Publicity Director Tanvi Krishnamurthy publicity@wkcr.org
Business Manager Casey Lamb business@wkcr.org
Jazz Heads
Satch Peterson & Rachel Smith jazz@wkcr.org
New Music Head
Vivien Sweet newmusic@wkcr.org
Classical Head
Anika Strite classical@wkcr.org
American Head
Stephen Dames american@wkcr.org
In All Languages Head
Alma Avgar Shohamy ial@wkcr.org
Latin Head
Natalie Najar latin@wkcr.org
News & Arts Head
Macy Hanzlik-Barend news@wkcr.org
Dear Listeners,
Bird Lives! We hope you all enjoyed our annual Lester Young/Charlie Parker birthday festival, which closed August’s special programming. I, for one, was very excited until an early-morning fire alarm (4:45am) woke me up as I was sleeping in our conference room before my 6am Charlie Parker slot. It was certainly not the most fun show I’ve had, but after 3 hours of Bird and a chat with the legendary Sid Gribetz (who came for the following slot), I left happier than when I came.
Summer is just about wrapping up and with that comes the completion of some of our final summer projects. For one, I was locked away this week scanning files from our physical paper archive. Among the many receipts and old playlists were some truly interesting items: a damage report on the state of our transmitter following the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, minutes from board meetings held in 1972, and a slew of old festival posters all have a digital home now. Finding pieces of KCR’s history is always a treat.
With that said, the new academic year is upon us. New faces, lots of events, and some stellar birthday broadcasts are on the lineup for September. Personally, I cannot wait to keep my radio on and my dial tuned all day on September 23, when we will celebrate the life of John Coltrane. Additionally, we will be having a Salsa Festival at the end of the month, which is shaping up to be a can’t-miss from the looks of our early planning.
We appreciate you all for your listenership and support as always! We hope you all will enjoy September as much as us.
Peace and love,
Ted Schmiedeler Station Manager
Sports Head
Isabelle Fishbein sports@wkcr.org Mailing Address 2920 Broadway New York, NY 10027 USA
Cover photo of Bud Powell via Wikimedia Commons.
JAZZ
100 Years of Bud Powell
by Rachel Smith
Earl Rudolph “Bud” Powell did not follow a straight path, in life or in music. And so I have not attempted to flatten the course of his life into a traditional timeline. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth—September 27, 1924—indulge me instead in an eclectic cobbling-together of 100 moments, and memories (not mine, of course) from the powerful, erratic, deeply musical, and sometimes mysterious life of jazz pianist and composer Bud Powell.
The ‘20s
1. Sep. 27, 1924: Bud Powell is born in Harlem.
2. The birth certificate says 1922, though it is 1924.
3. His father is a stride pianist.
makes private tape recordings of him.
7. You could already hear Bud’s right-handed style on these recordings.
8. Bud’s early influences are Art Tatum and Fats Waller.
9. You can hear the influence of Art Tatum, as well as Teddy Wilson, when Bud plays ballads later in life.
4. His grandfather had learned flamenco guitar in Cuba during the Spanish-American War.
The ‘30s
5. Powell’s younger brother Richie, trying to say “brother,” dubs him “Bud.”
6. When Bud is 10-15 years old, his father
The ‘40s
10. When Bud is 13, his parents give him a baby grand piano.
11. His first gigs were in Coney Island.
12. Bud also knew how to play the organ, which he sometimes played at church.
13. At age 15, Bud begins playing in the band of his big brother William. William plays the trumpet.
14. Bud meets Thelonious Monk, who will become his friend and mentor, at Minton’s Playhouse.
15. Monk will introduce Bud to many jazz greats, among them Charlie Parker, Sonny Stitt, and Charlie Christian.
A young Bud Powell. Via Blue Note records.
16. Bud jams with Monk and Elmo Hope at Monk’s home. There is only one piano, so they take turns.
17. 1943: Bud joins Cootie Williams’ band.
18. Jan. 4, 1944: Bud records for the first time with Cootie.
19. Bud convinces Cootie to record Monk’s “‘Round Midnight.”
20. Aug. 22, 1944: this recording takes place.
21. This is the first known recording of the classic Monk tune.
22. Aug. 23, 1946: Bud records “Bouncing with Bud” with Sonny Stitt (saxophone) and Kenny Dorham (trumpet).
23. At this point, “Bouncing with Bud” is named “Bebop in Pastel.”
24. “Bouncing with Bud” will not be named “Bouncing with Bud” for another three years.
