OnAir April 2024

ON AIR

WKCR 89.9 FM

April 2024 Vol. xxiii, No. 4

OnAir · April 2024

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WKCR 89.9 FM

Station Manager Ted Schmiedeler stationmanager@wkcr.org Program Director Georgia Dillane programming@wkcr.org Director of Operations Ben Erdmann operations@wkcr.org Student Life Director Teddy Wyche studentlife@wkcr.org 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 Ben Erdmann newmusic@wkcr.org Classical Head Anika Strite classical@wkcr.org American Head McKenna Roberts american@wkcr.org

Dear Listeners, It is with immense gratitude that I humbly write to you all again. First and foremost, I want to address the biggest decision made last month: reinstating the Bix Beiderbecke Birthday Broadcast.

I am proud that, through our efforts, alternative, historical programming persevered. We put a great deal of thought into everything we do at the station, and the great history that WKCR stands upon. We value it because we see it consistently through our alumni, the physical space, and the music we play.

Being “The Alternative” is no easy task, and we will continue to demonstrate our dedication to living up to that nickname. It is moments like these that bring me (and perhaps you) closer to WKCR and everything it stands for because of its uniqueness and beauty.

Radio is around us at all times. Physically, it fills the airwaves but it cuts deeper than that. Radio gives us something to look forward to. Radio gives us a place to be ourselves. Radio pushes us to think critically, engage thoughtfully, expand our horizons, and have an open mind and open heart.

And with every fiber of my being I love WKCR. With all that being said, I am excited about the April programming we have lined up for this year!

As always, we will be doing celebrations for Billie Holiday, Charles Mingus, Ella Fitzgerald, and Duke Ellington this year. We will also be featuring a Ma Rainey celebration, about whom you can read about in a wonderfully written piece on p. 11-13.

Thank you all for your continued support, and happy listening!

In All Languages Head Alma Avgar Shohamy ial@wkcr.org

Peace and love,

Latin Head Natalie Najar latin@wkcr.org

Ted Schmiedeler Station Manager

News & Arts Head Ian Pumphrey news@wkcr.org Sports Head Nathan Kim sports@wkcr.org

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Cover photo of Ma Rainey by unknown author.

Mailing Address

CONTACT US

2920 Broadway General Inquiries: board@wkcr.org New York, NY 10027 Listener Line: 212-854-9920 USA ©Copyright 2024 WKCR FM NYC

This Month OnAir WKCR as Metaphor for Jazz . . . page 4

Billie Holiday & the Swing Song Tradition . . . page 6

Ma Rainey & the Black Avant-Garde . . . page 11

Meet a Member: Sarah Barlyn Weekly Schedule

. . . page 14 . . . page 16

Special Broadcasts & Themed Shows . . . page 18

Show Listings for WKCR Listeners . . . page 19

Mitski Concert Review

. . . page 22

Here for NYC: Festival Review . . . page 24

March Events Around NYC Around the Station

. . . page 26 . . . page 28 OnAir · April 2024

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FEATURE PIECE

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WKCR as Metaphor for Jazz

by Rachel Smith

n large part thanks to the legendary Phil Schaap, who hosted his first show on WKCR at 7:00 PM on February 2, 1970, WKCR is best known for its jazz programming. Though Schaap’s presence at the station was a turning point in WKCR’s history, our station’s jazz tradition started even before Phil and continues after him. Jazz is built into the very foundations of WKCR––through chance, invention, and passion.

Our station was founded on jazz. In 1933, the first U.S. patents for a wide-band FM radio

Photo by McKenna Roberts.

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system (which reduced static) were given to a Columbia University professor and electrical engineer by the name of Armstrong. Of course, his first name was Edwin, not Louis—though during Edwin Armstrong’s development of FM radio, Louis was indeed setting the world on fire with his trumpet. Professor Armstrong had an FM transmitter built in New Jersey and presented FM radio to the United States Federal Communications Commission in June 1936.

He showed off his invention by playing music through an AM transmitter and then switching to his FM transmitter. As luck would have it, he chose to play a jazz record (though the identity of the record is lost to history). That’s right: jazz was the very first thing ever played on FM radio. With that historic broadcast, Armstrong brought the music closer to the engineers: “If the audience of 500 engineers had shut their eyes they would have believed the jazz band was in the same room” (San Bernardino Sun, Volume 42, June 18, 1936).

But our FM transmitter isn’t the only part of WKCR with a connection to jazz. Jazz strikes a perfect balance between tradition and innovation.

Any jazz musician (I’ve got Matthew Shipp on my mind since he spoke live on the air on March 21st) will tell you this: “I had to learn the lineage, but then I had to do my own thing.” Jazz has such a rich tradition that every one of its musicians inherits; at the same time, jazz has never been about doing what’s been

done before—it is constantly evolving.

