Commencing at midnight August 29th and concluding at midnight September 3rd, WKCR-FM (89.9 FM, wkcr.org) will present the Charlie Parker Centennial Festival, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of a colossal figure in American music with a 120-hour marathon broadcast.
Join WKCR on Thursday, January 30th as we celebrate the life and music of this jazz trumpeter who, according to the legendary Ella Fitzgerald, put "more soul in one note that a lot of people could get into the whole song."
On Saturday, January 25th, from 2:00 am to 11:59 pm, WKCR celebrates the music and life of Antônio Carlos Brasileiro de Almeida Jobim, or "Tom," on what would be his 93rd birthday. Composer, pianist, songwriter, arranger and singer, Jobim's contributions to music in Brazil and worldwide are immeasurable.
Hello all! As of midnight, Bach Fest has officially kicked off!
For the eight-day period from 12:00 AM on December 24th through 12:00 AM on New Year’s Day, WKCR (89.9 FM and wkcr.org) will dedicate all broadcasting to the works of Johann Sebastian Bach.
We are excited to share with you the schedule for the week, which can be seen below.
Starting today at 9:15 am ET, WKCR will be asking its dedicated listeners to support us in our fundraising efforts!
As a non-commercial radio station, we continue to do what we do because of the incredible support of our dedicated listeners. Support non-commercial radio with some limited-time WKCR merch designed by one our programmers.
Join us Tuesday, January 17 during our Out to Lunch programming from 1-2:30 pm EST for an interview with New York-based jazz pianist Emmet Cohen regarding his most recent project "Masters Legacy Series featuring Jimmy Cobb." Cohen began Suzuki method piano instruction at age three, and his playing quickly became a mature melding of musicality, technique, and concept. He placed first in both the American Jazz Pianists competition (2014) and the Phillips Piano Competition at the University of West Florida (2011).
WKCR regrets its actions with regard to a guest who had recently been scheduled to appear on our program Studio A. Specifically, WKCR's editorial policies and University policies regarding speech were misrepresented in our communications to this guest. To be clear, WKCR and Columbia University strongly believe in robust freedom of expression, especially about challenging ideas. Likewise, WKCR’s content is curated by student and alumni programmers and reflects their own individual self-expression.
Tune in on Sunday February 21 for a 12-hour (12pm-12am) Nina Simone Birthday Broadcast!
Join WKCR from Friday, January 29th through Saturday, January 30th as we celebrate 110 years of life and music of the jazz trumpeter who, according to the legendary Ella Fitzgerald, put "more soul in one note that a lot of people could get into the whole song."
Tune in on Monday January 25th for our 22nd annual 24-hour Antonio Carlos Jobim Birthday Broadcast!
Tune in this Sunday, January 10th for our annual 24-hour Max Roach Birthday Broadcast, in celebration of the legendary drummer on what would be his 97th birthday!
Due to the current circumstances, BachFest 2020 will rely on archival programming and prerecorded programs produced from programmers' own materials.
Ragas Live 2020 kicks off TONIGHT, and we have the schedule for the festival right here for you! Tune in!!!!!!
*NOTE: All programming has been shifted 12 minutes forward, as there was a technical issue; please adjust schedule accordingly
7PM Raga Maqam: Amir ElSaffar with Brooklyn Raga Massive - Pioneer Works, Brooklyn NYC, USA
Tune into WKCR FM starting Friday, November 20 at 7AM EST for a very special 36-hour Coleman Hawkins Birthday Broadcast! The broadcast, shifted forward due to the Ragas Live Festival’s commencement at 7PM on Sunday the 21st, will feature an extra 12 hours of programming this year to make up for the scheduling conflict. From 7AM on the November 20th to 7PM on Hawkins’s birthday, November 21st, join WKCR at 89.9 FM NY or on the website for non-stop Hawk!
Ragas Live Festival 2020 reimagines the world music festival with an epic 24-hour, 24 set broadcast!