25. Jan. 10, 1947: Bud first records as a leader. That session, along with one from September 1953, is released on the Roost label as a 10-inch LP called The Bud Powell Trio.
26. May 8, 1947: Charlie Parker has Bud come into the studio with him for a quintet session. They record “Donna Lee” (with a solo from Powell), “Chasin’ the Bird,” and “Buzzy.”
27. The rest of the quintet are Miles Davis (t), Tommy Potter (b), and Max Roach (d).
28. 1947: Monk writes “In Walked Bud.” The tune was perhaps intended to thank Bud for defending Monk during a 1945 police raid of the Savoy Ballroom, where Bud was struck in the head with a nightstick.
29. Or, as Miles Davis said, Bud may have been beaten by a Savoy Ballroom bouncer for entering without money.
30. Or, as Dexter Gordon said, Bud may have been beaten in police custody after he was arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct in a train station in Philadelphia.
31. Bud underwent electroshock treatment at Creedmore Sanitarium to treat the headaches and mental breakdowns that resulted from this injury.
32. 1948: Bud’s only daughter Celia is born.
33. Feb. 3, 1949: on a one-day release from the psychiatric hospital, Bud records six tracks with Ray Brown (bass) and Max Roach (drums). Norman Granz produces.
34. Of those six tracks, four are originals and two are standards.
35. Of those originals, one is named for Bud’s daughter: “Celia.”
36. Aug. 9, 1949: “Bouncing with Bud” is first recorded with that title. That recording, often mistaken for the original, features Bud with Sonny Rollins (ts), Fats Navarro (t), Tommy Potter (b), and Roy Haynes (d).
37. At the same session, and with the same personnel, Bud records his composition “Dance of the Infidels.”
38. Sonny Rollins asks a young Jackie McLean, “Who’s the baddest, Bud or Bird?” McLean thinks he knows the answer—Bird—but Rollins makes him think twice. (This story appears in Peter Pullman’s biography, Wail: The Life of Bud Powell.)
39. Most consider 1949 to 1953 to be the height of Bud Powell’s musical genius.
The ‘50s
40. 1950: At Birdland, Bud gets into an argument with Art Tatum over playing Chopin. Tatum retorts that Powell is “just a right-hand piano player” and tells him, “you’ve got no left hand. Look, I’ve got a rhythm section in my left hand.” The next night, Powell retorts on the piano, playing a tune only with his left hand. This story is recounted by Ira Gitler in Jazz Masters of the ‘40s.
41. Speaking of classical music, Bud loved it. It was actually the music he learned to play on (he started playing at five years old and showed interest in swing at ten years old). His residency at Birdland in August 1964 with John Ore on bass and Horace Silver on drums notably included Bach.
42. May 1, 1951: Bud records his tune “Un Poco Loco” for Blue Note Records with Curly Russell on bass and Max Roach on drums. Alfred Lion produces.
43. Lion recalls in Wail: The Life of Bud Powell that this tune was completely spontaneous in its composition. Bud arrived at the studio, stayed only a few minutes to use the bathroom, then left the studio, and returned 90 minutes later. As soon as he returned, Bud said they were ready and the recording began.
44. This recording was Bud’s first day out of the hospital in 18 months.
45. 1951: Monk and Powell are found in a car with narcotics. Maybe they are Powell’s, maybe not. They are not Monk’s. But Monk will not testify against Powell. Monk’s cabaret card is revoked.
46. Bud spends a year and a half in a psychiatric hospital.
47. Feb. 5, 1953: the day he is released from the hospital, he starts a trio residency at Birdland.
48. The residency runs until September, featuring the likes of Charles Mingus, Oscar Pettiford, Roy Haynes, and Max Roach.
49. A listener records these concerts on acetate disks. They will later be released as Birdland 1953: The Complete Trio Recordings.
