WKCR 89.9FM NY

WKCR is excited to announce our upcoming Anthony Braxton Birthday Broadcast, in honor of the musical pioneer’s 81st birthday. The broadcast will run for 24 hours from 12 am to midnight on June 4th in place of regularly scheduled programming.

This Friday and Saturday, May 29th and 30th, WKCR will air 48 hours of Sonny Rollins to honor the life and work of the renowned saxophonist, who passed away this Monday, May 25th, at the age of 95.

WKCR is thrilled to announce we will be broadcasting a 72-hour (three-day!) celebration for the Miles Davis centennial. This special broadcast will run from Tuesday, May 26th, to Thursday, May 28th, with a special introductory Sunday Profile hosted by Sid Gribetz on May 24th from 2 pm to 7 pm.

WKCR is excited to announce a two-part 10-hour birthday celebration for Bob Dylan, broadcast on FM and HD radio and online from 2 p.m. - 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 23rd, and from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 24th. The special broadcast will preempt Something Inside of Me, Hobo’s Lullaby, Amazing Grace, the Moonshine show, and the Tennessee Border Show that weekend.

WKCR is excited to announce a 24-hour broadcast on May 22nd celebrating the 112th anniversary of the arrival of Sun Ra! This special broadcast will run from 12am to midnight on the 22nd and will preempt all regularly-scheduled Friday shows.

Tune in this Friday, May 8, between 9 am - 9 pm for WKCR’s Keith Jarrett birthday broadcast and collaboration between our jazz and classical departments!

WKCR is pleased to present a joint birthday broadcast on Thursday, May 7th, for composers Johannes Brahms and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky on the 193rd and 186th respective anniversaries of their birth. The special broadcast will run for 24 hours and preempt all regularly-scheduled programming.

WKCR is thrilled to announce our annual birthday celebration for the most recorded jazz bassist of all time, Ron Carter, broadcast on FM and HD radio and online 24 hours straight from 12:00 am to midnight on May 4th, 2026. Tune in to the celebration and join us as we honor the mastery and depth of Carter’s musical influence.

For the first time since 2022, WKCR proudly presents a 12-hour birthday broadcast for Pete Seeger, a dedicated social activist and a founding father of modern folk music. In his songs and performances, Seeger worked tirelessly to promote anti-militarism, workers’ rights, and racial equality. His songs, whether originals (“If I Had a Hammer,” “Turn! Turn! Turn!”) or covers (“We Shall Overcome,” “Guantanamera”), have inspired generations to organize and stand up for what they believe in.

WKCR is thrilled to announce a special 24-hour broadcast on April 29th, 2026 celebrating the 127th anniversary of the birth of Duke Ellington (1899-1974).

One of the greatest singers of the 20th century, a childhood of an abusive stepfather, becoming an orphan after her mother’s death when she was 15, and a state reformatory school did not keep Ella from fulfilling her destiny in jazz history. Her performing career began in November 1934 with a winning performance at the Apollo Theater's famous Amateur Nights.

WKCR is pleased to announce our annual birthday celebration for celebrated bassist and pianist Charles Mingus for 24 hours straight from 12:00 am to midnight on April 22, 2026.

WKCR is pleased to announce its 24-hour birthday broadcast honoring the life and legacy of El Rey of Timbales, Tito Puente, airing from midnight to midnight on Sunday, April 20th, 2026, in celebration of what would have been his 103rd birthday. This special programming will preempt all regularly scheduled Sunday programming.

WKCR is excited and honored to announce the 24-hour broadcast in celebration of the 98th birthday of one of the most iconic and influential voices in jazz history, Billie Holiday. Tune in on April 7 to WKCR 89.9 FM for a full day of music from the legendary “Lady Day,” whose haunting, soulful voice left an indelible mark on jazz and the American musical landscape.

WKCR is pleased to announce a special broadcast in honor of Béla Bartók’s 145th birthday, from 9:30 am to 9 pm EST on March 25, 2026. The special broadcast will preempt all regularly-scheduled Wednesday programming and feature both his masterpieces and lesser-known works.

We’ve extended our tribute to the life and legacy of Mr. Willie Colon. Now, listeners can also tune in on Sunday from 8am to 2pm est for an extended memorial broadcast.

