OnAir May 2023

WKCR 89.9 FM

Station Manager

Ale Díaz-Pizarro stationmanager@wkcr.org

Program Director Maria Shaughnessy programming@wkcr.org

Director of Operations

Zachary Vanderslice operations@wkcr.org

Student Life Director

Ted Schmiedeler studentlife@wkcr.org

Publicity Director Georgia Dillane publicity@wkcr.org

Jazz Head Stephen Park jazz@wkcr.org

New Music Head Razvan Matei newmusic@wkcr.org

Classical Head Melisa Nehrozoglu classical@wkcr.org

American Head Izzy Szyfer american@wkcr.org

In All Languages Head Ann Vettikkal ial@wkcr.org

Latin Head Leni Bryan latin@wkcr.org

News & Arts Head Josh Kazali news@wkcr.org

Sports Head August Phillips sports@wkcr.org

Dear Listeners, I am back from my brief hiatus and more excited than ever for this issue! We are introducing some innovative new techniques to make sure your reading experience never gets boring, namely: a duo chrome color palette. You may have never thought it was possible for us to break away from the monochrome look, but if there’s one thing ‘KCR is known for, it’s breaking boundaries.

The month of April brought us many wonderful things: 48 hours of Billie Holiday’s birthday, 24 hours for Mingus, Ella, and Duke’s birthdays, and sadly, for Ahmad Jamal’s memorial as well. On top of that—the main plotline for this month at WKCR was our fund drive! This fundraiser was months in the making and required all hands on deck, because it truly was the make-or-break for the station. I am glad to announce that we surpassed our $100K fundraising goal! We could not be more grateful to our wonderful donors, listeners, and alumni for keeping us on the air so that we can continue bringing you music that you can’t find anywhere else.

Speaking of which, May brings some extra fun and (almost) all-new birthday broadcasts! The jazz department will be bringing you the Red Garland Centennial and the Sun Ra Arrival Day broadcasts, while Classical brings you 24 hours of Tchaikovsky and American brings you the music of Bob Dylan (this will be our second year honoring the great folk legend). As always, thank you for reading and supporting WKCR—we couldn’t do it without you.

Happy Listening!

Maria Shaughnessy Program Director

Cover photo by unknown, most likely Francis Ing.

New York, Tchaikovsky'sThrough Eyes

by Alejandra Díaz-Pizarro

“51 years old. In the morning I was terribly worried about this day.”

So begins Tchaikovsky’s diary entry for May 7th, 1891, about halfway through his trip to New York City, where he had been invited to conduct at the inaugural concerts for Carnegie Hall—then still named quite simply the “Music Hall.” His arrival in the U.S. on April 26th was less than enthusiastic: a few days earlier, before crossing the Atlantic, he had read of his sister’s death in the newspaper, and only a large advance payment for his American tour had stopped him from canceling it altogether and returning to Russia. Nonetheless, the morning of May 7th, what Tchaikovsky was “terribly worried” about was not homesickness, or grieving, or aging. It was conducting.

The full first paragraph of the diary entry reads: “51 years old. In the morning I was terribly worried about this day. At 2 o'clock I had to conduct the concert with the suite [Suite No. 3]. This particular fear is a extraordinary thing. How many times have I conducted this self same suite! It goes splendidly; why am I afraid? And yet I suffer unbearably!”

Tchaikovsky was a prolific and devoted diary-keeper, and the entries for his New York trip—longer and more comprehensive

than the average, with the thought that his family might later read them—offer a glimpse into the inner discourse of a deeply selfconscious man. Despite already enjoying the status of a beloved composer, Tchaikovsky was profoundly concerned with how he was perceived: the journal entry from the day before reveals a Tchaikovsky who, when reading the reviews of his conducting, reads them not for praise of his performance but fixates bitterly on their remarks on his older appearance and awkward demeanor.

“It makes me angry,” he writes, “that they not only write about music, but about me personally.”

Perhaps only a man that so agonized about being observed could’ve yielded as deeply observant a portrait of New York City as Tchaikovsky does in his journal entries. He comments on a Central Park that is freshly fifteen years old since its 1876 completion, hailing it as modern and commenting on its charms (”although the trees are still not all that old,” he adds, somewhat derisively). He marvels at the size of “the houses Down Town,” which “are gigantic to the point of absurdity; at any rate I refuse to understand how one could live on the 13th floor.” He puzzles over, and ultimately dismisses, a Socialist

Signed portrait of Tchaikovsky, taken during his visit to New York (Carnegie Hall Archives).

rally he stumbles upon. He delights in walking along Broadway, waxing about a walk that lasted “an hour-and-a-half! Such a walk might give one an idea of the length of Broadway. We walked for 1½ hours, and barely covered one third of this street!!!”

Tchaikovsky’s vision of New York, of course, rose above sightseeing: as a guest conductor for the opening of the foremost concert hall in America, Tchaikovsky was treated to every luxury that befitted a composer of his stature. Yet this luxury, which earns a few obligatory mentions in his journal, is not what appeals to him—in fact, he deems it “completely unnecessary.” No, what Tchaikovsky is enchanted by are the ordinary qualities of the people he meets.