50. Mar. 9, 1953: Bud marries Audrey Hill.
51. Aug. 14, 1953: Bud records his own composition “Glass Enclosure” for Blue Note. Producer Alfred Lion suggests that the “Glass Enclosure” is the apartment of Birdland owner Oscar Goodstein (Bud’s legal guardian at the time) where Bud was housed and confined. But there are other possibilities: the announcer’s booth at Birdland, or something more metaphorical that made Bud feel separate from the rest of the world.
52. “Glass Enclosure” is entirely or almost entirely composed when first recorded by Bud, George Duvivier (b), and Art Taylor (d).
53. The Birdland owners introduce Bud to his later girlfriend, Altevia Edwards.
54. Her nickname is “Buttercup.”
55. Mar. 4, 1955: it’s Bird versus Bud at Birdland, when Charlie Parker and Bud Powell have an argument on the bandstand over tempo and key changes.
56. Bird is rumored to have called Bud “even crazier than me.”
57. Many contemporaries called Bud “the Charlie Parker of the piano.”
58. At that same gig, Bud needs to be helped from the bandstand.
59. Charles Mingus says: “Ladies and gentlemen, please don’t associate me with any of this. This is not jazz. These are sick people.”
60. A week later, Charlie Parker dies at the home of Baroness Nica de Koenigswarter.
61. Jun. 29, 1956: Bud’s brother Richie and Richie’s wife, along with Clifford Brown, are killed in a tragic car accident on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. They were on the way to a gig in Chicago.
62. Bud is sometimes tranquilized for recording dates.
63. 1957: One day on the Paris metro, Bud meets Parisian jazz lover and patron Francis Paudras.
64. Oct. 14 and Dec. 2, 1957, and Jan. 30, 1958: Bud records a host of Charlie Parker tunes— among them “Yardbird Suite,” “Moose the Mooche,” “Ornithology,” and “Scrapple from the Apple”—with George Duvivier on bass and Art Taylor on drums. The recordings are lost for 40 years. They are rediscovered by Michael Cuscuna (co-founder of Mosaic Records) and released by Blue Note as Bud Plays Bird.
65. 1959: Powell moves to Paris, into the Hôtel La Louisiane.
66. Buttercup and her son John move with him.
67. That hotel is known for the jazz greats it housed in the ‘50s and ‘60s; among them Oscar Peterson, Miles Davis, Max Roach, Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey, Billie Holiday, Lester Young, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Chet Baker, Dexter Gordon, and Wayne Shorter.
68. In Paris, Bud often plays with Pierre Michelot (b) and Kenny Clarke (d).
69. By this point, Buttercup is effectively Bud’s manager: employers give the money Bud earns at gigs directly to her.
70. A friend will later report that Buttercup
gives Bud heavy doses of tranquilizers.
71. Dec. 18, 1959: Bud joins Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers to record Paris Jam Session. He contributes his own tunes.
The ‘60s
72. Jul. 13, 1960: Bud sits in with Charles Mingus at Antibes, playing on “‘Round Midnight.” The solo that follows Bud’s is Eric Dolphy’s.
73. 1962: Bud plays at the Café Montmartre in Copenhagen for seven weeks. Niels Henning Ørsted Pedersen joins him on bass.
74. Niels is only 16 years old for these gigs.
75. Niels and Bud make a record together, with William Schiøpffe (drums), a few weeks later. This is Bouncing with Bud.
76. Bud is hospitalized for tuberculosis.
77. When in the hospital, being interviewed by a French journalist, Bud reveals that he admires pianist Al Haig.
78. At this very interview, Bud did not like to repeat himself.
79. Bud befriends Francis Paudras, whom he had met in the metro. He will move into Paudras’s apartment when suffering a mental and physical health crisis.
80. In 1986, Paudras will write a book, La Danse des Infidèles, about his relationship with Powell.
81. The book will be used as source material for the movie ‘Round Midnight, starring Dexter Gordon.
82. May 15, 1963: Bud plays with Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, and Max Roach in Toronto. The result is the fabulous live album Jazz at Massey Hall, credited to “the Quintet.”
83. The organizers of the Massey Hall concert had originally asked Lennie Tristano to play piano; it was Tristano who suggested Powell.
84. Sep. 30, 1964: Bud returns to Birdland.
85. As he nears the Birdland bandstand, he is greeted with a 17-minute standing ovation.
86. Jul. 31, 1966: Bud dies at 41.
87. His causes of death are tuberculosis,
malnutrition, and alcoholism.
