On Air May 2025

ON AIR

WKCR 89.9 FM

May 2025 Vol. xxiv, No. 5

On Air · May 2025

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WKCR 89.9 FM

Executive Board Station Manager Casey Lamb stationmanager@wkcr.org Program Director Rachel Smith programming@wkcr.org Director of Operations Teddy Wyche operations@wkcr.org Student Life Director Sara Carson studentlife@wkcr.org Publicity Director Ella Presiado publicity@wkcr.org Business Manager Solène Millsap business@wkcr.org Department Directors Jazz Stephen Park, Emma Lacy, & Hadassah Weinmartin jazz@wkcr.org

Dear Listeners, May is here, which means another month of exciting programming is here! Stay tuned on May 4th for a new 24-hour Ron Carter Birthday Broadcast. On May 7th, hear the return of our Tchaikovsky-Brahms joint Birthday Broadcast. On May 8th, we celebrate Keith Jarrett and, of course, we will celebrate the Sun Ra’s Arrival Day on May 22nd, again with a 24-hour broadcast.

Last month was a successful month of fundraising, and we appreciate your support so much! It continues to keep us going, and we can’t bring any of this music to the airwaves without your generosity. Truly, thank you.

In this On-Air Guide, read pieces on live performances at the Village Vanguard, Ron Carter, Keith Jarrett and the Köln Concert, in addition to an interview with our former Director of Operations (and once Jazz Director) Zachary Vanderslice, along with many other great articles.

I hope you enjoy this month’s edition of the On Air Guide and this wonderful month of programming as the weather gets warm!

New Music Phi Deng newmusic@wkcr.org

Radio on,

Classical Charlie Kusiel King classical@wkcr.org

Casey Lamb Station Manager

American Stephen Dames american@wkcr.org In All Languages Jayin Sihm ial@wkcr.org Latin Damaris Lindsay latin@wkcr.org News & Arts Macy Hanzlik-Barend & Ian Pumphrey news@wkcr.org Sports Mason Lau sports@wkcr.org

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Cover photo by Jean-Pierre Roche

Mailing Address

CONTACT US

2920 Broadway General Inquiries: board@wkcr.org New York, NY 10027 Listener Line: 212-854-9920 USA ©Copyright 2025 WKCR FM NYC

This Month On Air No More Unalike: Brahms and Tchaikovsky

Meet a Member: Zachary Vanderslice The Ron Carticle Weekly Schedule Special Broadcasts & Themed Shows Show Listings for WKCR Listeners Moses Sumney: Where Language Fails Me

The Legend of the Köln Concert Radical Rhythms Artemis at the Village Vanguard Fundraising Illustrated Around the Station Thank You

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CLASSICAL

No More Unalike: Brahms and Tchaikovsky

W

by Charlie Kusiel King

hether Beethoven ever played for writings of people around Tchaikovsky and Mozart as a teenager or Schubert Brahms, that we know the details of the two really visited Beethoven on his crossing paths. During a three-month tour deathbed, we will of Western Europe, never know. What is Tchaikovsky first no classical music encountered Brahms myth, however, (as well as Edvard are the meetings Grieg) at the Leipzig between Brahms and home of violinist Tc h a i k o v s k y — t w o Adolph Brodsky, a titans of the romantic mutual friend. I have style—three times written the following around New Year’s passage using of 1888, and again excerpts from various on March 12th of the sources to reconstruct following year. a narrative of the It was no secret that scene: the two were critical On Christmas Day, of each other’s work.

1887, the day after In a concert review Tchaikovsky arrived in published in 1872, Leipzig, he made two Tchaikovsky noted new acquaintances. on Brahms’ “String “At around 1 pm,” he Sextet No. 1” that recalled, “as I walked he was not only a into Brodsky's house, “mediocre composer” where I had been whose work lacked invited to dinner, I “the slightest gleam heard the sounds of Image Courtesy of Charlie Kusiel King a piano, violin, and of original talent,” but that Brahms had cello. It turned out “not justified the hopes that were placed on that this was a rehearsal for a performance, him by Schumann and consequently by all scheduled for the following day, of a new trio of musical Germany.” In his own perceptive [Op. 101] by Brahms in which the piano part fashion, Brahms apparently fell asleep during was to be played by the composer himself… a rehearsal of Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony.

The man has a short stature, with an imposing Today, it is largely thanks to Tchaikovsky’s portliness and a most likeable appearance, like extensive letters, his Autobiographical Account that of a benign, handsome elderly Russian of a Tour Abroad in the Year 1888, and the priest.”

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It would have been difficult to find two people less alike: Tchaikovsky, a nobleman who wore elegant suits and carried a delicate politeness, and Brahms, who was opposed to good manners and wasn’t seen without cigar ash mixed in his bushy beard.

At first, Tchaikovsky was reluctant to walk into the room where the rehearsal was taking place; however, Adolph Brodsky, their host and the trio’s violinist, convinced him to join.

When he introduced them, Tchaikovsky asked, in a soft voice, “Do I not disturb you?”

“Not at all,” said Brahms with his peculiar hoarseness, “but why would you want to hear this? It isn’t interesting in the least.”

Tchaikovsky sat down and listened attentively.

Throughout the piece, he actually made several suggestions regarding the tempo, which Brahms amiably took into consideration.

Otherwise, Tchaikovsky remained quiet, preferring to say nothing than provide any dishonest compliments.

Soon, in walked another couple. Short, with a frail complexion and uneven shoulders, was Edvard Grieg, accompanied by his wife (and first cousin) Nina Grieg. The two brought an air of lightness into the room, easing the awkward tension between the two composers. Unlike with Brahms, Tchaikovsky was quite taken with the Norwegian composer, whose music he had already enjoyed for some fifteen years.

The group migrated to the lunch table, where Brahms displayed his tendencies to drink heavily—a “frightful tippler,” as Tchaikovsky called him—but charmed the group with his jovial banter and warm modesty. Tchaikovsky, having only been familiar with the German’s more conceited, celebrity persona up until this point, was taken aback, and enjoyed his company. Still, Brahms’ quick wit at times claimed authority over the table. “I can see Brahms now taking hold of a dish of strawberry jam, and saying he would have it all for himself and no one else should get any,” Anna Brodsky later wrote. “It was more like a children's party than a gathering of great composers.” In fact, it resembled a gathering of children so much that, as they smoked and enjoyed coffee after

eating, Adloph brought a collection of magic tricks to the table. The trio of composers was amazed. Following each demonstration, Brahms demanded to know Adolph’s secrets.