Though he moves in a sphere of high-profile characters, Tchaikovsky is disenchanted by social obligation and drawn not to names but to human qualities: composers like Damrosch and some of the crème de la crème of the New York music world (like Morris Reno, manager of the Music Hall, and William von Sachs, prominent critic & journalist) are cursorily named despite being Tchaikovsky’s regular escort party. Meanwhile, the young Russianborn hotel valet Max, who offers the composer one of the only tastes of his own language in an English-speaking land, appears and reappears with a telling tenderness in the journal’s recollections.

Perhaps the best illustration are Tchaikovsky’s encounters with Andrew Carnegie, the benefactor of the very hall Tchaikovsky has been invited to inaugurate. Despite this, he is plainly described as “little old Carnegie, the admirer of Moscow and owner of 40 million dollars,” and only once is Carnegie mentioned without Tchaikovsky amusedly remarking on his extraordinary resemblance to the Russian playwright Alexander Ostrovsky. Tchaikovsky’s most effusive comments on Carnegie, rather than be about his wealth, are that “he remains simple and modest, not turning up his nose at

any man, and he strikes me as extraordinarily considerate, perhaps because of the way in which he has been so filled with kindness towards me.”

It is not just in his New York trip that Tchaikovsky appears as a man concerned with the minutiae of human life beyond the sheen of genius. His faithful diary-keeping was an attempt to stave off the fear that he might have lived even a single day only to forget it, and his devoted letters to his brother Modest and his friend (and patroness) Nadezhda von Meck reveal a man who deeply valued human connection. But it is when he is dropped in the middle of New York City, with its relentless hustle and bustle and its swirl of people-placesand-things and its booming urban character, that this side of him truly shines through.

Tchaikovsky returns to New York for his birthday this Sunday, May 7th, all day on the airwaves of WKCR-FM NY 89.9.

Thank you to Maria Shaughnessy for pointing me in the direction of Tchaikovsky’s New York journals. Full transcriptions of Tchaikovsky’s diaries are available at Tchaikovsky Research (tchaikovsky-research.net), both in the original Russian and translated into English.

The poster for the Music Hall's Inauguration Festival. Tchaikovsky is in the rhombus in the top center (Carnegie Hall Archives).

An Interview With Sun Ra

by Phil Schaap

Phil Schaap: My first question is more or less posed by Pat Patrick. He talked about a day, perhaps as long as thirtyseven years ago, when the Sun Ra Arkestra was a trio: Robert Barry on drums, Pat Patrick’s baritone saxophone, and your own keyboard work. Your orchestra and compositions have grown with the additions of the four voices with your chorale parts, your lyrics with the vocal group and then the meeting of these incredible individuals who are still the core members of the Arkestra: i.e. Marshall Allens, the John Gilmores. As you got new individuals and therefore new pieces, how did it change your writing the music you wanted to write?

Sun Ra: Well, I just write what I feel. I'm keeping up with the cosmos and with the future, the alter-future, all kinds of things, so I can put messages into music from all kinds of places. I’m in contact with a lot of different places and beings and I communicate with them and I can put down what they are saying or what they are going to say; it’s all over into something this cosmos psychic you might say.

Schaap: When you had a trio, did you want more pieces, did you want to write for a larger ensemble and do you continue to write for the small group within the band as you make music today?

Ra: Well, the world was never supposed to

hear this music you see, it wasn't designed for that. It was really not to be part of the world. But that has gone in another direction because I felt that every innovator on this planet was never accepted, whether they were classical composers or otherwise. I did not want to go through that. I had something worthwhile. I did not want to fight to get people to listen to it. They needed me, I didn’t need them. So I went the way anybody else with wisdom would go: you just disconnect yourself from society and from everything and you develop yourself spiritually. That’s what I was doing; not in a righteous manner, but just advancing myself spiritually. Some people develop their minds. I developed my spirit and I went in another direction. Therefore I went places, I saw things, and I heard things that possibly no one on this planet had heard before and I recorded it because it was too much to write and music is the universal language. So I recorded it so that I remembered some of it when I played it back; because it is like in code, you see, and by me listening back to it, I can recall something that I may have forgotten about.

Schaap: When did you get into recording your own music and how did you do it?

Ra: Well, I was supervised by superior beings. They always fixed it up for me to do that, because I wasn't interested in it and they were, for some reason. Although they don't seem much interested in humanity’s surviving, they still wanted this music to be recorded. So I did it at their behest and not at mine.

Schaap: You know, the music has helped you

This interview was originally published in the January-February 1989 issue of OnAir. This abridged version was transcribed by Maria Shaughnessy.

travel to these places you speak of. Are there compositions or musical performances that stand out in your memory, as you've experienced it, where what you felt, the most essential Jazz quality, was expressed to the fullest limits? Is there a work that you might isolate or a record or a performance where what you felt inside, what you had been made to do, has happened?

Ra: Well, I have a lot of things. I have a piece called “A Quiet Place In The Universe,” which would really be nice for this planet to hear, because it would eliminate stress… to feel that somewhere is a quiet place in the universe. And that’s a nice song. It could really go into the classical repertoire. I have a lot of things that could fit right in, but I wasn't trying to seek recognition or anything like that. In a sense, I was trying to bypass this planet; it’s very difficult to be a part of it, so therefore I didn't want to be part of it. I felt that I’d win my greatest victory by not wanting to be a part of this planet. And judging by what's happening here, I was right.