88. At this point, Bud has recorded at least 30 studio albums and 38 live albums. He is a sideman on at least 9 more records.
Post-Mortem and Legacy
89. His obituary in the New York Times reads: “He was to the piano what Charlie (Bird) Parker was to the saxophone, what Dizzy Gillespie is to the trumpet, and together they revolutionized jazz in the 1940’s.”
90. Aug. 8, 1966: Bud’s funeral takes place.
91. According to DownBeat, the funeral procession was led by the Jazzmobile.
92. The Jazzmobile carries a full band, playing in Bud’s honor: Benny Green (tb), John Gilmore (ts), Barry Harris (p), Don Moore (b), Billy Higgins (d), and a last-minute appearance from Lee Morgan (t).
93. The tunes they play are: “Now’s the Time” (Charlie Parker), “‘Round Midnight” (Thelonious Monk), “Bud’s Bubble” (Bud
Bud Powell in 1960. Photographer unknown.
Powell), and “Dance of the Infidels” (Bud Powell).
94. The pallbearers included Max Roach and Kenny Dorham.
95. Nov. 26, 1979: After his concert at Cardin Hall in Paris, Bill Evans says: “If I had to choose one single musician for his artistic integrity, for the incomparable originality of his creation and the grandeur of his work, it would be Bud Powell. He was in a class by himself.”
96. 1989: In Miles: The Autobiography, Miles Davis mentions that Bud and Bird did not get along three times.
97. Sonny Rollins calls Bud Powell “the great professor of the music.”
98. Herbie Hancock says of Powell: “He was the foundation out of which stemmed the whole edifice of modern jazz piano. Every jazz pianist since Bud either came through him or is deliberately attempting to get
away from playing like him.”
99. Sep. 6, 2019: pianist David Virelles calls Bud “one of my ultimate piano heroes”—live on WKCR! He chooses Bud Powell as the focus of his 3-hour Deep Focus show (also available as a podcast) with host Mitch Goldman.
100. 2001: Paudras’s son donates The Francis Paudras Collection on Bud Powell to the Institute of Jazz Studies. It was compiled by Paudras before his death and includes film reels (some silent), audio tapes, scrapbooks, and interviews with other musicians about Bud.
On Friday, September 27th, WKCR will be dedicating 24 hours to the work of Bud Powell, born on that day 100 years ago. Join Rachel and other jazz DJs for an allday Centennial celebration.
Bud Powell. Photo by Robert James Campbell (1964), via thebluemoment.com.
A Marriage of Contrasts: Mariachi Music & Mexican Charrería Aesthetics
by Ale Díaz-Pizarro
If you mention the word “Garibaldi” to a Mexican, the Italian unification hero Giuseppe would be—if you’re lucky— only the third thing to come to mind. The second might be the garibaldi pastry, a small vanilla cake slathered in apricot pulp and covered with sugar sprinkles. But the first, indisputably, would be Plaza Garibaldi, the socalled “mariachi capital of the world” where, still today, mariachi bands play for business and haggle over prices with people who come from all over the city to hire a group for an event, or just to listen.
The origins of mariachi music lie in Jalisco, a state west of Mexico City that may be best known to Americans as the birthplace of tequila, or for the beach destination Puerto Vallarta. Jalisco held many haciendas and other agricultural enclaves, and when many of its peasant workers emigrated to Mexico City in the 19th century, they brought their music with them. Though Jalisco (and sometimes, the town of Cocula) are cemented as the cradle of mariachi music, the origins of the word are not as clear: the most pervasive origin story is that it originated during the French occupation of the 1860s, as a distortion of the French word mariage, as the music was popular at weddings.
However, there are recorded uses that predate the French occupation, so other theories are that mariachi comes from the name of the wood from which dance platforms were made, from the indigenous word for a type of tree, or from the Mariachi Ranch in Nayarit, a state neighboring Jalisco. Be the origin what it may, what is true is that mariachi is still prevalent at weddings, graduations, gala dinners, and other celebrations. No big event is complete without mariachi turning up around 2am, just when you think the party is about to be over, and trumpeting life back into it.