Tchaikovsky and Brahms had two more encounters during the former’s stay in Leipzig, which lasted thirteen days. On January 1st, 1888, Tchaikovsky was in the audience for the premiere of Brahms’ “Double Concerto (Op. 102).” It was performed by violinist Joseph Joachim, cellist Robert Hausmann, and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, with Brahms at the podium. Though it left little impression on the Russian critic in the audience, it seems that Tchaikovsky felt less inclined to explicitly badmouth Brahms after getting to know him personally. “It is impossible in listening to Brahms’ music to say that it is weak or unremarkable. His style is always elevated,” he wrote. “Unlike all our contemporary musicians, he never attempts to astonish us, to strike us by some new and brilliant orchestral combination; nor do we meet in his music with anything trivial or directly imitative. I deeply revere the artistic personality of Brahms. I bow to the actual purity of his musical tendencies, but I do not care for his music.” Also featured on the program were a motet by Bach and Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Tchaikovsky was moved by the quality of both the choir and orchestra, but was unsatisfied with the slow tempi throughout.

The next morning, January 2nd, at 10 o’clock, Tchaikovsky’s “Orchestral Suite No. 1 (Op. 43)” was rehearsed by the same ensemble.

Tchaikovsky, conducting the orchestra, was anxious, though he quickly overcame his nerves and soon felt comfortable in the hall.

Sitting in the near-empty auditorium were both Brahms and the German composer Carl Reinecke. It is from this rehearsal that we draw the greatest insight into whatever Brahms may have made of Tchaikovsky in 1888, though ironically this impression is once again noted in Tchaikovsky’s own writings: “Brahms, too, seemed to instinctively feel, or perhaps even knew, that I was not on his side [musically], and he did not for his part take any steps towards

On Air · May 2025

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Image Courtesy of Ella Presiado

making my closer acquaintance either… When we greeted one another afterwards, Brahms did not say a single encouraging remark, but, as I was told later, he had been very pleased with the first movement. The others, however, had not been to his liking, especially the fourth movement.”

The two composers found themselves together only once more, on March 12th, 1889, in Hamburg. Brahms, a native of the city, had conducted a performance of his own Fourth Symphony several days prior, and upon hearing that the Russian would soon be arriving, he delayed his journey home. The two happened to be staying in the same hotel, so after sitting in on a morning rehearsal of Tchaikovsky’s Fifth, Brahms invited him to lunch. Once again, Tchaikovsky noted that it was a splendid meal, not without many bottles of wine. Their conversation at this time seems to be the most

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up-front the two ever were with regards to the other’s music. Brahms admitted that, frankly, he had not cared much for the symphony he had heard earlier that day. According to Nikolay Kashkin, a friend of Tchaikovsky’s who was familiar with the discussion, “this was said so sincerely and simply, that not only was [Pyotr] not offended by the harshness of this criticism, but in fact he even felt a greater sympathy for this forthright artist, whom he already respected greatly.” Tchaikovsky then honestly expressed his own ambivalence towards Brahms’ work, before inviting the German to visit and perform for the Russian Musical Society in Moscow. His previous invitations of composers such as Antonín Dvořák and Jules Massenet had been successful, but Brahms ultimately turned down Tchaikovsky’s offer.

At the end of their meal, the two, as Kashkin wrote, “parted as great friends, though they

were never to meet again.” Brahms left Hamburg shortly after, electing not to stay for the concert on the 15th of March.

The two composers’ various rendezvous left lasting impressions on both men. In September of the same year, when Brahms coincidentally met Daniel Rahter, Tchaikovsky’s German publicist, he vehemently asked after the Russian. Tchaikovsky, in turn, made a point of telling Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich, Chairman of the Russian Musical Society, that he intended to study Brahms’ “German Requiem” with great care.

Tchaikovsky died some four years after the meeting in Hamburg, in 1893, and Brahms not long after, in 1897.

Whether the two ever truly warmed to each other’s musical abilities as they did to each other’s personalities will remain a mystery.

However, they did grow to share a special friendship—which turned out not to be the only thing they had in common. Johannes Brahms was born in Hamburg, Germany, on May 7th, 1833. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born in Votkinsk, Russia, seven years later to the day, on May 7th, 1840.

Tune into WKCR this May 7th from 12:00 am–12:00 pm and 12:00 pm–11:59 pm as we celebrate the great composers’ 192nd and 185th birthdays, respectively. In classic WKCR fashion, as “The Alternative,” programming will feature a focus on lesser-known works of the two rather than their most often played masterworks.

Bibliography: Bambarger, Bradley. “When Tchaikovsky Met Brahms.”

Listen Music & Culture, 2015, www.listenmusicculture. com/up-close/when-tchaikovsky-met-brahms Bennet II, James. “One Night in Leipzig: When Brahms Met Tchaikovsky.” WQXR, WQXR Editorial, 7 May 2017, www.wqxr.org/story/brahms-tchaikovsky-awkwardrelationship/ Nilsen, Richard. “Brahms and Tchaikovsky.” Richard Nilsen, 31 Jan. 2014, richardnilsen.com/2014/01/31/ brahms-and-tchaikovsky/ Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Ilyich. Autobiographical Account of a Tour Abroad in the Year 1888. 1894. translated by Luis Sundkvist, Tchaikovsky Research Project, 2009, en.tchaikovsky-research.net/pages/Autobiographical_ Account_of_a_Tour_Abroad_in_the_Year_1888 Tchaikovsky Research Project. Johannes Brahms.

12 Aug. 2023, en.tchaikovsky-research.net/pages/ Johannes_Brahms

Charlie Kusiel King is the Classical Department Director and regular host of The Early Music Show, which airs on Fridays from 9:30am-12:00pm.

On Air · May 2025

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MEET A MEMBER

An Interview with Zachary Vanderslice

by Ted Schmiedeler

T

ed Schmiedeler: Zachary is great to be with you on this fine afternoon. Do you want to briefly run us through what your involvement at KCR has looked like?

Zachary Vanderslice: It's been, what, almost four years now. I joined KCR my freshman fall.

It was kind of the first group of people of my year who were joining after COVID. I started as Chief Engineer, after Benny (Magid, CC ‘23) convinced me to do it, along with some push from Red (Stein, CC ‘22). A little later, I became the head of the Jazz Department and did those two jobs until I started doing Director of Operations, and at the same time, I started doing a show called Jazz Alternatives on Wednesdays. I've been doing the show for about two years now, since September of my sophomore year. And now I'm just back to being Chief Engineer. It's been a long run.

TS: You mentioned alumni Benny and Red. What do you think the state of the station is that you're leaving to the people that are joining right now?

ZV: I mean, I think for those who have not been around for long, it may be hard to tell that the station has changed a lot in the last four years.

I think pre-Covid it was much smaller, much more insular, maybe more toxic. It's become more open, much larger. I think also the [2024 protest] coverage really changed the appeal of the station to the Columbia audience as a whole.

It feels like the last ties to the pre-Covid times because I think my group is the only people left who were trained by Red and Sam and people who were still here when [Phil] Schaap was

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around. I think the real shifting point in the culture is between those two different groups.

TS: Jazz Alternatives! Tell me a little bit about what it means to host that show.

ZV: Well, I started out doing Daybreak, which is I think the way any good jazz programmer should start.

