WKCR is thrilled to announce a birthday broadcast in honor of bassist, composer, and cultural icon Charles Mingus, born April 22, 1922, in Nogales, AZ. The broadcast is scheduled for 24 hours on Monday, April 22.
WKCR was deeply saddened to hear the news regarding legendary Philadelphia born drummer Albert “Tootie” Heath, who passed away yesterday afternoon at Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center in Santa Fe. In honor of Tootie Heath's extraordinary legacy, WKCR will be dedicating a special 9-hour program tomorrow, April 5th, from 12:00 pm to 9:00 pm. This programming will preempt our regular Out to Lunch, Afternoon Classical, and Jazz Alternatives shows.
Jazz host Rachel Smith brings in a special guest, Aidan Levy, to celebrate 67 years of Sonny Rollins's iconic album, Saxophone Colossus, live on the air from 12 noon to 2 PM (ET) this Thursday, April 4. Aidan is the author of Saxophone Colossus: The Life and Music of Sonny Rollins, which is the first full biography of this living saxophone legend.The two-hour celebration will include, of course, tracks from the album, as well as stories of Sonny's life and the album's conception and a discussion of the album's legacy.
WKCR is very excited to announce a special birthday broadcast in honor of jazz vocalist and luminary Billie Holiday.
This Thursday, March 21 from 12 noon to 3 PM ET, jazz host Rachel Smith is back with another special guest: legendary pianist Matthew Shipp. All biographies of Shipp begin with words like "prolific, "genius," and "iconic." He is hailed, above all, for the uniqueness of his style. Those descriptions only scratch the surface.Together, Rachel and Matthew will trace the trajectory of his career, from the 1980s to today.
WKCR is very pleased to announce a 48-hour broadcast in honor of the 100th anniversary of the birth of legendary jazz vocalist Sarah Vaughan.
Nicknamed “Sassy” and “the Divine One,” Vaughan had a range that went from baritone to soprano. With her inventive, lyrical style, she helped popularize the art of jazz singing, along with Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday.
Sid Gribetz presents a five hour radio tribute to saxophonist .JR Monterose this Sunday March 17, 2024 from 2-7 PM on WKCR's Profiles. Monterose possessed a very strong and personal emotional tone on the tenor sax, and he is one of the underrated masters of the modern jazz era.
WKCR is very excited to announce the return of a beloved birthday broadcast in honor of one of the most influential jazz soloists of the 1920s: cornetist, pianist, and composer Bix Beiderbecke.
Bix embodied the spirit of the Jazz Age with his pure style, gift for improvisation, and inventive compositions.
WKCR announces our festival honoring Maurice Ravel, broadcast on FM and HD radio for 24 hours on his birthday: March 7th, 2024. The special birthday broadcast will preempt all regularly-scheduled Thursday programming.
WKCR is excited to announce our annual birthday broadcast of a legendary figure in the world of jazz, Ornette Coleman. Ornette Coleman, born on March 9th, 1930 in Fort Worth, Texas, was an alto saxophonist, trumpeter, violinist, and composer who became one of the biggest innovators in jazz music, and is credited as one of the pioneers of what critics often regard as “free jazz”.
Sun Ra visits WKCR! Is he eating ice cream? Yogurt? Who knows?
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