Mariachi music is ubiquitous within Mexican culture, and it could be argued that it is synonymous with it. The emblematic costume worn by many mariachi bands is actually rooted in charrería, the Mexican art
Sculpture of singer and actor Javier Solís in Plaza Garibaldi, the "world capital of mariachi." Photo by Tania Victoria/Secretaría de Cultura de la Ciudad de México.
of horse-riding and cattle-herding whose deep embedding in and influence on the Mexican psyche is only comparable to the importance of bullfighting for Spain.
Charrería originated when the Spanish, who originally had orders not to let any nonSpaniards ride the horses they’d brought to the New World, were forced to loosen this prohibition as the expanse and demands of agricultural labor made it necessary to put some indigenous and mestizo [miscegenated, or of mixed Spanish and indigenous descent] workers on horseback. Riding, then, became a symbolic acquisition of status, an arena where indigenous and mestizo Mexicans could be on the same level as the Spanish colonizers.
Quickly, these riders—or charros—developed their own traditions around horse-riding, which evolved into a sporting discipline and a code of knightlike gallantry that turned charros from simple cowboys into folk heroes. Forget dressage, eventing, jumping, or any of the boring categories generally associated with equestrian sports: charros compete in bareback riding (bulls or horses), lassoing horses using only the horse’s front or hind legs and without toppling the horse, and the dangerous paso de la
muerte or “death’s pass,” where a charro riding bareback and holding on only to horsehair must approach a wild mare and change horses while riding, taming the mare while still bareback.
Though American rodeos, based on charreadas, have morphed and evolved into their own traditions, the disciplines or suertes involved in charrería are storied and remain the norm: when on a recent visit to the Museo de la Charrería in downtown Mexico City I asked the guide whether he’d been a charro himself, he shrugged and said, “Oh, I was only a pasador de la muerte,” as if making a living from jumping from a horse onto a wild mare, all bareback, was as mundane as other professions. Interestingly, whereas women’s participation in professional rodeos has largely been sidelined, charras (or chinas, after the costume they wear) have always been a part of the sport in Mexico, competing in the 12 official disciplines in women-only competitions and in specialized events within larger charreadas alongside men.
The aesthetics are as important to charrería as the actual riding: the elaborate costumes, saddles, and spurs handmade for charros are recognizable as Mexican anywhere in the world—an aesthetic preoccupation matched only by that of mariachis. In fact, it was a star of Mexico’s golden age of cinema, Jorge Negrete, whose iconic traje de gala (housed in the Museo de la Charrería) combined with his talent for singing rancheras and other popular mariachi tunes cemented the charro suit as the standard mariachi costume.
But if charrería is a repository for the whole of Mexican history, so too is the mariachi wear that pulls from it then infused with that
Charros competing in the paso de la muerte at a charreada in Mexico. Photo by "eheçatzin" via Wikimedia Commons.
same significance. If charrería is symbolic of mestizaje, marrying Spanish horses with indigenous aesthetics to yield uniquely mestizo disciplines, so too is mariachi, a uniquely Mexican twist on the instrumentation of a classic Spanish theater band—and both with agrarian roots. The mariachis that the dictator Porfirio Díaz enjoyed presenting during his lavish, Europhilic parties channeled the aesthetics of ranchers like Emiliano Zapata, an unparalleled rider who would be a key figure in dethroning Díaz himself. Such contrasts remain in mariachi music: the mariachi aesthetics are emblematic of two stars of Mexican pop as different as Luis Miguel, the Spanish-Italian-descended patron saint of rich kids who take weekend trips to Acapulco, and Juan Gabriel, icon alike to queer Mexicans and
middle-class housewives. Mariachis are just as comfortable on a small trajinera boat in the working-class neighborhood of Xochimilco, taking song requests for a few pesos a pop from passing boat riders, as at wealthy weddings or graduations where they’re hired by the hour. Mexico, a country of contrasts and cultural marriages, is neatly symbolized in the mariachi tradition by which much of the world knows it, in the visual and intangible alike.
Mariachi, of course, is not the only kind of Mexican music: a country as large and diverse as Mexico is blooming with musical tradition, all of which deserves its due attention. But if you’ve ever tried to emulate the iconic mariachi cry, if you’ve ever requested “La bikina” or “Cielito lindo” from a mariachi band at a cantina, if the sound of trumpets makes you think immediately of Mexico—then you've experienced firsthand truly how special mariachi music is.