Daybreak was always nice, but, you know, I'd be half asleep during most of the show. I mean, I was trying my best, but I was falling asleep as I did it. I started doing Jazz Alternatives because Benny had a class and couldn't do the show anymore. I started off doing it pretty randomly; I was just picking records up from the library and playing them. Sometime in September, I think Stephen Park or Sam (Seliger, CC ‘24) pointed out to me that it was Sonny Rollins's birthday and so I did a Sonny Rollins show.

I was like, oh, this is great! What if I focused on someone a little bit more concretely in my show. I think that makes a better show but also makes it a lot easier for me to prepare a thing.

I can focus my research or focus my listening in the week and over the past few years, the show has become more focused to maybe a two or three year span of a musician, trying to get a sense of their changing or developing as a musician. For me as a jazz listener, when I first started listening to jazz when I got to KCR, I'd heard, you know, the most famous Miles records. Maybe I knew who Red Garland was. I'd heard some Bill Evans. But I was pretty young.

And KCR spurred a very quick transformation.

Okay, I just heard, Kind of Blue; who's this Paul Chambers guy? Oh, I should check this out. Oh,

Drawing by McCartney Garb.

On Air · May 2025

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okay, I'm listening to a Red Garland record.

Who's this Philly Joe Jones character? I should hear some of his things. Now I’m listening to a Cannonball record. Okay, who's Joe Zawinul?

I should listen to some of his stuff. Who's Nat Adderley, you know. And that kind of thing where you step between different musicians, you hear them on one record and you hear their, what, 300 recordings they have is that thing you think you can only do in jazz and Jazz Alt has been the way that I've continued to explore the music.

TS: So you've not only done a deep dive into jazz music, but you've also interviewed a lot of very prominent musicians. Can you speak to us a little bit about your experience interviewing some of those big names?

ZV: I say if there's any regret about WKCR it is that I did not do more interviews while I was here. I did a lot my freshman year, especially when I didn't have Jazz Alt. The biggest privilege was obviously speaking to Ron Carter, which was just a delight. I would love to talk to him again now. I think I'd have more intelligent things to say. We actually just basically talked about records and things he'd been on. I think the questions I asked were really idiosyncratic because I was just asking about these 70s CTI recordings that I was into at the time, which were definitely not his most famous things. I think it was really nice to be able to talk to a bunch of people who were influenced by other people. I talked to Samara Joy, who I really would love to talk to again, especially now that she's won that Grammy.

TS: Big Grammy guy.

ZV: Just a few, just a few. But it's just a delight to talk to people who are actually in the music and I wish I'd done more of it. There was a period in which we weren't really doing interviews and recently we've gotten back into the swing of it. Rachel's really doing a great job of having people on run. Ron Carter is actually gonna be on her show pretty soon, I think.

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TS: Outside of the context of the music and what lives on the air, what has KCR meant to kind of more personally in your time here?

ZV: Well, it's hard to say anything that is not related to the music. I got the recommendation from my dad who said, “You should check out the radio station when you get to college. It seems like the kind of people you like.” I got here and very quickly, I was like, oh, I love talking about music. It's kind of the thing I enjoy talking about the most. Being around a bunch of people who were both really serious about music but also didn't really agree with music was really nice. You know, I had a lot of friends who had similar music taste to me in high school, so we could talk about the same things. Here it was nice being able to argue with someone and because I think I actually had to disagree with most people here about music. I tend to be a little bit poppier frankly TS: You are – ZV: And being able to have that argument with people is always fun for me. I think KCR is a real space of community for me, because I was like oh my God, college is really new.

Sophomore year and junior year it was very daunting. I was, you know, in Eboard and it was stressful. We could say we didn't always get along with each other during that period of time and we could say that it was more difficult to be in KCR. I think actually my real happiness has been post being on Eboard. When you are in leadership in an organization, it can be a little hard to enjoy the thing you're doing because it becomes a point of stress. You're like, if you're not working in the place, why are you there sometimes. It's been really nice to be a senior and go back to being just a friend group and a community group of people I hang out with, divorced from stress and divorced from responsibility. So it's kind of come full circle for me.

TS: This interview is kind of a full circle moment for me. You were one of the first people that introduced me to the station and led one of my tech trainings. What advice do you have or do you want to leave to new people that are coming in now or even people who are taking on the Eboard role that you were talking about?

actually kind of besides Low Steps where you can just go sit in a public space, kind of be on your own, but then someone else can just show up and you can start hanging out. It's beautiful.

ZV: My advice to freshman is, and I don't want to just take WKCR seriously, but I think there's a real joy in having your show every week and saying, this week I am going to make something really good, and I'm gonna prepare something that I'm gonna be really proud of.

I think because there are a lot of people who are here at KCR who have a lot of expertise, it can feel daunting to develop that and, I am far from being an expert in jazz, but I know a lot more than I did when I was a freshman and I can work my way around a show in a way that I could not then. That is the thing you can actually develop. You know, you don't walk in with that knowledge unless you're Stephen Park, right? I also think you gotta keep allowing this to be a place of enjoyment and not just a place where you're constantly stressed and constantly worried about, you know, is the fund drive gonna go right, is my show gonna be fine?

ZV: Anytime.

TS: Beautiful indeed. Zachary Vanderslice, a cornerstone of WKCR for the last four years, thanks for chatting with me.

Zachary Vanderslice is a regular host of Jazz Alternatives, which airs weekdays 6-9pm.

TS: There's a lot of really important things that happen in KCR, but so much of the joy for me comes in small, seemingly insignificant social moments that happen in between spaces. Do you have any, like, one specific memory of something funny or happy?

ZV: I don't know that I have a specific story, but I can tell you what a special place this is. When I am free, the station is a place I can just go to.

And I sit around and I play a record and, you know, then Ted walks by or Tanvi walks by or Casey comes in or Benny's there. And you just sit and you talk and you listen to music together and I think certainly in this world there are very few spaces like that. Even in college, I think there are a few spaces like that, literally

On Air · May 2025 11

JAZZ

The Ron Carticle

by Teddy Wyche

A

s I emerge from the 1 train on 59th Street, I regret not bringing a coat. The wind is biting, and I try to adjust my suit as my brisk walk turns into an awkward jog towards Carnegie Hall. It’s the evening of March 13th. After finally locating the box office, I am possessed by the ticket in my hands: RON CARTER & ETHEL: REFLECTIONS ON MONK & BACH. In my rational mind, I’m sure the use of all capital letters is nothing special, but I can’t help but feel like the ticket is yelling at me, sharing my excitement for the night ahead.

Shuffling to my seat, I try my hardest not to look out of place—though it feels like my fellow concertgoers are doing the same. “This audience is hard to place,” I think to myself, noticing the pensive air in the room. I know jazz audiences, and I have my assumptions of classical audiences, but this was something different.

The murmuring of the crowd swells.