Schaap: How do you evaluate yourself as a pianist; as a keyboard player?

Ra: Well, actually, I haven’t really expressed myself on piano the way that I can because, as I said, in the early days in Chicago, I was doing that and some pianists stole some stuff and have become millionaires, so then I decided to do the organ and electronic things. And the piano players were asleep to what I was doing, but now they're waking up because I get a lot of letters, and they want some piano records. The piano players were the last ones waking up.

Schaap: How do you think you’ve influenced piano players of today? Where are you hipping them?

Ra: Well, they're just beginning to listen. They were listening to everyone else but me, but they've begun to listen now.

Schaap: Well some forty years ago—in 1947—

Fletcher Henderson, one of the major pianists of all time, was enthusiastic about your piano playing.

Ra: That’s true. He was one of the few people that liked the way I was playing in his band. His band didn't like the way I was playing, but Fletcher did. I finally had to tell them that Fletcher plays piano, and he hired me, and if a pianist recognizes another they should just shut up. And so when I finally gave my notice, Fletcher didn't say anything, he didn't say he accepted it, and he didn't say he didn't. The next night the band played, I went, and they didn't have a piano player. He said if I didn't play, they just wouldn't have a piano player. He was up there directing and they [the band] realized he meant it, so they told me to come back on stage, so my notice was over. After that the band didn't bother me because they realized that Fletcher meant it… Well I'm glad he kept me, because he was a gentleman and he had a sense of humor. He would play “Humoresque” sometimes when I would get up on the piano, and he would play “Stealin’ Apples,” and I would play it exactly the way he had played it, and he just smiled.

Schaap: Tell me, did you really say on television, when they asked you whom you admired, did you really name Fletcher Henderson and the Devil?

Ra: I said Lucifer, because Lucifer is a musician. In fact, I'm sure I've learned quite a bit from him. He's a top musician. I keep moving forward, and when you do that in the human race, in mankind, you come up against superior beings, and they have to judge whether you are pure in heart. If you’re pure in heart, you don't have to worry about the Devil, you don't have to worry about Satan, you don't have to worry about Lucifer, you don't have to worry about God—if you are pure in heart. But if you’re not, then you’re in trouble.

Jazz ‘til Dawn (cont’d)

Field Trip

Amazing Grace

The Moonshine Show

The Tennessee Border Show

Sunday Profiles

Afternoon New Music

Raag Aur Taal

SoundStage

Live Constructions

Back in the USSR

The Celtic Show

Coordinated Universal Time

Phil Lives

PopTalk

Caribe Latino Honky Tonkin’

Tuesday’s Just as Bad Urbano Latinx

Transfigured Night Night Train

Transfigured

Traditions

Notes From Underground Alternates every week.

Special Broadcasts

BIRTHDAY BROADCASTS

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Sunday May 7th, all day

For his 183rd birthday, WKCR will spend 24 hours celebrating Pyotr Illytch Tchaikovsky, master of melody and romantic visionary. After leaving a job in civil service and training at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, Tchaikovsky composed masterpieces such as The Nutcracker (which he famously hated), Swan Lake, The 1812 Overture, and his final Symphony no. 6. Cholera tragically ended his life at age 59, but his music lives on.

Red Garland Centennial

Saturday, May 13th, all day

Red Garland was a jazz pianist and one of the most influential musicians of the bebop era. Born in 1923 in Texas, Garland was a self-taught pianist who developed a style characterized by its simplicity, swing, and bluesy feel. He played with jazz greats such as Charlie Parker, Lester Young, and Miles Davis, and was known for his understated yet soulful solos. On May 13th, WKCR is celebrating Garland’s centennial by playing 24 hours of his music.

Sun Ra Arrival Day

Monday, May 22, all day

Widely regarded as one of the pioneers of afrofuturism, Sun Ra left a heavy footprint in not only jazz, but in music and arts as a whole. Ra started his career playing in Fletcher Henderson’s band and went on to lead many of his own small groups and large ensembles, such as the still-performing Arkestra. WKCR is excited to celebrate Sun Ra’s arrival day with 24 hours of music on May 22nd.

Bob Dylan

Wednesday, May 24, all day

Bob Dylan is one of the most influential singersongwriters of all time, known for his poetic lyrics and unique voice. Born Robert Zimmerman in Minnesota in 1941, Dylan’s music has spanned several genres including folk, rock, blues, and country. His songs are deeply introspective, often reflecting on social and political issues, and have been covered by countless artists over the years.

SUNDAY PROFILES

Sundays 2:00-7:00 PM

TBD

May 14th, 2:00 - 7:00 PM

Host: Sid Gribetz

Arthur Russell

May 21, 2:00 - 7:00 PM

Host: Georgia Dillane and Lucia Santos

Labeled: Prestige Records

May 28, 2:00 - 7:00 PM

Host: Steve Mandel and J Cohn

LIVE CONSTRUCTIONS

Sundays 10-11pm

Mavi

May 21, 10-11pm

Hosts: Dylan Farley and Ted Schmiedeler

Alexander Wren

May 28th, 10-11pm

Host: TBD

SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE OPERA

Saturdays 9:00 PM-12:30 AM

Akhnaten (Glass)

May 6, 9:00pm-12:30am

Host: Ale Diaz-Pizarro

La Forza del Destino (Verdi)