I would like to acknowledge the Federación Mexicana de Charrería and their Museo de la Charrería for their excellent materials, museography, and guides.
On Sunday, September 8th, the Columbia student ensemble Mariachi Leones will be playing Live Constructions from 10-11pm, co-hosted by Natalie Najar & Ale DíazPizarro.
On Monday, September 16th, Caribe Latino and Urbano Latinx will be pre-empted for a 3-hour Mexican Independence Day special, playing traditional and contemporary music from all over the country. Tune in from 10pm-12am to hear Ale Díaz-Pizarro, and then stay tuned 12am-1am to hear Natalie Najar.
Jorge Negrete in one of his iconic charro suits. Photo for a Bacardi promotional shoot ca. 1940s in Habana, Cuba, via Wikimedia Commons.
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Sin Fronteras
Jazz Alternatives
Nueva Canción Som do
Special Broadcasts
SPECIAL BROADCASTS
Mexican Independence Day
Monday, September 16th – Tuesday, September 17th, 10:00 PM-1:00AM (3 hours)
For 3 hours on Monday night, Urbano Latinx and Caribe Latino will be pre-empted for a 3-hour celebration of Mexican Independence Day. Tune in for traditional Mexican folk music, classic mariachi tunes, and a sampler of contemporary genres in the Mexican music scene including rancheras, cumbias, and regionales. You won't want to miss this comprehensive survey of the country's music!
John Coltrane
Monday, September 23rd, all day
Lots of goodness awaits us at the end of September here at WKCR. The festivities begin with 24 hours of John Coltrane on the 23rd of September — a KCR tradition!
Bud Powell Centennial
Friday, September 27th, all day
The 27th marks 100 years since the birth of the great Bud Powell. Tune in to hear the pianist for 24 wonderful hours.
Rosetta Records Centennial
Saturday, September 28th, all day
Founded in 1980, Rosetta Records featured the work of underrepresented women in both jazz and blues, developing a repertoire of some of the best female artists of the genres. On the 28th of September, we celebrate 100 years since the birth of its founder, Rosetta Reitz.
WKCR Salsa Festival
Monday, September 30th – Tuesday, October 1st, all day (48 hours)
Many know WKCR as the first radio station in New York to play Salsa music. This is a truth we are proud to carry! In honor of this legacy, and in keeping with the birthday of Héctor Lavoe on September 30th, WKCR will host a two-day Salsa festival! Keep your eyes peeled for more information.
THEMED SHOWS
SUNDAY PROFILES
Sundays 2:00-7:00 PM
Dinah Washington
September 1st, 2:00 - 7:00 PM
Host: Sid Gribetz
The Magnetic Fields' 69 Love Songs: 25th
Anniversary
September 8th, 2:00 - 7:00 PM
Host: Ale Díaz-Pizarro & Multiple WKCR Staff
André 3000
September 15th, 2:00 - 7:00 PM
Host: McKenna Roberts
Charles Mingus (ft. Mingus Big Band Musicians)
September 22nd, 2:00 - 7:00 PM (RESCHEDULED)
Host: Rachel Smith
Cécile McLorin Salvant
September 29th, 2:00 - 7:00 PM
Host: Ari X
SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE OPERA
Saturdays 9:00 PM-12:30 AM
Host: Ale Díaz-Pizarro
Nabucco (Verdi)
September 7th, 9:00 PM-12:30 AM
Der Freischütz (Weber)
September 14th, 9:00 PM-12:00 AM
Perfect Lives (Ashley) September 21st, 9:00 PM-12:00 AM
LIVE CONSTRUCTIONS
Sundays 10:00-11:00 PM
Mariachi Leones
September 8th, 10:00-11:00 PM
Pona
September 15th, 10:00-11:00 PM
Blood Estate
September 22nd, 10:00-11:00 PM
Tomato Flower
September 29th, 10:00-11:00 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
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
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!
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.
* indicates show was created after January 2022
ALBUM REVIEW
I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU by JPEGMAFIA
by Ben Rothman
This August, JPEGMAFIA’s dropped his new album I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU, and shook the experimental hip-hop world.