A short line of performers walks onto the stage when suddenly, the maestro emerges from stage right. There’s a noticeable increase in decibel level as the most recorded jazz bassist in history takes the stage. His movements are quiet, even humble, yet his presence is immediately felt as the room readily welcomes him. As the quartet’s cellist eagerly introduces the group, I try my best to listen, but I have tunnel vision on the towering figure before me (figuratively and literally). Seeming to end as quickly as it began, the introduction concludes, and the lights

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dim. With a swift count-in, the hall is filled with the kaleidoscopic sounds of Monk.

An impressive production, the Monk Suite was a lively fusion of jazz and classical as the arrangements made by Carter and the Kronos Quartet were finally played live for the first time. However, as magical as the music was,

Ron Carter, 1980. Photo by Brian McMillen.

the true magic of the night had to be from none other than the maestro himself—a title bestowed upon Carter by the quartet that I can’t help but be infatuated with. Maestro was a word that rang throughout the concert hall many times that night, with every repetition carrying more weight than the last. In every piece, his virtuosity was on full display. Even more palpable, however, was the generosity emanating from his bass. One could spend eons discussing his mastery of articulation, his sweeping plucking technique, or his effortless arranging skills. Underneath the technique and the sounds that cascaded through the hall was a deep and genuine love for the music, the people making it, and the people listening to it. He would rub his bass how one would rub one’s belly during his quote of “You are my Sunshine,” and move the room during his rendition of the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” His jovial account of how he met Monk set the room filled with laughter.

Reading the faces of my fellow concertgoers and the performers onstage, there seemed to be a strong sense of gratitude. Yet somehow, there seemed to be no one more grateful than the maestro himself. Despite being rejected by the classical world in his youth on account of his race, there seemed to be no resentment in his playing at all. He could play Bach and love Bach, while also living off the 2 and 4. Each time he waved to the crowd, took a bow, and made sure to wave to the people in the upper rows, the crowd erupted in applause.

The climax of the night came with Carter’s solo piece, where for ten minutes the world stopped, consumed by pure excellence. He jumped eras, swung emotions, and left the room stunned—until the ovation came. For what seemed like another 10 minutes, the crowd got to its feet and gave the maestro his flowers. Within the span of that 2-hour concert, it was like we all knew him; he certainly treated us like old friends. Looking around that room, what I once thought was a disjointed hodgepodge became a beautiful mosaic.

Suddenly, it didn’t matter where we came from before or where we were going after. We were

all here, being taught what it meant to show humanity through music. Still being showered with applause, the group exited the stage brimming with smiles, and the hall began to clear. Retracing my steps back to Columbus Circle, the weather had only gotten colder, yet my spirit was ablaze. Through the wind, all I could think was, “Thank you, Maestro.”

Teddy Wyche is the Director of Operations at WKCR and a regular program for the Jazz Department.

On Air · May 2025 13

5:00 am 6:00 am 7:00 am

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNE

Jazz ‘til Dawn (cont’d)

Daybreak

Field Trip

8:00 am 9:00 am

Amazing Grace

Monday Morningside

Bird F

10:00 am 11:00 am

Cereal Music

The Moonshine Show

12:00 pm 1:00 pm The Tennessee Border Show

Out to Lunch

2:00 pm

Sin Fro

3:00 pm 4:00 pm 5:00 pm

Sunday Profiles

Afternoon New Music

6:00 pm 7:00 pm 8:00 pm

Jazz Alte

Raag Aur Taal

9:00 pm 10:00 pm 11:00 pm 12:00 am 1:00 am 2:00 am

News + Arts Programming Live Constructions Back in the USSR The Celtic Show

Urbano Latinx

Honky Tonkin’

Nueva C

Tuesday’s Just as Bad

Som do

Night Train

Transfigur

Coordinated Universal Time

3:00 am 4:00 am

Caribe Latino

Phil Lives

14 On Air · May 2025

Transfigured Night

ESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY Transfigured Night (cont’d)

k Express

Sounds of Asia

5:00 am 6:00 am 7:00 am 8:00 am

Flight

9:00 am

Now's The Time Eastern Standard Time Early Music

10:00 am 11:00 am 12:00 pm

Across 110th Street

Out to Lunch

onteras

2:00 pm

Something Inside of Me

Bach Hour

Canción

o Brasil

red Night

Hobo’s Lullaby

Middle Eastern Influences

Sonidos Colombianos

Saturday Night at the Opera 11:00 pm 12:00 am

The Mambo Machine

Transfigured Night

8:00 pm

10:00 pm

Notes From Underground Offbeat

7:00 pm

9:00 pm

Workaround The African Show

5:00 pm 6:00 pm

Traditions in Swing

ernatives

3:00 pm 4:00 pm

Afternoon Classical

Extended Technique

1:00 pm

El Sonido de la Calle

1:00 am 2:00 am 3:00 am 4:00 am

Jazz ‘til Dawn

On Air · May 2025 15

Special Broadcasts SPECIAL BROADCASTS

Ron Carter

Keith Jarrett

This month begins with a very special celebration of prolific bassist Ron Carter. A true virtuoso on the instrument, Carter made his name in Miles Davis’s Second Great Quintet and has been one of jazz’s most in-demand sidemen ever since. He also records and tours as a leader; educates the next generation of musicians; and has authored several books including his autobiography, “Finding the Right Notes” (which was turned into an audiobook–– with his narration––and a documentary). Ever active in the New York scene, the Maestro has given interviews for WKCR since at least 1979.

WKCR’s celebration of Keith Jarrett may be our first interdepartmental birthday broadcast on record. Occupying the slots of Daybreak Express, Birdflight, Cereal Music, and Out to Lunch, this special broadcast will celebrate Jarrett’s contributions to both the jazz (5-9:30 AM, 12 noon-3 PM) and classical idioms (9:30 AM-12 noon). Time will be devoted to Jarrett’s time as a sideman (with the Jazz Messengers and Miles Davis, among others), as a solo artist (including the iconic Köln Concert), and as the leader of The Standards trio (with Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette).

Sunday, May 4th, all day

Johannes Brahms and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Wednesday, May 7th, all day

Two legends of the Classical idiom, Brahms and Tchaikovsky share a birthday. In their honor, we will present twelve hours of nonstop Johannes Brahms (from midnight until noon) followed by twelve hours of nonstop Tchaikovsky (from noon until midnight). German Romantic composer and pianist Brahms is remembered for his ability to balance traditional forms with harmonic innovation. The most popular Russian composer of all time, Tchaikovsky is beloved for his ability to convey wonder, passion, and tragedy through the music.

Listeners can look forward to a program that includes both familiar favorites and rare recordings.

Thursday, May 8th, 5 AM - 3 PM

Sun Ra

Thursday, May 22nd, all day

We will honor jazz visionary Sun Ra with a 24hour birthday broadcast on the day he arrived on this planet from outer space: May 22. Ra is known for his experimental music, cosmic and Afrofuturist philosophy, and theatrical performances. His ensemble The Arkestra is still active on the jazz scene today, led by centenarian Marshall Allen. Once a visitor to WKCR, he enjoyed either ice cream or yogurt in our studio––immortalized in the photo on our website. He even performed a set of solo piano works for us on July 8, 1977.

