End of an ‘institution:’ KCCK jazz DJ Gordon Paulsen set to retire

CEDAR RAPIDS - A curious Gordon Paulsen was in high school when he pulled out his sister's 1970 Miles Davis at Fillmore record she brought home from college.

As soon as the initial notes began to play, he discovered the world of jazz.

'It just blew me away,” Paulsen said. 'I'd never heard anything like it. I heard it and then I started to research the musicians involved and it escalated from there.”

Paulsen went on to become a DJ at KCCK, Kirkwood Community College's jazz-only radio station at 88.3 FM. Now, after 37 years at the station, he's retiring. His last regular shift on air is scheduled from 2 to 6 p.m. Monday, July 31.

As a college student, Paulsen gave KCCK an audio project he completed at the University of Iowa that would lead to his hiring and talking about jazz during the afternoon drive slot.

'Gordon has stayed in the same shift for close to three decades, and introduced tens of thousands of listeners to America's Music,” said Dennis Green, KCCK general manager. 'His is not just a show, it's an institution.”

Paulsen has admired the evolution of jazz, while some artists stay rooted in the traditional sounds and others have adjusted the acoustics into a new theme. However, he has memories interviewing various musicians, including American trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie.

Gillespie traveled to the area to perform with the Cedar Rapids Symphony. A Wisconsin media source traveled down to do a film feature on the musician, but by the time the crew was set up, he was no longer interested. All the other musicians had returned to the hotel, so Gillespie was stranded at the Paramount Theatre with no ride.

Paulsen remained at the theater, in hopes of running into Gillespie. By the time Paulsen found him, he was looking for a ride home.

'I have a car here,” Paulsen offered. 'I could take you.”

Within moments, Paulsen was loading Gillespie's trumpet in his vehicle.

'As I put his horn in my back seat, I thought, ‘My God, I've got Dizzy Gillespie's trumpet in my car,' ” Paulsen said. 'As I closed the door I thought, ‘My God I've got Dizzy Gillespie in my car!' ”

As they drove down First Avenue to Gillespie's hotel, Paulsen had one hand on the steering wheel and his recorder in the other.

'I could have probably drove him around for an hour and he wouldn't have thought too much of it, because I'm sure he's been in situations where it's taken that long to get one place to another,” Paulsen said. 'I probably could have taken advantage of the situation and prolonged the interview, but my conscience would have bothered me.”

Paulsen has spent his time interviewing musicians such as Gillespie and Bill Evans to informing and educating his community through radio waves. However, jazz will always have multiple meanings to him.

'The beauty of jazz is it's such a big tent and I think the definition of it has grown and it means so many things to so many people,” Paulsen said.

The most difficult part about his job is when his shift on air is coming to a close and he realizes he has so much more to share with his audience. There are recording dates in history he wants to remind people of, birthdays of musicians he wants to acknowledge and songs he wants to showcase.

'It's terribly, terribly difficult to get everything in that you'd like to in four hours,” Paulsen said.

The public can celebrate Paulsen's career at a reception at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 17, before the Jazz Under the Stars concert at Noelridge Park, 4900 Council St. NE. The reception takes place in the Duck Pond Pavilion.

l Comments: (319) 368-8537; sarah.muller@thegazette.com

If you go

l What: KCCK's 30th annual Jazz Under the Stars concert series

l When: 7 p.m. Thursdays in August

l Aug. 3: Goosetown, Noelridge Park, 4900 Council St. NE, Cedar Rapids.

l Aug. 10: Damani Phillips Trio, Noelridge Park.

l Aug. 17: 10 of Soul, Noelridge Park. Public reception for retiring KCCK DJ Gordon Paulsen takes place at 5:30 p.m. at the Duck Pond Pavilion.

l Aug. 24: James Dreier & Ritmocano, McGrath Amphitheatre, 475 First St. SW, Cedar Rapids.

l Extras: Bring lawn chairs, blankets, picnics; food available to buy on site.

l Rain site: Parlor City Pub, 1125 Third St. SE, Cedar Rapids.

l Info: kcck.org/juts/