May 20, 9:00pm-12:30am

Host: Ale Diaz-Pizarro

The Love for Three Oranges (Prokofiev)

May 27, 9:00pm-12:30am

Host: Ale Diaz-Pizarro

BASEBALL BROADCASTING

Columbia vs St. Johns

May 2, 1-4pm

Host(s): Josh Kapillian

Show Listings

JAZZ

Daybreak Express, weekdays 5-8:20am

Out to Lunch, weekdays 3-6pm

Jazz Alternatives, weekdays 6-9pm

These three programs comprise the core of our jazz offerings. Programming consists of everything from New Orleans jazz, jazz age, swing era, bebop, hard-bop, modal, free, and avant-garde. In short, you’ll encounter the entire range of recorded jazz on these programs. Hosts rotate from day-to-day, offering an exciting variety of approaches, some of which include thematic presentation, artist interviews, or artist profiles

Birdflight, Tues.-Fri. 8:20-9:30am

Archival programs from the late Phil Schaap, one of the world’s leading jazz historians, who hosted this daily forum for the music of Charlie Parker for about 40 years.

Traditions in Swing, Sat. 6-9pm

Archival programs hosted by the late Phil Schaap, this award-winning Saturday night staple presents focused thematic programs dealing with jazz up until about World War II. Schaap presents the music, much of it incredibly rare, from the best sound source, which is often the original 78 issue.

Phil Lives*, Mon. 3-5am

This overnight show features archival broadcasts of longform programs from late NEA Jazz Master Phil Schaap.

CLASSICAL

Cereal Music, Mon.-Thurs. 9:30am-12pm

An entirely open-ended classical show to start your weekdays. Tune in to hear the most eclectic mix of classical music on the New York airwaves!

The Early Music Show, Fri. 9:30am-12pm

Dedicated primarily to European medieval, Renaissance, and baroque music, all from before 1800 (plus or minus 50 years).

Extended Technique*, Wed. & Thurs. 3-6pm

WKCR’s first interdepartmental show (in the New Music and Classical departments) dedicated to contemporary classical music. You’ll hear everything from 12-tone and minimalist compositions to film and video game scores, and all things in between.

* Indicates show was created after January 2022

Afternoon Classical, Fri. 3-6pm.

Similar to cereal music, most of afternoon classical has no restrictions on what type of classical music to play. The last hour of the show, however, is dedicated fully to the music of JS Bach.

Saturday Night at the Opera, Sat. 9pm-12:30am.

One of NYC’s longest running opera shows, Saturday Night at the Opera is a 3.5 hour show that allows operas to be played in their entirety, with room for commentary, descriptions, and some history.

NEW MUSIC

Afternoon New Music, Mon. & Tues. 3-6pm

Our daytime new music program features a wide variety of music that challenges boundaries and subverts categorizations. Shows include everything from seminal new music compositions to the most challenging of obscure deep cuts and new releases.

Transfigured Night, Tues./Thurs./Sat. 1-5am

Our overnight explorations into the world of new music, Transfigured Night rewards our late night listeners with a wide range of sounds and experimental music.

Workaround*, Fri. 9-10pm

WKCR presents Live DJ sets from Columbia students and local artists.

Live Constructions, Sun. 10-11pm

This weekly program features a live in-studio performance or a performance pre-recorded specially for the show.

AMERICAN

Honky Tonkin’, Tues. 10-11pm

One of WKCR’s longest-running American music programs, Honky Tonkin’ lands in the harder side of Country music. Emphasizing the greatest voices in the genre, Honky Tonkin’ is a country music dance party every Tuesday night.

Tuesday’s Just as Bad, Tues. 11pm - Wed. 1am

Tuesday’s Just as bad explores the world of blues prior to World War II. Shows weave their way through the first decades of recorded music history and turn to the postwar years in the final half hour.

LISTINGS FOR LISTENERS

Night Train, Wed. 1-5am

All aboard! One of our two overnight programs in the American department, Night Train rolls through the post-war R&B and soul tradition, from the genre’s emergence in the 1940’s and 50’s through the funk revolution in the 1970’s. Shows often feature extended live recordings and concerts.

Offbeat, Fri. 1-5am

Offbeat is committed to broadcasting undiscovered new hip hop music. Shows typically focus on exposing underplayed or up-and-coming new artists, including experimental instrumental artists not typically played on mainstream hip hop radio.

Across 110th Street, Sat. 12-2pm

Kicking off our Saturday afternoon American music run, Across 110th Street airs soul, funk, and dance music from the 1960’s through the 1980’s and 90’s.

Something Inside of Me, Sat. 2-4pm

Something Inside of Me is WKCR’s Saturday afternoon blues show, focusing mostly on the electric and post-war styles.

Hobo’s Lullaby, Sat. 4-6pm

Rooted in the folk revival of the 1950s and 60s, Hobo’s Lullaby airs American folk and traditional music styles from the early 20th century through the present day. From old staples like Leadbelly, Elizabeth Cotton, and Woody Guthrie to contemporary stalwarts like the Carolina Chocolate Drops and lesser known artists, domestic traditions are alive and well on Hobo’s Lullaby.

