News

New Music Centennial Broadcast

On October 22, 1925, Henry Cowell and The New Music Society of California would host their first ever concert- sparking the dissemination of “ultra-modernist” composition within the musical ecosystem of the United States. Cowell sought to “present musical works embodying the most progressive tendencies of this age”, shedding light on the compositions of Carl Rugges, Edgard Varese, Arnold Shoenberg, and more. Nearly one hundred years later, New Music has evolved far beyond the 300-person concert in LA’s Biltmore Hotel.

Date: 
Wed, 22 Oct 2025, 12:00am to 11:59pm

Dodo Marmarosa Sunday Profile

Sid Gribetz presents pianist Dodo Marmarosa Sunday October 12, 2025 from 2-7 PM on “Sunday Profiles”.

Michael Marmarosa was born on December 12, 1925 to a working class Italian immigrant family in Pittsburgh. Dodo was a childhood nickname, and he began taking serious classical music lessons as a young child. He also befriended slightly older Steel City jazz pianists such as Billy Strayhorn, and especially Erroll Garner. With Garner and other young musicians, he explored their developing mutual jazz interests.

Date: 
Sun, 12 Oct 2025, 2:00pm to 7:00pm

Thelonious Monk Birthday Broadcast

Tune in to WKCR on Friday, October 10, for our 24-hour birthday broadcast honoring the great Thelonious Sphere Monk (1917-1982). Born in North Carolina, Monk would move into the San Juan Hill (now Lincoln Center) neighborhood of Manhattan Pannonica de Koenigswarteriano at the age of 9 and would drop out of high school to pursue a career in music. In 1941, drummer Kenny Clarke hired Monk to be the house pianist at Minton’s Playhouse, the epicenter of “modern” music, and the rest is history.

Date: 
Fri, 10 Oct 2025, 12:00am to 11:59pm

Prez & Bird Birthday Broadcast

WKCR is elated to announce two very special birthday broadcasts, spanning a combined 3 days: Lester Young, known also as “Prez,” and Charlie “Bird” Parker. We celebrate each of these saxophone giants with a 24-hour birthday broadcast: Prez on August 27 and Bird on August 29. We bridge the two legends’ birthdays on August 28 by playing Prez until noon, then switching to Bird.

Date: 
Wed, 27 Aug 2025, 12:00am to Fri, 29 Aug 2025, 11:59pm

History of Jazz in Paris Sunday Profile

At the onset of World War I, approximately 380,000 African American soldiers joined the war effort with 200,000 of them deployed to Europe. Many spent time in France where they gained exposure to an accepting, celebratory, and seemingly colorblind attitude toward Black people–an incredible upgrade from the Jim Crow laws of their homeland. The French gained their own exposure to the exciting sounds of jazz music brought over by the 369th Infantry Regiment, better known as “The Harlem Hellfighters” and their band led by James Reese Europe.

Date: 
Sun, 10 Aug 2025, 2:00pm to 7:00pm

Charles Earland Sunday Profile

Sid Gribetz presents organist Charles Earland July 27 from 2-7 PM on “Sunday Profiles”.

Charles Earland is one of the primary “Hammond Heroes” of the original generation of soulful jazz organists on the B-3.

Earland swings brightly with his easy-going, syncopated, dance able rhythms on great pop tunes, but that sets things up for his hard-driving intensity on searing, adventuresome numbers. His dynamic power earned his nickname “The Mighty Burner”.

Date: 
Sun, 27 Jul 2025, 2:00pm to 7:00pm

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Upcoming Events

Emmet Cohen on Out to Lunch

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).

Date: 
Tuesday, January 17, 2017 - 1:00pm to 2:30pm
Related Program: 
Out to Lunch
Related Department: 
Jazz

Aspen Matis on Studio A

Tune in to Studio A this Sunday, January 15, from 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM EST for an interview with internationally-bestselling memoirist Aspen Matis. Her book, Girl in the Woods, tells the story of her sexual assault and her flight from college, which led to a journey of self-discovery as she set out to hike the entire Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada.

A brief account of her experiences appeared first in The New York Times' Modern Love column, and that subsequentally led to her inspiring and heart-wrenching memoir.

Date: 
Sunday, January 15, 2017 - 9:00pm to 10:00pm
Related Program: 
Studio A
Related Department: 
Arts

George Wallington Celebration on Jazz Profiles

Sid Gribetz presents a five hour radio program celebrating the pianist and composer George Wallington on Jazz Profiles this Sunday, January 15 from 2:00 PM - 7:00 PM EST.
George Wallington was one of the legendary pianists of the bebop era but never achieved great fame. With his early retirement from a musical career, he remains a more obscure figure in jazz history and lore.
Date: 
Sunday, January 15, 2017 - 2:00pm to 7:00pm
Related Program: 
Jazz Profiles
Related Department: 
Jazz

Streaming WKCR during Bach Festival Announcement

We, the WKCR Board, wanted to address any of the inconveniences experienced in using our stream. Unfortunately, our online stream regularly approaches maximum capacity during the Bach Festival. As we try to accommodate for more listeners, we implore anyone tuning in within our radio broadcasting range to tune in with a radio receiver.

Date: 
Thursday, December 25, 2014 - 12:00pm to Wednesday, December 31, 2014 - 11:59pm

Gustav Leonhardt Memorial Broadcast

This Friday, January 20th, WKCR will be devoting over eleven hours of programming to the music of Gustav Leonhardt (5/30/1928-1/16/2012). As a harpsichordist, organist, and conductor, Leonhardt was on the forefront of the movement in early music to revive period styles and practices. While best known for his recordings of J.S. Bach, Leonhardt made spectacular recordings of many different early music and Baroque composers. Tune in from 9:30am-9:00pm to hear WKCR's tribute to this legendary musician.
Date: 
Friday, January 20, 2012 - 9:30am to 9:00pm
Related Department: 
Classical
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