The name JPEGMAFIA has become synonymous with experimental hiphop, something evident in internet music nerd circles, and certainly in the halls of WKCR (where his Danny Brown collab record SCARING THE HOES was the station’s second collective favorite album of the year in 2023). The Baltimoreoriginating rapper, real name Barrington Hendricks, first gained mass attention with his critically acclaimed 2018 album Veteran, where he showcased abrasive production and bombastic verses with sometimescontroversial subject matter. Hendricks’ no-filter style is an acquired taste, but this new album is one of his most consistent and palatable releases, with clean-cut sample loops and features from a couple of his beloved rap colleagues. At the same time, the addition of punk-rock guitars to the instrumentals of these songs still grants them the trademark JPEGMAFIA edge.
JPEGMAFIA has played with harsh noises and aggressive sounds on his past records. However, his decision to go full punk, injecting
hard-hitting rock guitars and live-sounding drums into the songs on this newest album, molds those noises into something more approachable. Take the intro track “i scream this in the mirror before i interact with anyone,” which begins with a subtle shaking of drums. Hendricks drops a couple clever basketball bars (“If I was an NBA player, I'd be Dillon Brooks, but worse”) before the instrumental broadens into a canvas of guitars. Much like other Peggy albums, these cheeky references via aggressive delivery are a good primer for what the listener will hear on the next 13 tracks. As far as this
newfound rock sound, the following song “SIN MIEDO” features a rock arrangement that almost broaches dance territory, with a staccato drum pattern. “don’t rely on other men” has another standout guitar moment, with a searing riff breaking through the song’s pulsating and threatening beat. Many of these breathtaking solos on I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU are performed by producer Alex Goldblatt, who also worked on the grammy nominated 6LACK album Since I Have a Lover. By working with Goldblatt, Hendricks ensures a soulful, guitar-driven sound that sticks out compared to his past work.
After the hard-hitting first couple of tracks, “I’ll Be Right There” is a soulful interlude. Despite the romantic sample of Jade’s “Don’t Walk Away,” Hendricks keeps his lyrical content snarky and fierce, primarily taking shots at his hip-hop contemporary Freddie Gibbs, who he has engaged in beef with since last year. For other key tracks of I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU, it is not just the bombastic production that makes them memorable, but the marriage of that sound with classic hiphop samples. The punk-dance sound of “SIN MIEDO” also features an irreverent vocal loop from 2 Live Crew’s “Hoochie Mama.” Meanwhile, “vulgar display of power” is enhanced by a prominent interpolation of “Bring the Pain” by Method Man, with the Wu-Tang veteran’s vocals sliding between aggressive guitars. That song is not the only reference to Wu-Tang Clan on the album- On the following track “Exmilitary,” Hendricks uses a sample loop from 36 Chambers classic “Tearz” (which itself sampled “After Laughter” by Wendy Rene) as a backbone for what may be his best song to date. At around five minutes, “Exmilitary” is the record’s longest song, and it really makes you feel it in the best way possible. The production effortlessly shifts back and forth between the sample mentioned above, a raucous guitar riff, and a stunning electronic section.
If you’re a fan of hip-hop who likes to reach below the surface of the genre, Vince Staples and Denzel Curry are two names
you will undoubtedly have come across. On this JPEGMAFIA album, their features are standout moments and add another layer of hip-hop accessibility to the project. Staples appears on “New Black History,” jumping in on a menacing instrumental bookended by samples of Future’s “Covered N Money.” (Interestingly, Staples sampled the same song on his 2015 track “Señorita,” while Peggy has a song from 2020 also called “Covered In Money.” Perhaps this legacy of sampling and interpolation is part of the ‘new black history’ the song is named after.) Meanwhile, Curry, who previously collaborated with Hendricks on the songs “Vengeance” and “BALD!” and is beloved among hip-hop fans for his energy and versatility, is a welcome presence on the track “JPEGULTRA.” The two rappers trade verses as well as boisterous spoken word interludes over a dynamic, horn-driven instrumental that even switches to acoustic guitar for the final verse. For rap fans unfamiliar with the eccentric experimentation of JPEGMAFIA, perhaps seeing these fan-favorite MCs can help persuade them to dip their toes into his world.