Notes from the Underground, Sun. 12:30-2am

Notes from the Underground showcases contemporary hip hop and rap music with an emphasis on emerging and experimental artists. The program also hosts local and visiting artists for interviews, freestyles, and guestcuration.

Amazing Grace, Sun. 8-10am

Greeting listeners on Sunday morning, Amazing Grace shares with listeners the world of the African-American gospel tradition.

The Moonshine Show, Sun. 10am-12pm

On the air for nearly 60 years, The Moonshine Show showcases the American Bluegrass tradition, from the earliest roots in vernacular string-band music, through

the genre’s pioneers in the 1940s and 50s and advancements in the 60s and 70s, through the leading innovators and stars of today.

The Tennessee Border Show, Sun. 12-2pm

One third of WKCR’s country music programming, along with Honky Tonkin’ and the Bluegrass Moonshine Show, Tennessee Border highlights the singer-songwriter tradition, from Hank Williams and Townes Van Zandt to Lucinda Williams.

LATIN

Caribe Latino, Mon. 10pm-12am

Caribe Latino is a music program that features the diverse, upbeat music from numerous Latin communities in the Caribbean. Popular Latin rhythms such as Salsa, Merengue, Bachata and Latin Jazz take center stage throughout the program.

Urbano Latinx, Tues. 12-1am

A weekly Latin show airing contemporary sounds from Latin America, the Caribbean, and the diaspora, Urbano Latinx features mixes of salsa, merengue, Latin punk rock, and more.

Sin Fronteras*, Wed. 12-3pm

Falling in the space of Out to Lunch on Wednesday afternoons, Sin Fronteras explores the tremendous Latin Jazz tradition.

Nueva Canción, Wed. 10-11pm

Nueva Canción is an exploration of protest music created throughout Latin America during the 60s and 70s and its numerous other manifestations throughout other countries and time periods.

Som do Brasil, Wed. 11pm - Thurs. 1am

From samba and bossa nova to MPB, hear the numerous and enchanting sounds and rhythms of Brazil.

Sonidos Colombianos, Fri. 10-11pm

Sonidos Colombianos presents music from one of the most culturally diverse countries of Latin America: Colombia! Our bilingual musical tour is guaranteed to include not only cumbia, but also the guitar-based bambuco from the Andean region, the harp llanero music from the Eastern Plains, the marimba-infused currulao from the Pacific Region, and the accordiondriven vallenato of the North Atlantic Coast.

LISTINGS FOR LISTENERS

The Mambo Machine, Fri. 11pm - Sat. 2am

The Mambo Machine is the longest running salsa show in New York City. The program presently plays a wide spectrum of Afro-Latin rhythms, combining new and old into an exciting, danceable mix.

El Sonido de la Calle*, Sun. 2-4am

A companion show to Saturday night’s American Notes from Underground, El Sonido de la Calle highlights the diverse world of contemporary Spanish-language hiphop and dance music.

IN ALL LANGUAGES

The Celtic Show, Mon. 12-1am

Music from across the island of Ireland throughout the era of recorded music, particularly focusing on traditional folk and vernacular music forms.

Coordinated Universal Time, Mon. 1-3am

Coordinated Universal Time brings our listeners the latest cut of music from anywhere in the world, especially highlighting music that does not get attention in America. Our programming tries to bring the hottest and the most recent tunes to WKCR’s airwaves.

The African Show, Thurs. 10pm-12am

The longest running African music radio show in the United States, the African Show brings you a variety of music from the entire continent of Africa.

Middle Eastern Influences, Fri. 12-1am

During the hour-long show, Middle Eastern Influences features a wide range of beautiful tracks from regions of the Middle East, North Africa, and even, at times, South Asia.

Sounds of Asia, Sat. 6-8am

Rechristened from Sounds of China, Sounds of Asia explores the recorded musical traditions and innovations of Asia and the Pacific islands.

Eastern Standard Time, Sat. 8am-12pm

One of New York’s most popular Reggae programs, Eastern Standard Time takes listeners through Saturday morning from 8 am to noon with the hypnotic sounds of Reggae and Jamaican dance music.

Field Trip, Sun. 6-8am

Field Trip focuses on the music and practice of field recordings: music recorded outside of a studio. Tune in and you may catch field recordings that were recorded fifty years ago, others that were experimented with by your favorite Afternoon New Music artist, or even those documented in New York City by WKCR itself.

Raag Aur Taal, Sun. 7-9pm

Raag Aur Taal explores the sounds and rich cultural heritage of South Asia. The term “Raag Aur Taal” roughly translates to “melody and rhythm,” indicating the classical nature of this program.

Back in the USSR, Sun. 11pm-12am

Back in the USSR features music from across the former Soviet Union and soviet states across Eastern Europe and East and Central Asia, from the mid-20th century through the present.

NEWS & ARTS

Monday Morningside*, Mon. 8:30-9:30am

Monday Morningside is WKCR’s morning news broadcast to kick off the week, featuring news segments on events around Morningside Heights and upper Manhattan. If you’re not an early bird, all episodes are available as podcasts on Spotify!

PopTalk*, Mon. 9-10pm

PopTalk examines current developments in pop music and the latest top-flight releases.

SoundStage*, Sun. 9-10pm

SoundStage features audio dramas and radio plays from the WKCR archives as well as new compositions by students and contemporary writers. Some shows also feature interviews with dramatists and directors.