WKCR is proud to celebrate the birthday of one of the most important and iconic musicians of the 20th century: Nina Simone. As part of our annual tradition, we will air 24 straight hours of Nina Simone on Saturday, February 21st, preempting all regularly scheduled programming for the day.

Sid Gribetz presents Serge Chaloff on WKCR’s Sunday Profiles, February 15, 2026, from 2-7 PM.

Chaloff was a fleeting star on the baritone saxophone during his brief lifetime, one of Woody Herman’s “Four Brothers” and a bebopping legend as well. He was a sophisticated musician and swinging performer. Serge possessed a lithe, fleet, flowing conception propelled with a lighter tone and nimble execution on the big horn.

WKCR celebrates the legacy of the great Phil Schaap on the anniversary of his very first broadcast on our airwaves, which took place on February 2, 1970. This 24-hour program will feature archival selections of Phil’s programs and interviews for WKCR. Phil Lives!

WKCR is pleased to bring you our 24-hour annual birthday broadcast for jazz great Roy Eldridge, “Little Jazz,” who would turn 115 today. We will preempt all regularly scheduled programming to bring you a full day of the music of this influential player of the swing era.

WKCR is pleased to present a joint birthday broadcast for composers Philip Glass and Franz Schubert on the 89th and 229th respective anniversaries of their births. The broadcast will run for 24 hours, preempting all regularly scheduled programs.

WKCR is pleased to announce its annual 24-hour birthday broadcast honoring the life and legacy of legendary Brazilian giant, composer, pianist, guitarist, and bossa nova innovator, Antonio Carlos Jobim, airing from midnight to midnight on Sunday, January 25, 2026, in celebration of what would have been his 99th birthday. This special programming will preempt all regularly scheduled Sunday programming.

Sid Gribetz presents Johnny Griffin for five hours on the radio this Sunday January 18, 2026 on WKCR Profiles from 2-7 PM.

Johnny Griffin earned the nickname “The Little Giant” for his short physical height but big powerful sound on the tenor sax. Coming out of the blues and swing of his Chicago roots but also informed by the sophisticated developments of the bebop era, Griffin’s proficiency on his instrument and the fleet and darting lines of his attack make him one of our greats.

Tune in tomorrow, January 7, at 7 AM to hear an interview with jazz titan and multi-instrumentalist David Murray in advance of his performance at NYC Winter JazzFest. Host Rachel Smith talks with David Murray about the iconic quartets he has led and been a part of throughout his career, his creative and compositional process, and his latest two albums.

As always, you can listen at 89.9 FM on your radio dial or stream the interview online at wkcr.org

New York, NY — WKCR is proud to announce its annual 24-hour birthday broadcast honoring the life and legacy of legendary jazz drummer, composer, educator, and civil rights activist Max Roach, airing from midnight to midnight on Saturday, January 10, 2026, in celebration of what would have been his 102nd birthday.

Happy BachFest!

Happy BachFest!

Sid Gribetz presents “Ben Webster in the 1940s”, this Sunday December 21, 2025 from 2-7 PM.

Ben Webster was nicknamed “The Brute” due both to his sometimes tempestuous temperament and also for his vigorous power on the tenor saxophone. But he was “The Beautiful” as well, with a personal sensitivity within his soul, and an elegant, romantic approach on the softer numbers, projecting a breathy tone with “air to spare”.

WKCR pays tribute to the life and work of Mr. Rafael Ithier tomorrow, December 17, 2025, from 5 AM through 3 PM (ET). Born in San Juan in 1926, Mr. Ithier began playing music as a child, following in the footsteps of his namesake Rafael Cortijo. He was drafted into the military in 1952; when he finished his service, he played with The Bourqueneers Mambo Kings in NYC before moving back to his Puerto Rico. There, he joined Cortijo's salsa orchestra, Cortijo y Su Combo. He founded El Gran Combo in 1962, where he would make his incredible legacy in salsa and Latin music.

We celebrate the centennial of Gigi Gryce (Basheer Qusim) with a five hour radio program to be presented by Sid Gribetz this Sunday, November 23, 2025, from 2-7 PM on WKCR.

Gryce became a leading figure in his brief career in the 1950s. as a saxophonist, composer, arranger, music publisher, and teacher and mentor to many musicians.