THEMED SHOWS

SUNDAY PROFILES Sundays 2:00-7:00 PM TBD

TBD

TBD

Host: TBD

Host: Sid Gribetz

Host: TBD

May 11th, 2:00 - 7:00 PM

16 On Air · May 2025

May 18th, 2:00 - 7:00 PM

May 25th, 2:00 - 7:00 PM

Show Listings

JAZZ

Daybreak Express, weekdays 5-8:20am Out to Lunch, weekdays 12-3pm Jazz Alternatives, weekdays 6-9pm The core of our jazz offerings, these three programs span the entire range of recorded jazz: everything from New Orleans jazz, jazz age, swing era, bebop, hard-bop, modal, free, and avant-garde. Hosts rotate daily, offering an exciting variety of approaches, some of which include thematic presentation, artist interviews, or artist profiles.

Birdflight, Tues.-Thurs. 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.

Now's The Time*, Fri. 8:20-9:30am The newest show from WKCR Jazz is dedicated to jazz as a living art form, providing a weekly space to listen to the young and current musicians pushing the genre forward.

Traditions in Swing, Sat. 6-9pm Archival programs from the late Phil Schaap, this awardwinning Saturday night staple presents focused thematic programs on 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 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 (±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.

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. * Indicates show was created after January 2022

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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 postwar 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 * indicates show was created after January 2022

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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.

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!

SUNDAY PROFILES Sunday Profile, Sun. 2-7pm* A WKCR staple, programmers use five hours to showcase longform profiles of pioneering artists. While the primary focus remains on jazz music, we also feature other styles and traditions from across WKCR’s different programming departments.

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.

* indicates show was created after January 2022

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NEW MUSIC

Moses Sumney: Where Language Fails Me

by Eva Arroyo

"

I spent the past month in Brazil just focusing, thinking about these lyrics. And I realized that language is a failure. Sometimes what you need to express can be best said as”… and then a luxurious, wordless vocal run.

This insight is from Moses Sumney at their April 7th show at Pioneer Works, where they debuted songs from an unreleased album. The crowd was high fashion, especially for a Monday night, which was somewhat predictable given Sumney’s model status and frequent couture looks. However, Sumney is also a once-in-a-generation vocal talent, and they hold the unique position of being an aesthetic icon in poetic tension with lyrical prowess. In this performance, they continued their exploration of our implicit expectation that they, as a performer, are to be consumed.

Sumney’s career has been marked by shrugging off the structures that labels and audiences expect. For example, after attracting attention from major L.A. labels, they withdrew to North Carolina, saying they found that the labels often typecast them. I consider the album that followed this departure, grae, to be one of the best albums of 2020.

They frequently develop music as a part of their live performance, making for an unusually vulnerable experience as the audience watches them play half-finished works. Sumney confessed that a reason for their frequent, luxurious, wordless vocal runs was that they didn’t always completely know the lyrics. However, the audience found we didn’t much miss words. By breaking the performer-audience contract, Sumney made us more willing to give part of ourselves back to them, having us sing trills and lyrics along with them.

The album in progress has a lyrical depth in the words we did hear. It felt built for single people—for those of us still wandering the world, continually

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perplexed and compelled by the people we take as lovers. From “Babygirl,” where Sumney asks, “Did you want a dom/who would make you a babygirl?” to lyrics from a song tentatively titled “Icon,” where they sing, “Pain glory/I’ll never tell my story.” The rhymes would sound cheap with another voice; however, Sumney’s prodigious range and breath control, alongside their impressive use of three microphones with different modulators, rendered these lyrics profound.

Sonically, the album sounds most like the Cocteau Twins, which Sumney admitted to listening to frequently during composition.

There’s a breathy, ethereal nature to this music.

The lyrics are present but blur together, the words emerging from the music as if from dreams. The songs have surprising textural shifts, from soul to psychedelic rock. Sumney’s voice shifts alongside the musical changes: sometimes crooning, sometimes whispering, sometimes growling.

Sumney has yet to set an album release date, and perhaps as it comes into shape, the lyrics will solidify. Even so, I expect to spend my New York evenings in the company of this music, whether I can understand the lyrics or not.

As of publication Sumney has released a new song titled, “I like I like it” with Hayley Williams

JAZZ

The Legend of the Köln Concert

by Rachel Smith

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025 is a special year for fans of jazz and classical master pianist Keith Jarrett. On January 24, his iconic album The Köln Concert celebrated its fiftieth birthday, and on May 8, Jarrett will celebrate his eightieth birthday. On that occasion, I’d like to revisit the legend of the Köln Concert.

We are lucky to have The Köln Concert because it almost never happened. It was one recorded performance on a European tour Jarrett undertook in January 1975, arranged by ECM Records founder Manfred Eichner. The constant traveling of a tour is neither restful nor comfortable, and after a five-hour drive from Zürich, Jarrett arrived in Köln tired, hungry, and in pain. He sat down for a meal and was rewarded with a terribly upset stomach. Feeling physically low, Jarrett headed to the Cologne Opera House for sound check.

At this point, versions of the story diverge.

One thing is clear: when Jarrett arrived, the concert piano he had requested was nowhere to be found. (Some report that the intended piano was a Steinway Grand, others that it was a Bösendorfer 290 Imperial.) Perhaps there was a strike at the piano supply company; perhaps the opera staff simply confused the request. Either way, the only piano available was a baby grand used for opera rehearsals. The piano was in poor shape: it was completely out of tune and the sustain pedals were malfunctioning.

18-year-old Vera Brandes, who was Germany’s youngest concert promoter at the time, had arranged for the concert and desperately wanted to see it through. She convinced Jarrett to stay as piano tuners struggled with the rehearsal baby grand; indeed, some notes were too far gone to be tuned at all. Jarrett ultimately decided to go through with the concert, and, by his own account in Jazzwise, “I knew something special was

happening once I started playing…Sometimes when your resistance is low ideas come, and the piano being a different instrument than I would normally play, I played it differently.” Eichner expressed a similar belief about Jarrett’s expressive force that night, saying “Probably [Jarrett] played it the way he did because it was not a good piano.

Because he could not fall in love with the sound of it, he found another way to get the most out of it.”

But that is not the end of the Köln concert legend: not only was the concert almost canceled, but the recording of the concert was also almost canceled. Because Jarrett’s day had gone from bad to worse, he and Eichner were tempted to send the recording engineers home. But they had already set up, so Eichner allowed them to record. On the road to the next concert, Jarrett and Eichner listened to the tape on repeat. This was the first time they realized that they had something special. Later, Eichner would mix the recording in the studio to try to compensate for the sound of the piano.