SUNDAY PROFILES

Sunday Profile, Sun. 2-7pm*

With the return of the five-hour profiles slot, programmers will showcase longform profiles as they have done for decades. While the primary focus remains on jazz music, we also feature other styles and traditions from across WKCR’s different programming departments.

* indicates show was created after January 2022

Kurt Gottschalk, host, Afternoon New Music: The Beat (Everett Morton), “Ranking Full Stop” (1980).

“Essentially a vehicle for toaster Ranking Roger, the mid-tempo song chugs along for a taut twoand-three-quarters minutes with a drum into and two–two!–false starts. Drummer Everett Morton counts the band back in both ties, and even cops one mid-verse fill, each a momentary thrill.”

Leon Zhou, programmer: Led Zeppelin (John Bonham), “Moby Dick” (1970).

Sharif Abdus-Salaam, host, Thursday Jazz Alternatives: The Max Roach Band (Max Roach), live performance.

“It was at a live performance, I’ve forgotten the year. It was Max just playing a snare drum and a hi-hat. I’m still not sure how he created the music that he did from just those two instruments.”

Schuyler Rabbin-Birnbaum, host, Monday Jazz Alternatives: Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers (Art Blakey), “The Drum Thunder Suite" (1959).

“On the first track of Moanin’s second side, Art Blakey makes it clear this is his show. Masterfully guiding the Messengers through three themes, his solos are each more resonant than the last. ‘Drum Thunder’ is a study in perfect Hard Bop interplay, with Blakey taking a starring role while the other Messengers expertly complement his work.”

exploration of tone. It's brilliant.”

Maria Shaughnessy, Program Director: Sones de Mexico Ensemble, “La Morena” (2013). “Just solo maracas for what feels like too long, but it's so impressive what those little shakers can do.”

Mitch Goldman, host, Deep Focus: Ronald Shannon Jackson, Pulse (1984).

“Ronald Shannon Jackson made one solo album in his career, Pulse, and it is unlike any other performance by anyone ever. Listen to his take on Shakespeare's Richard III and Poe's "The Raven." Drums?

AROUND THE

What is drumyoursolo percussion

Matt “Fat Cat” Rivera, host, Hot Club on the Air: Chu Berry’s Little Jazz Ensemble (Big Sid Catlett), “Forty Six West Fifty Two” (1938).

Sam Seliger, Librarian and Archivist: Charles Mingus Sextet (Dannie Richmond), “So Long Eric” (recorded for TV broadcast, Stockholm, 1964).

“The break is on YouTube in a 25-second video titled ‘best drum solo ever.’ Richmond does everything a drum solo should be in just a few bars. It’s not showy, it's impressively sparse; so much of what he does is about subtle manipulation of rhythms and

Percussion? Sure, he is unquestionably masterful, but it's not about that at all; he is interrogating the text. He finds the rage and terror that those two creators had to have felt to have written as they did, explores how they used their crafts of drama and poetry to express it, and responds in kind. You want "...Deformed, unfinished, sent before my time Into this breathing world scarce half made up..."? Listen to Pulse and you will hear Richard dragging his bones across the floor, Poe's narrator's heart exploding out of his chest.

I was with Shannon on tour one time and a journalist asked him why he wasn't playing the fancy dinner club where many Jazz artists played in that town. Shannon said, 'Look here: you want

to come hear me play while you sit and eat a nice steak? I will barbecue that steak in your belly!' To borrow Shannon's terminology, no fat rats' asses given."

Charlie Smith, former In All Languages

Department Head: The Carpenters (Karen Carpenter), “Dancing in the Street” (live on Your All-American College Show, 1968).

Cliff Preiss, host, Friday Jazz Alternatives: Jazz at the Philharmonic AllStars (Jo Jones), “C-Jam Blues” (live, October 15, 1957).

silver jewelry to prepared beers to roasted corn. But the best boats to pass by are the musicians' boats: I maintain that the best marimba players I have ever heard are here, balancing (literally!) their skillful playing with staying aboard an unstable vessel. Though the marimba playing is ubiquitous and you will hear it no matter what, if you shell out a few dollars you can request a tune, from the standard Mexican repertory or even marimba versions of pop songs. The music, especially the marimba, is reason enough to make the trip. Every time I visit I make some field recordings—who knows?, maybe one day they'll be on air."

THE STATION yoursolofavorite or percussion break?

Deacon Strange, host, Across 110th Street: James Brown (Clyde Stubblefield), “Funky Drummer” (1970).

“A personal favorite, it's a sample-heavy classic.”

Ale Díaz-Pizarro, Station Manager: live marimba in Xochimilco, Mexico City.

"No travel to Mexico City is complete without a visit to Xochimilco, the canal network that's one of the last remaining vestiges of when the city was a lake and the Aztecs were around. The canals can only be seen while aboard a 'trajinera,' a colorful punt-like boat. Once on the 'trajinera,' as you make your way around the canals, your boat will often pass by other boats selling everything from fine

Paul Burkey, host, Tuesday Jazz Alternatives: Philly Joe Jones with Serge Chaloff on "I've Got the World on a String" from Blue Serge (recorded for Capitol on March 14, 1956)

"Philly Joe's solo on the bridge of the final chorus is nothing more than a sustained six-bar press roll on the snare, propelled along by the hi-hat and crescendoing from a whisper, followed by two bars of marching-band cadence to set up the return of Chaloff's baritone sax with the melody. Coming at the end of a relaxed, loose, and very interactive performance by the quartet —Jones and pianist Sonny Clark even drop out entirely to let Chaloff support Leroy Vinnegar's bass solo—it's as perfect as it is simple."

