WKCR is excited to announce our upcoming Anthony Braxton Birthday Broadcast, in honor of the musical pioneer’s 80th birthday. The broadcast will run for 8.5 hours from 9:30 AM-6 PM in place of regularly scheduled programming.

Born in 1945, Anthony Braxton is a pioneering experimental jazz musician and composer. Born in 1945 in Chicago, Braxton nurtured an early love for technology and electronics. His first gig was with Roscoe Mitchell, whom he had seen live in performance. A talented multi-instrumentalist, Braxton played over ten instruments on his astonishing 1968 debut. Today, Braxton is best known for playing the saxophone. His work as a composer brims with innovation––pushing boundaries through the limited parameters of his language music, collage-form quartets, and Ghost Trance Music, among many others. Braxton has undoubtedly cemented himself as a visionary in free jazz and avant-garde music. He even inspired a future generation of avant-garde artists through his tenure at Wesleyan University. Pushing the music in new directions, all while maintaining an incredible level of artistry, Braxton is the epitome of how WKCR defines its New Music Department. It is our pleasure to pay homage to his illustrious and prolific career.

Listeners can tune in to our Anthony Braxton Birthday Broadcast (9:30 AM - 6 PM ET) on 89.9FM or stream the birthday broadcast live on our website, wkcr.org. Follow WKCR on Instagram (@wkcr) and Twitter (@WKCRFM) for updates about this special broadcast and future events. As always, online listening is available 24/7 at wkcr.org via our web stream.