Jarrett confided to Stuart Nicholson in 2010 that he has a complex relationship to The Köln Concert. On this album, he can hear the seeds of some musical ideas that would come to fruition in future albums––his output for ECM, which includes many live solo recordings, is impressive by anyone’s standards––but is bothered by the technical aspects of the performance. Indeed, The Köln Concert is just one in a whole sequence of improvised concerts. (Jarrett had been improvising since his first solo piano recital at age 8; at the Cologne Opera House as for many other performances, he walked on stage with neither musical expectations nor prepared material.) The audience perspective on the record is simpler: The Köln Concert is the best-selling solo album in jazz history and the best-selling piano album of all time.

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JAZZ

Radical Rhythms

by Maya Resnick

O

n Friday, April 25th, Columbia’s Music Humanities department funded fourteen tickets for students who had recently completed their jazz unit to attend a performance at the Jazz Gallery. This event marked the 30th anniversary of a venue that has long platformed unconventional artists and championed original takes in jazz. One such risk-taking group is the Caracas Trio, a Venezuelan band that draws inspiration from the Afro-Venezuelan tradition and South American folk. The band includes Daniel Prim on the drums, Gabriel Chakari on the keyboard, and Juan Diego Villalobos on the vibraphone.

The pronounced use of a vibraphone was far from the only break in tradition in their hourand-a-half performance. The vibraphone, which appears at first glance to be a steel marimba, is a percussion instrument commonly used in jazz and modern orchestras. According to Villalobos, the vibraphone served in place of a bass. Villalobos opened the performance with a breakneck melody, his mallets striking the metal bars at a speed faster than the audience’s eyes could process. Prim performed seamlessly on the drumset despite the complete absence of sheet music. Chakari doubled up, playing the piano with his left hand and a smaller keyboard

The Caracas Trio at the Jazz Gallery, April 2025 Photo by Maya Resnick

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with his right, then swiftly switching. Some of the instruments they incorporated into their performance were deeply unorthodox. Prim wore a snakelike black cylinder around his neck, playing it like a woodwind instrument to create a boat horn-like sound. At the end of the show, he shared that it was in fact a “plastic tube” fashioned into a musical instrument.

Furthermore, a metal breastplate hung from a single coat hanger, which Prim treated as an extension of his drumset. When not at the drums, Prim fashioned a pair of maracas into the beat for the jazz performance. Even their guest performers participated in the wonderful chaos of the show. Michael Rodriguez offered a triumphant trumpet solo, and virtuosic Cuban saxophonist Yosvany Terry played a ceramic pot covered in beads, tossing it from hand to hand.

Special guest star Terry has had a career that merits an article of its own. Aside from his skills as a saxophonist, percussionist, and composer, he is a senior lecturer in Harvard’s Department of Music. According to Terry, he was born a musician, being the son of a performer. When asked to describe the performed musical genre, he said it was a convergence between music of the African diaspora, Cuban and Venezuelan music, and the electric, creative aesthetics of New York City. Terry has long been a part of the Jazz Gallery family. He expressed that the Caracas Trio is precisely the sort of band the venue tries to promote. Visionary, lively, acting as a single organism, the Caracas Trio communicated seamlessly throughout the show, breaking into individual melodies in a whimsically harmonic polyphony. If you want to hear more of their music, their first single was released on the night of their performance.

“Antes que se vaya” captures the unpredictable playfulness, their ability to quickly transition between musical segments, and the absolute euphoria of their sound. The song, like the performance, highlights the soloing abilities of each performer and their exquisite ability to complement each other’s distinctive styles.

If you feel inspired to engage in original music and performances, the Jazz Gallery holds

shows bi-weekly and tri-weekly. If you feel inspired to listen to Afro-Venezuelan jazz, look up Yosvany Terry’s music. If you feel inspired to listen to the Caracas band, keep an eye out for their first album, Folklore, coming out this summer. If you feel inspired to make music, draw inspiration from this group, because anything can be an instrument with the skills and courage to challenge the norm.

Maya Resnick is an editor for the On Air Guide studying Middle Eastern Studies and Psychology.

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JAZZ

Artemis at the Village Vanguard

by Emma Lacy

I’ve been a fan of the Blue Note-signed lights, red curtains, and dinner tables segregate supergroup Artemis for years now. I’ve audience from band all the same. seen them twice previously: at the Berklee Not that the Village Vanguard needs my Performance Center (BPC) in January 2023, approval, but I doubt there is a better venue for when Alexa Tarantino held Artemis. The musicians the alto saxophone chair, walking through the and at Birdland in October audience to the stage, the 2023 with Erica von Kleist tight seating that forces subbing for Alexa. Both you to make friends with performances featured the your neighbors, and current all-star quintet of the room layout—where Ingrid Jensen on trumpet, you’re either right next to Nicole Glover on tenor the stage or farther back, saxophone, Noriko Ueda where the employees have on bass, Allison Miller on mentioned the acoustics drums and cymbals, and are actually the best—all bandleader Renee Rosnes contribute to the magic of on piano. So, when a friend the shows here. Everyone from high school texted walks into the Vanguard me that they were in town with the knowledge that with an extra ticket to they’re about to hear jazz see Artemis at the Village legends, yet the venue Vanguard on March 8th is an equalizer between celebrating the release The Village Vanguard. Image by Zhang Yu. audience member and of their new record, performer. It’s a very Aboresque, I eagerly accepted the invitation. human concert experience, suiting Artemis’s The performance was magnificent. Firstly, very human music. there could not be a more appropriate venue The group kicked things off with the first for this quintet and the nature of their music track of their new album, Donald Brown’s “The than the Village Vanguard. While the BPC is an Smile of the Snake.” Above all else, it showcased impressive theater holding over 1,200 attendees Artemis’s masterful interaction. It feels wrong thanks to its very vertical design, unless you’re to claim that this track included “solos” when seated in the first few rows, the musicians all the textures—especially behind the lyrical, are so far away that it feels like they’re on a geometric, and exceptionally creative trumpet pedestal. If you’re seated in the balcony, the playing of Ingrid Jensen—were completely high altitude makes it feel like you’re breathing collaborative and colorful thanks to all five entirely different air than them. Birdland does contributors. Anyone who wandered into the not boast the same verticality, but the bright Vanguard that night without having heard of

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Artemis immediately knew that they were in for a treat.

The next tune, “Komorebi,” is the second track on the album. Written by bassist Noriko Ueda, it translates from Japanese to “the light filtering through the trees in the forest.” Though Ueda did take a solo, the intent, support, and vibrance of her bass playing were on full display throughout the whole tune. Listeners can often leave the bassline unconsidered, but that doesn’t make it any less beautiful—much like the light she has chosen to compose about.

This early in the night, the entire band had already demonstrated their abilities to float over, between, and with each other after the hard-hitting groove of the first tune. They had so much dimension just two tunes in, making it hard to nail them down. Can their music be categorized as hard-bop? Is it contemporary?

