has only been running at about half its rated power of 100 watts for several months now, a result of old wiring and an antenna that needs to be either totally

Dennis Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07010362188544962005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943112046023669085.post-91529072497833441662007-12-24T18:03:00.000-06:002007-12-24T18:11:22.381-06:00

Jazz great Oscar Peterson has died at the age of 82. The pianist died of kidney failure at his home in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga Sunday. Peterson was born Aug. 15, 1925, in a poor neighborhood southwest of Montreal. He played with some of the biggest names in jazz, including Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie and Dizzy Gillespie. To read more go here -http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22389614

Jazz 88.3http://www.blogger.com/profile/15416721245643527387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943112046023669085.post-38276756590961338662007-12-18T16:20:00.000-06:002007-12-18T16:29:31.132-06:00

As of this writing, KCCK is back up to full power for the first time since December 1st. During ice storms, radio towers, like trees and power lines, get caked with ice. As ice builds up, so does electrical resistance. Our transmitter automatically starts to reduce the power sent through the line to prevent dangerous overloads. At one point last week, we were down to a paltry 250 watts. I

Dennis Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07010362188544962005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943112046023669085.post-4740752544959591942007-11-14T09:26:00.000-06:002007-11-14T09:28:48.710-06:00

There’s a big football game in Brookings, S.D., Saturday when South Dakota State and North Dakota State play for the Great West Football Conference championship. It’s also the “Battle for the Dakota Marker” – sort of their version of Floyd of Rosedale. The trophy is a replica of the border marker between the states of North and South Dakota. The game is of special interest to me

Jazz 88.3http://www.blogger.com/profile/15416721245643527387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943112046023669085.post-39133617323865453152007-11-12T16:56:00.002-06:002007-11-13T08:10:17.350-06:00

A nice article in the Monday, Nov. 12 Cedar Rapids Gazette about KCCK's DaBlues host Bob DeForest. Check it out at http://www.gazetteonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071112/NEWS/711120021/1002/NEWS George Dorman - News Director

Jazz 88.3http://www.blogger.com/profile/15416721245643527387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943112046023669085.post-31383377203428956552007-11-09T13:21:00.000-06:002007-11-09T13:23:38.581-06:00

With the coming of Veterans Day, it's worth noting that several veteran KCCK staffers are also veterans of military service. KCCK Morning Man, Talking Pictures co-host and Got-a-Minute's Mark Yother was in the Air Force for three years. He was editor of the base newspaper at Ent Air Force Base in Colorado, then worked in radio and television with the American Forces Korea Network (AFKN) for a

Jazz 88.3http://www.blogger.com/profile/15416721245643527387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943112046023669085.post-54727860912685792822007-10-24T09:11:00.000-06:002007-10-24T09:22:45.190-06:00

Are you a fan of Talking Pictures but sometimes miss it when it's aired? Or do you want to find out what's happening this weekend but you didn't catch the Culture Crawl? Well, all you have to do is listen to the Podcasts on our web site. It's as easy as clicking "On the Air" in the menu bar and scrolling down to "Podcasts and Downloads." Got a Minute and Clean Up Your Act archives are also

Jazz 88.3http://www.blogger.com/profile/15416721245643527387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943112046023669085.post-15524117616513023292007-10-09T16:16:00.000-06:002007-10-09T16:22:37.172-06:00

This is Membership Week on KCCK, which means we come to our listeners, both on the air and online, and ask them to do something counter-intuitive: Voluntarily pay for something they could get for free. Why would we expect people to do this? Well, KCCK listeners are the kind of people who take responsibility. They understand that good things only continue if they receive enough support. Right

Dennis Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07010362188544962005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943112046023669085.post-22236298006678785102007-09-09T16:04:00.000-06:002007-09-09T16:11:02.334-06:00

On-air announcements will start in a few days, but I wanted to let you know about some exciting changes coming to KCCK's weekend Lineup. Both Saturday and Sunday are affected, so we'll proceed chronologically. First off, we are pleased to announce that one of the Corridor's most-recognized jazz experts is joining KCCK. Craig Kessler is the owner of Real Records and CDs in Iowa City. Craig

Dennis Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07010362188544962005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943112046023669085.post-33666538855404836842007-08-31T13:13:00.000-06:002007-08-31T13:49:12.382-06:00

The good news reported in the Chicago Tribune this week is that, after closing their old location at the end of last year due to the high rent, one of the premiere live jazz spots in the Midwest will be back up and running this winter. The Jazz Showcase has announced that it'll be opening up at a new location at the Dearborn Station, on Polk Street between Dearborn and State Streets. The Showcase

Jazz 88.3http://www.blogger.com/profile/15416721245643527387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943112046023669085.post-78388155555484853372007-08-31T12:15:00.000-06:002007-08-31T12:21:26.678-06:00

Well, the 20th anniversary season of Jazz Under The Stars is history, and it's full of fond memories and great music. We had four outstanding concerts (although it took us five weeks to get them all staged), concluding with a smokin' set from GrooveShip. Thanks to the members of the Rod Pierson Big Band, Eddie Piccard Quartet, Euforquestra and GrooveShip for the awesome performances, to our

Dennis Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07010362188544962005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943112046023669085.post-50013033815953193672007-08-30T12:38:00.000-06:002007-08-30T13:01:54.669-06:00

Steve Carpenter, Public Information Director for Kirkwood (and former KCCK Manager) alerted us to a complimentary post jazz bassist Christian McBride made on his blog about his April performance in Cedar Rapids with the Kirkwood Jazz Ensemble and CR Jazz. He had particularly nice things to say about director Tim Feldkamp. Read it here. We will have at least one, and possibly two chances to see

Dennis Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07010362188544962005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943112046023669085.post-67634534332149245812007-08-23T11:46:00.000-06:002007-08-23T11:54:42.289-06:00

Maybe we should have known when we hired a band called GrooveShip that we should worry about excess water.... We've had to postpone tonight's Jazz Under The Stars concert to next week, due to continued rain and saturated grounds at Noelridge Park, with the threat of more showers tonight. There is standing water all over the park and the seating area is a marshland. Even if it's not actually

Dennis Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07010362188544962005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6943112046023669085.post-71965977117989177812007-08-22T09:00:00.000-06:002007-08-22T09:01:45.979-06:00

If you came to the blog via KCCK's website, you've already noticed the new and improved kcck.org. We're really pumped about the new look and functions. One of the coolest new things is that we are now feeding the information from the online playlist directly to the home page, so when you visit, one of the first things you see is the title and artist of the song currently playing. The current

Dennis Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07010362188544962005noreply@blogger.com