Honorable mention: Sonny Greer with the Duke Ellington Orchestra on "Harlem AirShaft" (recorded for Victor on July 22, 1940). "The recurring breaks by the sax section swing like crazy, and Greer's breaks-behind-the-breaks launch the band progressively higher."

Ted Schmiedeler, Student Life Director: Black Country, New Road (Charlie Wayne), "Instrumental" (2021).

"A stellar opening track to their debut album For the first time,kicked off by an excellent drum solo. Wayne’s fast paced rhythm sets the tone for the rest of the track and remains ever persistent in the background as more instruments join in.

WKCR's annual fundraiser, held between April 10-16 2023, was the first of its kind since 2019, operating of our expectations—thanks to the support of our listeners, we feel optimistic that we will be around you know and love—it is thanks to listeners like you that WKCR can continue to be the home of radio

The following are the names of listeners who pledged $100 or more by calling our phone bank and consenting to their names appearing in this guide. We thank all our supporters who contributed any amount, whether through our phones or on our website.

Irvin Abamm

Erik Abbington

Colin Ackers

Ronnie Alarcon

Eugenia Ames

Efrain Azmitia

David Baker

Randal Barton

Patricia Bases

Bennett Baulmer

Stephen Baver

Donald Beale

Louis S. Bedrock

Bill Beirne

Zvi Ben-Dor Benite

Richard Berner

Katherine & Tony Berton

Diana Black

Daniel Blackman

Jonathan Bley

Alexander Bonacarti

Andrea Wicks Bowles

Anthony Bozanich

Nacho Bravo

Robert Brown

Michael Brown

Lawrence Brown

Robin Burduls

Carol Burke

Sarah Capone

Jesse Capozzi

Annette & Michael Cerrato

Neil Chaimas

Peter Chapman

Evan Charkes

Dolores Choceborsky

David Chorlian

Arlene Chung

Michael Coffey

Simon R. Cohen

Garry Coleman

Michael Colihan

Barry Collins

Chris Conti

Cole Cooper

David Corsello

Bobby Courtney

Gordon Crandall

Kevin Craw

Sam Crosby

Tom Cullinan

Cunningham Family

Rick Curi

Bob Curtis

Thomas Cuscito

Michael Davidson

Sandy Davies

Robert Deguilme

Armand Diaz

Donald Dietrich

Adam Dohrenwend

James Donado

John L. Doria

Glenn Dornfeld

Gordon W. Douglas

Marilyn Vogt Downey

Lisa Dresner

Lisa Dresner

Eyal Dror

Jesse Drucker

James Duffy

Siobhan Duffy

Shayna M. Dullberger

Susan Ellis

Tim Ellsworth

Philip Englander

Rachel Epstein

Bernard Esrig

Henri Ewaskio

Christopher John Farley

David Feig

Shane Feirstein

Bob Field

James Flatto

Katherine Fleming

Dean Forbes

Nancy Fulcher

Lewis Fulcher

Charles Fuller

Michael Galan

Thank You!

operating at a full scale and with a regularly-staffed student phone bank. It was a smashing success, beyond any around for many years to come. We thank you for helping us stay the non-commercial, educational station radio history in New York City.