Born at WKCR 89.9 FM-NY in 2012, the festival will feature artists in 13 cities will contribute to a celebration of ‘Community, Unity, and Harmony,’ from Mysore to Madagascar.
Terry Riley, Zakir Hussain, Toumani Diabate, Betsayda Machado among the global music icons contributing to “24 hours of global resonance.”
Rag Aur Tal is on from 7-9PM on Sunday, November 8th, 2020!
From November 21st @ 7PM - November 22nd @ 7PM, the Ragas Live Festival, the 24 hour musical event will broadcast on WKCR. The event has the participation of artists in 13 cities across Asia, Africa, North and South America. There are 90 musicians participating including some of the greatest instrumentalists of our time including Grammy Award winners Zakir Hussain, Toumani Diabate and Vikku Vanayakram.
Join WKCR on air this Friday, October 30th as we dedicate 24 hours of programming to legendary trumpeter Clifford “Brownie” Brown!
Airing Tonight:
Melting the ICE / Derritiendo el Hielo, a bilingual radio show sharing information, love and support to people currently detained by ICE in New Jersey, NYC and beyond is airing tonight and on the Third Thursday of Every Month at 9pm on WKCR 89.9 FM, reaching the Hudson, Essex, Elizabeth and Bergen County Jails and ICE detention centers in New Jersey.
WKCR will be celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day this Monday, October 12 with a special 12-hour preemption centering Indigenous voices, artists, and histories. Tune in from 10AM-10PM tomorrow!
Tune in on October 10 to WKCR 89.9 FM-NY for 24 hours of Thelonious Sphere Monk’s music in celebration of his 103rd day of birth!
Hey! Due to some difficulties with our FM signal the first time around, we’ll be re-airing our 24-hour John Coltrane Birthday Broadcast! Tune in all day Tuesday (Oct. 5) to re-live the celebration.
Check out the broadcasting schedule below:
12AM-3AM: Charles Iselin plays a Trane potpourri with special tributes to McCoy Tyner and Jimmy Cobb
3AM-5AM: Program Director Mac Waters plays a variety of live and studio sessions, featuring the 1965 Paris recordings
However, wkcr.org's signal is unaffected.
Please stay tuned for updates.
jeremiah aka son of man, station manager
Join WKCR this Wednesday, September 23 as we celebrate a Jazz GIANT with our annual John Coltrane Birthday Broadcast! Stay tuned for more info...
In honor of Bachfest2020, WKCR is offering MERCHANDISE again!!!
For the duration of Bachfest (until the 31st of December at midnight), t-shirts will be available for purchase, with profits going towards operating costs (as usual).
The Blue option can be seen below, available in Blue and Violet:
Things are a little different this year: The traditions of extreme phonebanking and live-on-air appeals are on hold for now, but we've adapted to the times and found new ways to move forward nonetheless!
For those looking for additional assistance on how to donate, you're in the right place!
In his autobiography, Swing That Music, Louis Armstrong titled the first chapter “Jazz and I Get Born Together.” Dating his birthday July 4, 1900, Armstrong created a mythology that linked his own birth to the birth of Jazz and the birth of America. For some odd reason, historians believe his true date of birth to be August 4th, but Armstrong was definitely not wrong to connect his life with the beginnings of this American art form.
WKCR presents... BLACKOUT: VISIONS OF LIBERATION. This weekend, we’ll be airing 72-hours straight of all Black programming, curated by Black WKCR programmers. ••• The Blackout will begin at 12AM on Friday, July 3 and continue until 11:59 PM on Sunday, July 5 — with our annual Louis Armstrong Birthday broadcast airing all day July 4. Strap in for 72 hours of Black music, programs, and content!
WKCR depends on your contributions. With your tax-deductible donation, we can continue to bring you innovative live-hosted radio.
You can now purchase WKCR merch directly online! 100% of proceeds go directly to the station. Help support non-commercial radio and great music!