I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU could be seen (per a revelatory verse on the soulful “either on or off the drugs”) as a response to the complicated and embattled release process of LP!, the rapper’s fourth album that he claimed was “rushed to complete.” In contrast, this album’s polished nature showcases some of the most confident performances Barrington Hendricks has displayed thus far in his career. At the same time, by using a hard rock sound as well as cleverly chosen samples from hiphop history, JPEGMAFIA has kept true to his ever-changing identity as an experimental rap artist.
Ben Rothman can be regularly heard on the hip-hop show Offbeat, Fridays 1:00AM5:00AM (Thursday nights).
Ted Schmiedeler, Station Manager "Sexy to Someone" – Clairo
Rachel Smith, Jazz Head "Octopus's Garden" – The Beatles
Natalie Najar, Latin Head "Riot!" – Earl Sweatshirt
Leon Zhou ('24), programmer "So Sick of Dreaming" – Maggie Rogers
Louise Dubin ('92), cellist and former host of Strings Attached "What Do You Do" – PigPen Theatre Co., orchestrated for strings by August Eriksmoen
Brahms Piano Concerto, 3rd Movement – Emil Gilels (piano), Janos Starker (cello solo), & Fritz Reiner conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Vivien Sweet, New Music Head "Couldn't Love You More" – John Martyn
Ronit Kathuria, programmer "Lately, Nothing" – Lexa Gates ft. Alé Araya
Thank You!
WKCR's summer fundraiser, held July 25th-27th, allowed us to undertake our summer projects to revitalize the station and will help us begin the new academic year on solid footing. Thank you to everyone who donated (whether via phone, check, or online)! It is truly your help that keeps WKCR alive and broadcasting.
The following names are of listeners who pledged $100 or more over the phone and consented to having their name printed in this guide. We thank all contributors, of any amount and through any medium.
Alex Holden
Bob from Scarborough, ME
Bradley Rodenberg
Charles Calitri
Chris Brunsen
CJ Pruvinfky
Cornelius McDonough
Dagmar Walter
David Chorlian
David Hollander
Devin Leonard
Dylan Chiericozzi
Edward Escoffery
Eugenia Ames
Ezekiel Healy
Frank Brown
Frederick Cranston
George Garnbau
Ira Perelson
James Pellegrino
Jay Kenny Goerk
Jeremy Arbitaljacoby
Jerry McCall
Jin Pratt
John McConnell
Jonathan Mernit
Judith Weiss
Kate Burton
Kevin Killeen
Lee Ping Kwan
Lily Russell
Mark Vollmer
Michael Brumitt
Nick Barnwell
Noah Shapiro
Patricia Nickel
Peter Krug
Peter Ross
Ric Becker
Richard Hanechak
Siobahn Dufsy
Stafford Baker
Steve Rautenberg
Toni Otway
Tyrell Morris
Vincent Martin
Wade Murphy
Wayne Miller
Z.W. Ballantine
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
Step 2: Indicate “WKCR” as payee and fill out as usual
Step 3: Mail check 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 checks to our direct address. Just follow the same steps listed above but mail the check 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!
On Air 's editorial board is Ale Díaz-Pizarro, Isabelle Fishbein, & McKenna Roberts.
Special thanks to Alex Arredondo, Anika Strite, Ben Erdmann, Ben Rothman, Brendan Sarpong, Casey Lamb, Charles Blass, Courtney Eileen Fulcher, Damaris Lindsay, David Gonzalez, Eamon Costello, Ella Presiado, Georgia Dillane, Hannah Puelle, Ian Pumphrey, Jayden James, Jayin Sihm, Leon Zhou, Macy Hanzlik-Barend, Maria Shaughnessy, Melisa Nehrozoglu, Michael Onwutalu, Muna Ali, Natalie Najar, Nitya Nigam, Preston Pressoir, Rachel Smith, Ronit Kathuria, Sam Seliger, Sawyer Huckabee, Sophia Woo, Stella Densley, Stella Fusaro, Stephen Dames, Tanvi Krishnamurthy, Ted Schmiedeler, Teddy Wyche, Thomas Preston, Vivien Sweet, Zachary Vanderslice... & you!