Are they most like one of Miles’s quintets, or maybe Blakey’s Jazz Messengers? They won’t tell you, and you soon realize it doesn’t matter when their music is unquestionably beautiful and they are unequivocally themselves.

Billy Strayhorn’s “A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing” followed, featuring the imaginatively powerful yet sensitive melodies of Nicole Glover on tenor saxophone (it should be a surprise to no one that she will be returning to the Village Vanguard with her own trio at the end of May). This was the only tune that they’ve played all three times I’ve seen them, and it’s no secret why. It hit particularly close to home for me as someone who has spent a lot of time studying Strayhorn’s music and researching his commonly unsung story as the primary collaborator of Duke Ellington. It feels almost sacrilegious to verbalize the wonder of this performance. All I’ll say is I know Strayhorn would’ve loved it. Though this composition appears on Glover’s 2021 album, Strange Lands, it is most “itself” played live. If you haven’t yet seen Artemis live, this arrangement should be all the motivation you need.

Next was Lyle Mays’s “Slink,” the first track from their 2023 record, In Real Time. This tune is drivingly energetic without much speed, thanks in great part to the drumming and cymbal

playing of Allison Miller. It would be difficult to play a “bad” solo with Miller in the driver’s seat; she gives a wonderful balance of colorful encouragement and rhythmic suggestion to everyone she plays with. She’s a musician’s musician, and a masterful instrumentalist in her own right.

After the following round of applause, Renee Rosnes emerged with an intriguing cadenza before her original composition, “Olive Branch.” Rosnes generally maintains a supporting role from the piano bench despite being the formal bandleader of Artemis. I was fortunate enough to interview her at the end of last year about the release of her newest album, Crossing Paths, and her humility both as a musician and person shines like no other.

There is immense care, intentionality, and truth in everything Rosnes does, whether it be composing, accompanying, soloing, leading, or speaking. How lucky we are to witness such a wonderfully led ensemble in our lifetimes.

Artemis closed out their set with a lovely version of Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s “What The World Needs Now Is Love,” followed by a playfully personalized rendition of Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints.” Rosnes’s introduction of the penultimate tune perfectly captured the greatness of this set: “We’re going to continue now with Burt Bacharach and Hal David…this is ‘What The World Needs Now Is…’” “Love!” the audience shouted, finishing for her. We can talk about great music all day, but concertgoers today would agree that love is what truly makes a performance great. Even more profound is the shared understanding that the world needs more of it—an especially powerful feeling when an audience and band collectively supply it one night at the Village Vanguard.

Emma Lacy is a Jazz Department Director.

On Air · May 2025 25

THANK YOU

A Quick Picture of the Fundraising Effort

by McCartney Garb

I

slipped into the room, only briefly, trying to make myself invisible in the studio as I settled on the worn grey couch. I had aimed to jot down a few sketches of the phonebanking effort on the last day. I warned people that I might stop by and had almost failed to show up out of embarrassment. I’ve always been sort of wary about live drawing, the way that people crane over your shoulder while you work, peering as you quickly scribble out those hazardous replicas. And the quickness, I suppose that’s what this is all about, the shifting and the fidgeting, waiting anxiously, fingers tapping, poised over the phones, hands desperately trying to catch the angle of the face before someone moves, they always do.

When I sat down there between classes, a gap merely one hour long, I held my breath, hoping I had gone unnoticed. There were people changing shifts, I was only brave enough

to catch the still things, the table, the laptops.

Someone was on the phone, he was remarkably still. When he got off everyone talked a bit.

Through the circle of shared names, I realized the one on the phone was the Sports Director, Mason. We converse about baseball, which I don’t know very much about anymore. There are papers everywhere, and strewn cups, and phone wires and stiff air and slouched bodies.

Ted swept into the room, and with him maybe four other people (a certain exaggeration).

Cramped and noisy and familiar, the sorts of swings in things, I’m nervous, wondering how many people are looking at me looking at them.

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Ted had a peculiar device. He was explaining what it was, but I didn’t even have time to draw it, much less pay attention to what was being said. A few more calls.

In a conversation with Casey a few weeks later, he tells me “People get really comfortable during fundraising.”

Silence, another sketch of the table.

Someone else pops in when Ted leaves. The new guy comes to doodle at the piano, I catch him looking down, playing. He departs. When I inquired about him to the seated group, they told me they hadn’t even realized he was there.

In my last few minutes, I turned towards the ceiling, the dangling wires and lights and the giant numbers taped onto the cabinets. Records twirling gracefully. This has always been quite a homely place. I slip out with a quick goodbye, I have to go to class now.

McCartney Garb is a regular programmer of Hobo’s Lullaby from 4 to 6 PM on Saturdays.

Drawings by McCartney Garb

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Preston Pressoir, Programmer: Terry Date, producer on the first three Deftones albums and Limp Bizkit’s album Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water, arguably one of the most innovative modern rock albums of all time.

Charlie Kusiel King, Classical Head: Pedro Winter (aka Busy P) is the founder of Ed Banger Records. He’s a big reason we listen to electronic greats like Daft Punk, Justice, Cassius, and DJ Mehdi. French Touch and EDM as a whole wouldn't be the same without him!

Tanvi Krishnamurthy, Former Publicity Director: The Mizell Brothers…completely defined the jazz fusion and jazz funk sounds (among other genres) of the 70s! So many great albums wouldn’t have sounded the way they do without them.

Ted Schmiedeler, Head Archivist: Chris Manak, the founder of Stones Throw Records. Stones Throw has done a fantastic job supporting underground, envelope-pushing hip hop going back to the 90s and released classics like MF DOOM & Madlib’s Madvillainy and J Dilla’s Donuts.

Francisco Javier Reyes, Programmer: John Congleton, the producer—just about every artist he works with ends up making magic.

Ella Presiado, Publicity Director: Duke Reid, producer, and founder of Treasure Isle Records, which is named after the liquor store he ran his sound system out of in Kingston, Jamaica.

He produced SO MUCH great ska (which in my opinion is one of the more influential genres...).

We have him to thank for lots of great music!

Perry Wakatsuki, Programmer: Everything Madlib touches turns to gold (Pinata, Madvillainy need I say more). On a personality basis, Kenny Beats has great vibes. His series The Cave is a must-watch for modern hip-hop fans.

Rachel Smith, Program Director: The "jazz detective" Zev Feldman is always finding unreleased tapes from the masters of music–– people like Bill Evans, Lee Morgan, McCoy Tyner, Albert Ayler, Freddie Hubbard, Wes Montgomery, and even Patsy Cline. The sound quality is always top-notch. The LP or CD itself is approached as a work of art, with beautiful high-def photos so holding his releases in your hand feels luxurious.

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AROUND TH

Who's you behind-th music contr wh Georgia Dillane, Former Program Director: Charles Stepney! Producer for Chess Records in Chicago (Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, etc), also arranged some of the first pieces for ‘Rotary Connection’ fronted by Minnie Riperton. In 2022, his three daughters released Step on Step, a posthumous LP featuring home recordings from the Stepney home, featuring many of his under-appreciated solo works. The album is sweet, tender, and instrumentally excellent.

