News

2021 Louis Armstrong Birthday Broadcast!

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.

Date: 
Wed, 4 Aug 2021, 12:00am to 11:59pm

Christa Ludwig Memorial Broadcast

On April 24, German mezzo-soprano Christa Ludwig passed away in her home in Klosterneuberg, Austria at the age of 93. Over a prolific five-decade career, Ludwig established herself as one of the greatest singers of the twentieth century and was among the last of the great post-war singers of the classical song repertoire. Among her vast repertoire ranging from contralto depths to dramatic soprano heights, she was a definitive interpreter of the music of Gustav Mahler, Johannes Brahms, and Richard Wagner and was a frequent collaborator of almost every major conductor of her time.
Date: 
Tue, 4 May 2021, 12:00am

Duke Ellington Birthday Broadcast!

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.

Date: 
Thu, 29 Apr 2021, 12:00am

Ella Fitzgerald Birthday Broadcast!

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.

Date: 
Sun, 25 Apr 2021, 12:00am

Earth Day 2021!

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.

Date: 
Fri, 23 Apr 2021, 12:00am

Bix Beiderbecke Birthday Broadcast!

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.

Date: 
Wed, 10 Mar 2021, 12:00am to 11:59pm

Ornette Coleman Birthday Broadcast

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.

Date: 
Tue, 9 Mar 2021, 12:00am to 11:59pm

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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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