*Please note that the Interview with Dr. Charles Townsend and the Hot Club of Cowtown set have been switched in the schedule. Beginning on Friday, March 25th at 8:00 a.m., WKCR will honor the legacy of Western Swing with 64 hours of continuous programming, running until midnight on Sunday, March 27th (this will preempt all regularly scheduled programming). We will explore the genre's entire history, from its roots in the 1920s and 1930s to bands still performing today. The festival will also include live performances and interviews with several Western Swing experts. Grab your ten-gallon hat, lace up those dancin' boots, and come swing with us! Click "Read More" for a description of Western Swing, followed by a full schedule. An outgrowth principally of jazz, country, and western music, "Western Swing" became enormously popular in Southern California and Texas during the 1930s and 1940s. Adopting swing rhythms and "hot jazz" orchestration styles, Milton Brown, Bob Wills, and dozens of other bandleaders brought large ensembles to bandstands and equally large crowds to dance halls across the Southwest. These musical pioneers helped steer country music in an entirely new direction, and had a profound influence on later styles of American music such as rockabilly and rock and roll. MARCH 25th 8:00 am to 11:00 am Western Swing of the 1930s and 1940s 11:00 am to 12:00 pm Western Swing Connections: Cajun Music 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm Western Swing of the 1930s and 1940s 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm Interview with Cary Ginnell; author of “Milton Brown and the Founding of Western Swing,” hosted by Malcolm Culleton 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm Western Swing of the 1930s and 1940s 3:00 to 4:00 pm Musician Spotlight: Johnny Gimble 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm Western Swing of the 1930s and 1940s 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm LIVE, IN-STUDIO Dennis Lichtman’s Braincloud 6:30 pm to 7:00 pm Western Swing on 78’s from the WKCR Archives 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm Western Swing of the 1950s 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm Western Swing Connections: Western Music 9:00 pm to 10:00 pm Western Swing of the 1950s and Beyond 10:00 pm to 11:00 pm Bob Wills Hour MARCH 26th 8:00 am to 11:00 am Western Swing of the 1930s and 1940s 11:00 am to 12:00 pm Western Swing Connections: Gypsy Jazz 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm Western Swing of the 1930s and 1940s 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm Interview with Aaron A. Fox, author of “Real Country: Music and Language in Working Class Culture”, hosted by Sophie Abramowitz 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm Western Swing of the 1930s and 1940s 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm Musician Spotlight: Leon McCauliff 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm Western Swing of the 1930s and 1940s 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm Western Swing Connections: Polka 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm Western Swing of the 1950s 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm IN-STUDIO RECORDING and Interview Smokey Hormel, hosted by Joanna Farley 8:30 pm to 9:00 pm Western Swing on 78s from the WKCR Archives 9:00 pm to 10:00 pm Western Swing of the 1950s and Beyond 10:00 pm to 11:00 pm Bob Wills Hour March 27th 8:00 am to 11:00 am Western Swing of the 1930s and 1940s 11:00 am to 12:00 pm Western Swing Connections: Jazz/ Swing 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm Western Swing of the 1930s and 1940s 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm IN-STUDIO RECORDING and Interview, Hot Club of Cowtown, Hosted by Ellen Walkington 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm Musician Spotlight: Tiny Moore 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm Western Swing of the 1930's and 1940's 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm Western Swing Connections: Hawaiian 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm Western Swing of the 1950s and Beyond 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm Interview with Charles R. Townsend, Author of “San Antonio Rose: Life and Music of Bob Wills” 8:30 pm to 9:00 pm Western Swing on 78s from the WKCR Archives 9:00 pm to 10:00 pm Western Swing of the 1950's and Beyond 10:00 pm to 11:00 pm Bob Wills Request Hour 11:00 pm to 12:00 am Hank Williams Request Hour