WKCR 89.9FM NY

WKCR is excited to announce a 24-hour broadcast for May 22nd celebrating the 110th anniversary of the arrival of Sun Ra (1914-1993). This special broadcast will run from 1:00 am on the 22nd until 1:00 am on the 23rd. It will preempt all regularly-scheduled Wednesday shows.

WKCR is excited to announce a special broadcast celebrating the shared birthday of two of the greatest composers of the 19th century: Johannes Brahms and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Both born on May 7th, (Brahms in 1833 and Tchaikovsky in 1840) WKCR will play the music of both, in alternating installments to honor their lives and work.

The special broadcast not only honors both composers work and contributions to mid-Romantic and Romantic periods of classical music, but facilitates a dialogue between both composers.

Tune in at 89.9 FM on the dial, and at WKCR.org

Tune into WKCR on May 9, 2024 starting at 12 noon ET to hear an exclusive, 40-minute interview with saxophonist Charles McPherson on his latest album, Reverence. McPherson speaks of his time with Barry Harris and Charles Mingus, the inspiration for the tracks on his new album, and the crossover between musical, artistic, and literary worlds. After the interview, we will listen to the album.Jazz host Rachel Smith recorded this interview on April 20, six days before the album's release.

BREAKING NEWS: At around 4am this morning, students on campus occupied the East Lawn outside of Butler Library, with approximately 50 tents and banners reading “Liberated Zone” and “Gaza Solidarity." WKCR is currently covering these events on Columbia’s campus. Regularly scheduled programming will be intermittently preempted by these developments as they progress. This is a developing story. Tune in at 89.9 FM or WKCR.org.

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”.

Sid Gribetz presents a five hour radio special featuring saxophonist Sonny Stitt this Sunday, February 25, 2024 from 2-7 PM on WKCR's Profiles.

Stitt was one of the greats. Sonny possessed technical skill and fleet mastery as a musician, and he projected a tone full of warmth and human expression. He excelled whether playing bebop, ballads or the blues, “rhythm” pieces or improvisatory excursions in the American popular songbook standards.

Jazz host Rachel Smith is back on the air with another special guest: jazz singer Antonia Bennett. The pre-recorded interview will air on WKCR from 12 noon to 1 PM (ET), on Thursday, February 22, 2024 (during Rachel's regularly-scheduled Out to Lunch program).

WKCR is very excited to announce a special birthday broadcast in honor of one of the most important vocalists of the 20th century: Nina Simone.

Jazz meets rock in this special interview with John Densmore, drummer of The Doors. Hosted by Rachel Smith on WKCR, the pre-recorded interview will air from 1:00 - 2:45 PM (ET), on Thursday, February 15, 2024 (during Rachel's regularly-scheduled Out to Lunch program).

Tune in tonite to Raag aur Taal at 7 pm (EST) as we broadcast a live interview of Hidayat Khan and an exciting upcoming concert at Carnegie Hall.

Hidayat Khan, is a globally acclaimed sitarist who has performed in numerous classical concerts as well as he performed with the Rolling Stones. He is an exquisite sitar player and vocalist well-versed in the 'Gayaki ang', a unique rendition where voice blends with the instrument. Hidayat Khan carries the torch of a coveted lineage spanning seven generations of outstanding vocal and instrumental court musicians.

In 1945, Charlie Parker recorded “Now’s the Time,” a blues-based jazz composition with Parker on alto sax and Miles Davis on trumpet. In the years following, interpretations of the Bird’s piece have transcended time and audience. Building on the legacy of Parker's work, WKCR is excited to introduce a new program titled Now's The Time, which will inherit the Friday 8:30am-9:30am slot previously occupied by Birdflight. This new show aims to embrace the spirit of exploration and innovation that Parker and his peers worked to cultivate.

WKCR announces a much-awaited celebration of reggae music: a 48-hour broadcast on FM and HD radio and online, from 12:00am on Saturday, January 3rd, to 12:00am on Monday, January 5th, of 2024. In honor of Dennis Brown and Bob Marley, the broadcast will occur between their birthdays on February 1st and 6th, respectively. It will run from the conclusion of the Phil Schaap Memorial Broadcast on Friday until The Celtic Show at 12:00am on Monday.

Celebrating the date of his first broadcast on 89.9 FM, WKCR hosts the third annual Memorial Broadcast in honor of the late Phil Schaap. A true jazz legend, Phil Schaap regularly hosted Birdflight, Traditions in Swing, and countless other programs throughout his 51-year tenure at WKCR and won international acclaim with his encyclopedic knowledge of the jazz canon, specifically the music of Charlie Parker, his work in sound restoration, and his superb interviewing skills. Join us for 24 hours of archival Phil Schaap broadcasts from the last half-century.

WKCR is excited to announce a special birthday broadcast in honor of one of the most influential trumpeters in the world of jazz, Roy Eldridge.

WKCR announces a 24-hour birthday celebration for Tom Jobim, broadcast on FM and HD radio and online all day on Thursday, January 25, 2024. The special broadcast will run from the middle of Som do Brasil until Middle Eastern Influences at 12:00 am on Friday. The broadcast will preempt all regularly-scheduled Thursday shows.

Sid Gribetz presents a five hour radio program celebrating the career of tenor saxophonist Don Byas this Sunday, January 14, 2024, from 2-7 PM on WKCR FM Profiles.

A prolific and influential figure on the national jazz scene during the World War Two years, Byas moved to Europe in 1946 and remained an expatriate for the rest of his life. While he achieved some celebrity on the continent, sadly his absence from the US has left him a somewhat forgotten figure in our music here.

WKCR announces our second birthday celebration for Japanese artist Ryuichi Sakamoto, broadcast on FM and HD radio and online 24 hours on Wednesday, January 17th, 2023. The special broadcast will run from the conclusion of Honky Tonkin’ until Som do Brasil at 12:00am on Thursday. The broadcast will preempt all regularly-scheduled Wednesday shows.

WKCR announces a special broadcast for the centennial birthday of American drummer and composer Max Roach, broadcast on FM and HD radio and online for 30 hours from 6 pm on Tuesday, January 9 until midnight on Wednesday, January 10, 2024. The broadcast will run from the beginning of Jazz Alternatives on Tuesday until Som De Brasil at 12:00 am on Thursday.