WKCR announces a special 24-hour broadcast on Friday, September 27, in celebration of the centennial of Bud Powell’s birth. This celebration will preempt all regularly scheduled programs.

Bud Powell was born in Harlem, in the midst of its cultural renaissance, on September 27, 1924. He was immersed in music early, and started taking classical piano lessons when he was only five years old. By the age of ten, Bud had developed a keen interest in swing music and the stride piano styles of masters like Fats Waller and James P. Johnson. In 1943, while still a teenager, Powell joined and began recording with Cootie Williams’s big band. By 1945, Bud had left for the New York bebop scene, where he played with musicians such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, and Fats Navarro.

Bud Powell, along with his lifelong friends Thelonious Monk and Elmo Hope, created a new style of piano. Moving away from swing, Bud ushered in a new era of modernity, virtuosity, and constant innovation. His approach set the stage for generations of musicians, and Bud remains one of the defining voices of the jazz idiom today. Herbie Hancock said it best: “He was the foundation out of which stemmed the whole edifice of modern jazz piano.” But Bud’s influence extends far beyond pianists—his music embodies the very essence of bebop.

We are thrilled to honor Bud Powell and his music here at WKCR. You can look forward to a day filled with both classic recordings and rare tracks.

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