It is with a heavy heart that WKCR mourns Phil Schaap, who passed away Tuesday September 7 at the age of 70. For over 50 years, Phil has been an irreplaceable presence at the station. The mentorship that he has provided students as an educator has helped shape a new generation of jazz historians and appreciators, and his impact will be felt for decades to come.
Italian mezzo-soprano Anna Bonitatibus has established herself as one of opera's greatest interpreters of the Italian repertoire, from Monteverdi's earliest works to the operas of Rossini and Donizetti. In recent years, Bonitatibus has emerged not simply as a singer but a vital musicologist, who has helped rediscover previously forgotten composers and their music, both through her championing them as a performer and through her music publishing company, Consonarte.
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.
WKCR will have a Phil Schaap Memorial Broadcast from Tuesday 2/1 6pm to Saturday 2/6 to honor Schaap’s legacy. In addition to drawing from his archival programs, interviews, and the recordings he produced to play as part of the broadcast, we are collecting stories about Schaap from people who knew him to possibly play on air. If you knew Schaap personally, please call our Phil Schaap story hotline (646) 389-0607 to leave a voicemail message about how you knew Schaap and your Schaap story.
Tune in this Monday, January 10th for our annual 24-hour Max Roach Birthday Broadcast, in celebration of the legendary drummer on what would be his 98th birthday.
WKCR is thrilled to announce this year's Bach Festival, an 8-day long pre-emption where will feature only the music and genius of Johann Sebastian Bach. From Christmas Eve (12/24) through New Year's Eve (12/31), tune in to WKCR-FM NY 89.9 and wkcr.org for 192 hours of Bach as we celebrate another year's end with our annual Bachfest. This year, we celebrate the 44th anniversary of the Bachfest tradition. See our programming schedule below!
Today the Student Workers of Columbia have called for a complete shutdown of campus, following an announcement by the university that striking workers may be fired and replaced in the coming semester. In lieu of our typical programming schedule, WKCR FM-NY will be broadcasting live strike coverage throughout the day (8am-6pm), interwoven with archival coverage of the 1968 campus strike. Tune in online at wkcr.org or on the dial at 89.9FM-NY.
Starting at midnight on November 19th, and running for 24 hours, WKCR is proud to be presenting the 10th annual Ragas Live Festival. Born as a 24 hour live in-studio broadcast featuring 50 musicians in 2012, the festival expanded to a live concert experience in 2016, beaming to WKCR from Pioneer Works in front of an enthusiastic live audience.
Join WKCR on air this Saturday, October 30th as we dedicate 24 hours of programming to legendary trumpeter Clifford “Brownie” Brown!
Sunday October 10, 2021 is the 104th anniversary of Thelonious Monk’s birthday. Join us at WKCR 89.9FM-NY and www.wkcr.org all day on Sunday for a celebration of his life and legacy.
On Thursday, September 23rd, WKCR will conduct its annual all-day tribute to John Coltrane on the 95th anniversary of his birth. Born on September 23, 1926 in North Carolina, Coltrane is celebrated to this day for his innovative work on alto, tenor, and soprano saxophones, as well as his enormous contributions to the genres of bebop, hard bop, and free and avant-garde jazz. From the late 1940s to the mid-late 1950s, Coltrane collaborated with numerous jazz titans, performing as a sideman with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, and Miles Davis, among others.
Beginning Friday, August 27, WKCR will have a three-day festival dedicated to the music of saxophonists Lester "Prez" Young and Charlie "Bird" Parker. The 27th marks Prez's birthday, and the 29th, Bird’s. We will play 24 hours of Young on the 27th, 24 hours of Parker on the 29th, and both Young and Parker interchangeably on the 28th. Join WKCR in celebrating two individuals who were true pioneers of their music.
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. While he may have been mistaken about the exact date (most historians believe it's August 4th), he was not wrong to connect his life with the beginnings of this American art form. It is now believed that his actual birthday was on August 4th, so we celebrate both dates with an all-day broadcast of the great's music.
Join us from midnight onwards on Thursday, April 29, in celebrating the 122nd anniversary of the birth of Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington, one of the most important composers and accomplished bandleaders in the history of jazz. In a career spanning more than fifty years, Ellington composed thousands of songs for the stage, screen and contemporary songbooks, crafting distinctive ensemble sounds that are complex yet accessible.
Join us all day Sunday 5/21 for a 24-hour special birthday celebration of the music of Ella Fitzgerald! Born April 25, 1917 and raised primarily in Yonkers, New York and Harlem, Ella Fitzgerald rose to prominence as a jazz vocalist in Chick Webb's big band in the late 30's and early 40's. After Webb passed away in 1939, Fitzgerald assumed leadership of the band and toured and recorded with the group until 1942. In the 1940's, Fitzgerald helped to bring the bebop style to vocal jazz namely through what is known as scat singing.
This Friday, April 23, WKCR will have its first ever Earth Day Celebration! Tune in all day on Friday for music and talk shows about Earth, environment, and sustainability, with contributions from Columbia students and Columbia departments including Columbia Earth Institute, Columbia Engineering, and School of International and Public Affairs.
Thursday, April 22, 2021 All Day
Cornetist, pianist, and composer Leon “Bix” Beiderbecke was one of the great musical innovators to emerge in the 1920s. One of jazz’s earliest soloists, he is of enduring importance to the dynamic history of jazz. This Wednesday, WKCR will dedicate 24 hours of programming to Bix in honor of his 118th birthday anniversary.
Join us Tuesday March 9 for a 24-hour Broadcast celebrating Ornette Coleman's birthday!
Randolph Denard Ornette Coleman (March 9, 1930 - June 11, 2015) was an American jazz saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter and composer. Born and raised in Fort Worth, TX, he was one of the major innovators of the free jazz movement of the 1960s, a term he invented with the name of a 1961 album.
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