Master Luthier Finds Voice in Wood
ListenMerriam, KS – Anton Krutz believes that string instruments resonate with people in a unique way. And he'll tell you that it takes more than quality wood and a good craftsman to make a great...
View ArticleThe Little Piano Girl
ListenKansas City, MO – Local author Ann Ingalls' new children's book introduces young readers to the legendary pianist Mary Lou Williams.
View ArticleCentury-Old Pipe Organ Inspires Unique Congregation
ListenKansas City, MO – Historic pipe organ holds special significance for the homeless members of a downtown church.
View ArticleJazz Singer Angela Hagenbach Releases New Album
ListenKansas City, MO – Kansas City's Angela Hagenbach talks about the music business and her new album.
View ArticleAnatomy of the Pedal Steel Guitar
ListenKansas City, MO – Local musician Russ Wever has been playing the pedal steel guitar for more than forty years. He's performed at the Grand Ole Opry and on Broadway, and has had a big influence in...
View ArticleInterview with Oleta Adams
ListenOne of Kansas City's favorite daughters Oleta Adams was back in town recently for a performance on 18th and Vine.
View ArticleSpanish and Latin American Art Music
ListenLawrence, KS – A KU music professor teams up with a Spanish vocal coach and master pianist to plan the second Festival of Spanish and Latin American Art Music in Kansas.
View ArticleLocal Cave Canem Poets Perform at Jazz Museum
ListenKANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kansas City native Glenn North is well known locally for creating regular outlets for poetry and spoken word.
View ArticleSearch for Birth Mother Uncovers Difficult Truths
ListenKANSAS CITY, Mo. – Growing up in Overland Park, Brian Stanton always knew he was adopted. And like many adoptees, he wanted to know something about his birth parents.
View ArticleRomare Bearden's Prints At The Nelson-Atkins
ListenKANSAS CITY, Mo. – Artist Romare Bearden was born in North Carolina, and he grew up in the middle of the Harlem Renaissance during the 1920's. Much of his work depicts African Americans, but...
View ArticleFavorite Love Songs: "Carinhoso"
KC Currents' Sylvia Maria Gross tells us about a Brazilian anthem for unrequited love."She says 'my heart, I don't know why, beats happily when I see you,' " Gross translates the Portuguese lyrics of...
View ArticleHealthy Hip Hop With Local Rapper Roy Scott, Inside The Studio & Documentary...
Healthy Hip Hop With Local Rapper Roy Scott
View ArticleKC Currents' Election Special
Kansas Voter ID Law Faces Biggest TestRequiring voters to show a photo ID has been a controversial issue in recent years with many states considering the requirement. A photo ID law got vetoed last...
View ArticleNew KC Library Bridges Centuries, Riles Historians
Say you’re researching for a book report. Or looking up local history. Maybe you want to learn to some do-it-yourself home repair. Chances are good you’ll log on to the internet and get your answers in...
View ArticleTrading Flint Hills For Fort Riley, Concert-Goers Dive Into Military History
In years past, Bill and Julia McBride turned to their tallgrass prairie backyard in Matfield Green, Kan., to hear the Kansas City Symphony echoing across the Flint Hills.
View ArticleLooking Back at the Mayoral Candidates
ListenKANSAS CITY, MO – The story that most impacted the rest of the year's news coverage in Kansas City was the spring's mayoral showdown between then City Auditor Mark Funkhouser and city councilman...
View ArticleTango Looks for a Place in Kansas City
ListenKANSAS CITY, MO – Mila Vigdorova and Korey Ireland met at a tango marathon in Holland. The couple now teaches tango in Kansas City.
View ArticleKansas City Youth Jazz Welcomes Clark Terry
ListenKansas City, KS – Kansas City Youth Jazz and conductor Leon Brady prepare for this Sunday's performance with legendary trumpeter Clark Terry at Unity Temple on the Plaza.
View ArticleJazz Trombonist Moves To NYC
ListenKansas City, MO – Up and coming jazz trombonist Kevin Cerovich talks about his new album and why he's leaving KC.
View ArticleSoul Singer Angie Stone
ListenKansas City, MO – Singer and songwriter Angie Stone is no newcomer to the music industry. Stone was in KC recently for the Rhythm & Ribs festival.
View ArticleJazz Singer Megan Birdsall
ListenKansas City, MO – Singer Megan Birdsall grew up in Kansas City, but in this last year, she has really come to understand what being a part of the local jazz community is all about.
View ArticlePeople's Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City
ListenKansas City, MO – The People's Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City got its start two years ago. That's when an all-star group of local jazz composers decided to do their own radical take...
View ArticleKC Currents Election Dreamin'
ListenKansas City, MO – It's been an intense political season, enough to blow away some seasoned political reporters, like Up to Date's Steve Kraske, who last week declared, "I think this whole thing...
View ArticleSouth America in Kansas City - Sons of Brasil
ListenKansas City, MO – The bossa nova craze hit the US in the late 50's, and ever since then, that mellow Brazilian groove has been a standard part of many jazz musicians' repertoire. But when Kansas...
View ArticleAiley Camp Inspires Area High School Students
ListenKansas City, MO – Ailey Camp is one of the legacies of the Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey. It's more than a summer camp for kids who want to dance. Alvin Ailey started the camp with the idea...
View ArticleTubas Carol for Christmas
ListenKansas City, MO – TubaChristmas is an annual event that brings together hundreds of tuba and euphonium players of all ages and music levels, shapes and sizes. And they all perform arrangements of...
View ArticleBlue Note Records Through the Years
ListenKansas City, MO – The Blue Note record label started 70 years ago when German immigrant Alfred Lion was inspired to record some of the boogie-woogie piano music he heard at Carnegie Hall. Today,...
View ArticleCabaret Singer Marilyn Maye Attracts New Audiences
ListenWhat the critics are praising is something midwest fans have known for decades: that Marilyn Maye is a master of the lost art of connecting with audiences. She recently stopped by our studios and...
View ArticlePlaying on All Seven Strings
ListenKansas City, MO – Cedric Patterson grew up playing music at his church in Topeka. And in seeking out the perfect instrument for gigs inside and out of the church, he constructed his own...
View ArticleDutch Pianist Mastered Classic KC Jazz Techniques
ListenKansas City, MO – When the Majestic Steakhouse in downtown Kansas City shut down in May, Bram Wijnands was forced to look for a new way to spend his Friday and Saturday nights. For the previous...
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