Taylor TaylorSierra-Ward Sierra-WardGuidry, Guidry,Programmer: Programmer:One One of of my favorite behind-the-scenes behind-the-scenes contribucontributors istors audio is audio engineer engineer and mixer and mixer Neal Neal H Pogue.

H Pogue.

He isHe most is most wellwell known known for his for his work work with with OutKast.

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Ya” and “SpottieOttieDopaliscious”.

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by Steve of “Bad Lacy!

Habit” by Steve Lacy!

Ella Werstler, Programmer: McCartney Garb, Programmer: I'm split on this one between Klaus Voormann and Erik Jacobsen. Klaus Voormann was a brilliant artist who is most famous for designing the Revolver album cover, which he won a grammy for in 1966. I think his oil paintings from the Beatles' Hamburg days are particularly striking, and he also was somewhat of a session musician, contributing bass tracks to a lot of artists' records in the seventies. I just love his black and white line work, I think the way that he renders hair is particularly stunning and love to incorporate it in my own work wherever I can.

Erik Jacobsen (if I get a cheat second Klaus pick) was a producer in the sixties McCartney Garb, Programmer: I'm split on this one between Voormann and Erik Jacobsen. and Voormann seventies who on artist a lot of folkisand folk-rock records, particularly for the Lovin' Klaus wasworked a brilliant who most famous for designing the Revolver album cover, Spoonful, but also Sopwith Camel, Tim Hardin, and Dan Hicks.

I don't know much about which he won a grammy for in 1966. I think his oil paintings from the Beatles' Hamburg days are producing,striking, but fromand a historical perspective I appreciate that Jacobsencontributing has uploaded some particularly he also was somewhat of a session musician, bass tracks of his earliest works on his website, which allows me to listen to rarer records from the early to a lot of artists' records in the seventies. I just love his black and white line work, I think the way sixties Greenwich scene. stunning and love to incorporate it in my own work wherever that he renders hairVillage is particularly I can. Erik Jacobsen (if I get a cheat second pick) was a producer in the sixties and seventies who worked on a lot of folk and folk-rock records, particularly for the Lovin' Spoonful, but also Sopwith Camel, Tim Hardin, and Dan Hicks. I don't know much about producing, but from a historical perspective I appreciate that Jacobsen has uploaded some of his earliest works on his website, which allows me to listen to rarer records from the early sixties Greenwich Village scene.

On Air · May 2025 29

Thank You WKCR’s spring fundraiser, held March 28th–April 3rd, continued WKCR’s yearly fundraising efforts to remain financially independent from Columbia University. Thank you to everyone who donated (whether via phone, check, or online) for helping us begin 2025 financially strong, and for supporting us for many years to come.

The following names are of listeners who pledged $100 or more over the phone and consented to having their names printed in this guide. We thank all contributors, of any amount and through any medium.

Nancy Salutoff Abraham Michael Evans “A Bach Loving Donor” Tom Faneuff David Bailin Thomas Ferrelly Alexander Balncarty John Foster Nick Barnwell Renato Fraga Mr. Barry Nancy Freshley Patricia Bases Elrick G. St. Claire Stephen Baver Miraj Ganatra Nicholas Biagini Lawrence Garment David Bibby Michael Gassfeny Marc Boddewyn Dive Goodfriend-Koven Michael Bray Patrick J. Green Karaline Bridgeford Alan Haddad Lawrence Brown Peggy Haine Bryan Brown John Hannon James Byrd Scott Heavner Matthew Carballal Ross Hill Julian Casablancas James Hirsch Neil Chaimas Ashok Idnani Peter Chapman Maddine Insalaco David B. Chorlian Laura Jackson Dolores Chotevorsky Karen Johnson David Conrad Matthew Josephs Frederick Cranston Jr. Ivan Jourdain Thomas Cuscito Kevin M. Kileen John Davis Aidan Kitszinger Joama Dobroszycki Matthew Knoss Douglas Donovan Charles Komanoff Jim Duffy Adam Kraff Siobhan Duffy David Laverty Margarita Eguizabal Jonathan Lehrich Marty Ehrlich Devin Leonard Christina Eisenbeis Bob and Gail Ludwig Barabara Ernzorhoff-Snow Robert C. Ludwig

30 On Air · May 2025

Stan Lumish Adam Lusdin Kevin Lutke Robert Manenti Kristina Mavvocchi Peter McGovern Dexter Mckenzie Paul Merino Jonathan Mernit Michael Minogue MJ Bolt LLC Roberty Mondell Tyrell Morris Joyce Muluaney Richard Nidel Diane Nikvnen Janite Oser Jan Oser Petit Mama LLC Robert Pfeffserman Virginia Piesrol Justin Pollmann Roslyn Powell Jim Pratt Stephen Rake Craig Renley Richard Rich Tom Richardson Linda Roesner Lori Rubenfeld Davis Russ Ian Russell Matthew Saadat Vetia Searcy

Bob Siegel Jennifer Smith Christine Smith Adrian Sondheimer John Sprinks Carl Stanton James Statto Edward Surovell Amy Swanson Tony Taylor Robert B. Tierney David Torres Janet Townsend and Henry Geisinger Ellen Tresselt CJ Mia Truzinsky Patrick Valentino Lane Vanderslice Marilyn Vogt-Downey Daniel Waller Abby Weinberg and Nathan Martin Sheila Weinburg Robert White Michael Wiley Derek Willoughby George Wilson Peter Winn Gregory Winter David Wolfsohn Andrew Wonder Courtney Wright Kevin Zalanskas Richard Zerbo

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. Thanks to your 2023 donations, we were able to retire Buzz, the hamster that ran the wheel powering us. But our new hamster, Roach, needs to start saving for retirement... can you blame him?

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

ONLINE Step 1: head to www.wkcr.org

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

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

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

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!

WKCR also accepts checks to our direct address. Just follow the same steps listed above but mail the check to: 2920 Broadway, New York, NY 10027

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!

On Air · May 2025 31

T h e e d i to r i a l tea m fo r t h i s i s sue wa s Ben Erdmann, Charlie Kusiel King, CJ Gamble, Iris Wu, Izzy Rosales, Maya Resnick, Nadia Lam & Teddy Wyche.

Sp e c i a l t ha n ks to Ella Pres iado, Emma Lacy, Eva Arroyo, Francisco Javier Reyes, Georgia Dillane, Perr y Wakatsuki, Preston Pressoir, Rachel Smith, Tanvi Krishnamur thy, Taylor Sierra-Ward Guidr y, & Ted Schmiedeler.

32 On Air · May 2025

WKCR 89.9 FM

2920 Broadway New York, NY 10027

O n Ai r 's e d i to r i a l b oa rd i s McCar tney Garb, Ella Werstler, Jem Hanan, & Olivia Callanan.