Lawrence Garment

Michael Garzero

Jan Gasterland

Emanuel Gatewood

Curt Gebhart

Ernest Geohagen

Monah & Alan Gettner

Constance Gill

Peter Ginsburg

Heidi Glaeser

Kai Gluska

John Godfrey

Joel S. Grantz

Lou Grassi

Jeffrey Grayzel

Schellie Hadan

Sonny Hagendorf

Peggy Haine

Dave Hancock

Richard Hanechak

James Hanrahan

Eileen Harnischfeger

Bawman Hastie

Christopher Heinz

Fred Heitz

David Helbraun

Leonard Herbst

Steve Herman

Sue Hogan

Tom Holland

Lynn Hoogenboom

Adrian Hope

Peter Hopson

Timothy Horner

Candace Hsiao

Laird Jackson

Laura Jackson

Andre & Dawna James

Robert James

Tony Jarvis

John Jocan

Caren Johnson

Eric Justin Johnson

Robert Jopson

Matthew Josephs

James Kaplan

Richard Katz

Rob Kearney

James Keepnews

Michael Keith

Jesse & Jackson Kessler

Ali M. Khonsari

Vawit Kibreab

Kristy King

Adrian N. Kitvinger

Fred Kogan

Remington Korper

Olive Kraus

Charles Krezell

Mr. & Mrs. Krishnamurthy

Trevor Lagrange

Thomas S. Larson

Jerry Lawrence

Jeff Lederer

John Lego

Donald Leighton

Fiona Lennon

John Lentner

Devin Leonard

Carlton Lewis

Mina Libeskind

Bob Lightburn

George Locker

Richard Lorber

Robert Ludwig

Nate Mallon

Michael Marona

Augusto Martínez

Jonathan Mastrojohn

Patrick McCarthy

Peter McGovern

Hunter McQuistion

Paul Merrill

Oliver & Mia Merrill

Daniel D. Miller

Nancy Mindes

Francis Minichiello

Richard Monaco

Cathal Moore

Jason Moran

Tyrell Morris

Michael Moschella

Susanne Moss

Eric Moss

Mike Nelson

Adam Neumann

William Newman

Robert Nichols

Jeffrey & Arlene Nichols

Robert Nichols

Philip Y. Nicholson

James O’Connor

Tosin Emmanuel

Olowolase

Timothy O’Reilly

Ozzie Orr

Efrem Oshinsky

Sandra Paci

Michael Pearl

James Pellegrino

Zoe A. Pappas, PhD

John Phillips

Jim D. Pierro

Julie Pincus

Jill Platner

Mike Pointdexter

Justin Pollmann

Jim Pratt

CJ Pruzinsky

Stephan Quenkzel

Jess Quinn

Lauren Radziejewski

Stefan Rak

Courtney Randall

John Rank

Dumas Ransom

Thomas Richardson

Jeff Rifkin

William Riley

Matthew Rivera

Rebekah Robinson

Dylan Roddick

Stephen Rodner

Linda Roesner

Augustus Romain

James Root

Hector Rosales

Eric Rosenthal

Dennis Rowe

David Russ

Lily Russel

Andy Rutherford

Clifford Salter

Dirk Salz

John Sampson

Michael Samuels

Philip W. Sandstrom

Angelo Santoro

Vincent Satkovski

Gerhardt Schlanzky

Frank Schramm

Will Schutz

Jane D. Schwartz

Joseph Sciortino

Joseph Scordo

Ross Seaman

Vetia Searcy

Stephen Seliger & Andrea LeWinter

Marc Shanker

Noah Shapiro

Ronald Sheppard

John Shkreli

Frank Silagy

John Silva

Nancy Single

Chris Skutch

John Skylight

Adrian Sondheimer

Nortrud Wolf Spero

Stephen Spiegel

Judd Staley

Andrew Steed

Daniel Sullivan

Rich Sullivan

Amy Sumner

Tony Taylor

Billy Teichen

Shawn Thomas Chalmers Thornton

Michael Tiranoff

Jemal Touba

Norman Trell

Ellen Tresselt

Marie-Anne Tribouilloy

Sean Valentine

Patrick Valentino

Ellen Vallue

Lane Vanderslice

Patrick Vernon

Paul G. Viani

Brian Voigt

Mark Vollmer

Dagmar Walter

Max Weinman

Steven J. Weinman

Oliver Welch

Bob West

David Whitbeck

Gale & Jim Wiese

Douglas Wieselman

George Williams

Safari Williamson

Sam Williamson

Gregory Winter

Nadine Wolss

Paul Wood

Elizabeth Worthman

Jen Zeltsman

Todd Zielinski

Gabriel Zimbler

Myrna Zimmerman

We would also like to extend our thanks to everyone who reposted about our fundraiser on social media or otherwise spread the word. Thank you for helping WKCR reach many more people, and for helping many more people reach WKCR.

SUPPORT WKCR

TOP 5 REASONS TO DONATE TO WKCR

1. You’d be helping a student-run, listener-funded, and volunteer-based radio station continue to bring you the absolute best in what radio has to offer. Music, arts, news, and sports— we’ve got the works!

2. You wouldn’t be a free-rider anymore.

3. WKCR donations are tax-deductible (so make sure you donate before tax season). For more info on that, or anything else business-related, email business@wkcr.org

4. Being “the Original FM,” our equipment is getting a bit old. For example, Buzz, the hamster that runs the wheel that powers the station, is getting a little worn-out and arthritic. We need a new hamster. Sorry, Buzz, but it’s gotta be done!

5. Isn’t OnAir cool? Without proper funding, projects like this can’t come to fruition and, if they do, don’t make it very long. Donate to allow the little OnAir minions to stay in the job (we are all OnAir minions).

HOW TO DONATE TO WKCR IN 4 STEPS

BY MAIL

Step 1: Locate your nearest checkbook

Step 2: Indicate “WKCR” as payee and fill out as usual

Step 3: Mail cheque to CU Gift Systems, 622 West 113th Street, MC 4524, New York, NY 10025

Step 4: ...and VOILÀ! Just like that, you have become a WKCR supporter!

WKCR also accepts cheques to our direct address. Just Follow the same steps listed above but mail the cheque to:

2920 Broadway, New York, NY 10027

ONLINE

Step 1: head to www.wkcr.org

Step 2: Click the yellow “DONATE TO WKCR” banner at the top of the page

Step 3: Fill out the form in the giving portal and enter your information...

Step 4: ...and VOILÀ! Just like that, you have become a WKCR supporter!

Did you know you can make recurring donations to WKCR when you donate online?

Just indicate your frequency preferences on the giving portal when prompted!

Special thanks to Ale Díaz-Pizarro, Charlie Smith, Cliff Preiss, Deacon Strange, Kurt Gottschalk, Leon Zhou, Maria Shaughnessy, Matthew Rivera, Mitch Goldman, Paul Burkey, Sam Seliger, Schuyler RabbinBirnbaum, Sharif Abdus-Salaam, Ted Schmiedeler—& you!