This applies, of course, to more than just jazz––Barry Harris, for example, used to say that if classical composers were alive today, they wouldn’t still be playing the classical works they had composed. They’d be innovating and improvising. I’ve paraphrased from what was relayed to me by his apprentice and partner, Howard Rees.

But, for jazz more so than other genres, reinvention is part of its identity. Take avant-garde jazz, for example. “Avantgarde” means experimental or new; in a wonderful paradox, jazz boasts an avant-garde tradition.

WKCR embraces both tradition and innovation. These two concepts structure our programs: we air Phil Schaap’s incredible Birdflight and Traditions in Swing broadcasts; as we do so, we dedicate our new show, Now’s the Time (named for the Charlie Parker tune, in deference to Phil’s love for Bird), to the latest arrivals on the New York City jazz scene. Bookended in music history by these two shows, every week, we draw from over a century’s worth of music.

Jazz has never cared for boundaries, and neither do we. We play commercially released music and music that was never released, notably on Mitch Goldman’s biweekly Deep Focus podcast. We play recorded music and invite emerging artists to play live. We play jazz all-stars and relative unknowns. Perhaps most notably in this digital age, we play 78s (thank you, Matthew Rivera), LPs, EPs, CDs, and music we access online. We even have reel-to-reel tapes in our library. Because of WKCR’s commitment to preserving analog formats, WKCR’s studios house quite a few pieces of old technology. On the one hand, this puts us constantly at risk of having something break down (and not being able to get spare parts because the company went out of business before we were born). On the other hand, there’s something romantic about the lack of change—it connects us to a

Photo by McKenna Roberts.

long tradition of jazz listening. We listen to music the way generations before us did. And not only generations of music lovers, but also generations of WKCR hosts. When I talk into the host microphone during one of my shows, I see around me what Phil once saw around him. Across from that mic is a red chair, once sat on by the likes of Duke Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie; today, any guest musician can sit where those greats once did.

Once upon a time, jazz was synonymous with popular music. It’s not that way anymore, which presents another way in which WKCR resembles jazz itself: once financially comfortable, we cannot take our preservation as a given. Keeping the past alive and forging into the future is difficult work––but for WKCR’s hosts, it’s a labor of love. We are honored to be on the air for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, bringing you great music that you wouldn’t hear anywhere else.

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JAZZ

From the Vault: Billie Holiday and the Swing Song Tradition

by Phil Schaap and Ben Young with Matt Herman transcribed and edited for clarity by Ale Díaz-Pizarro

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he following article appeared originally in the WKCR Billie Holiday Festival Handbook, a souvenir from the 300-hour marathon of Billie Holiday between April 1-15, 2005. The first section has been left untouched as originally published, while the second and third sections have been slightly abridged and edited for clarity.

early Jazz, the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Sadie Harris Fagan did not marry Billie’s biological father, but Sadie did marry a man named Gough, and young Billie Holiday was known as Eleanora Gough. The Holidays, Fagans, Harrises, and Goughs were actually from Baltimore where Billie Holiday was raised.

Young Lady Day listened to the earliest Jazz records. illie Holiday, whose Her favorite was Louis timbre and range lacked Armstrong, and his singing the awe-inspiring is the root of her style. Billie elements expected in great also named Bessie Smith as singers, is, nevertheless, the an influence. She certainly Jazz vocalist. The emotional listened to an early Bessie power of this definitive Smith record, Columbia Jazz singer also reaches the A3898 [A-side: “Tain't hearts of many listeners who Nobody's Biz-Ness If I Do;” appreciate her alone among B-side: “Keeps On A-Rainin'”], Jazz performers. a lot. Still, Bessie’s power, Billie Holiday, or “Lady centered in The Blues, is less Day” as she was known, obvious in Lady’s style than was born Elinore Harris (or Satchmo’s. Bessie Smith and Eleanora or Fagan: Billie’s The Blues were synthesized mother used both Harris and

by Billie Holiday; Louis Fagan as her surname) on Armstrong is the model. One April 7, 1915 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Eleanora A little Eleanora Fagan in 1917. Photo via can not listen to 1920s Ethel selected “Billie” because she Wikimedia Commons. Waters recordings without hearing that “Sweet Mama admired a motion picture star named Billie Dove. Lady Day preferred to use Stringbean” also had a great impact on Lady her father’s surname, Holiday, though Clarence Day. Billie Holiday may not have acknowledged Holiday never married Sadie Harris Fagan it because the two women did not get along.

By the early 1930s, Billie was singing Gough, Billie’s mother. Clarence Holiday was a Jazz musician who played banjo, then switched professionally in New York City. Her Jazz to guitar. He played in the leading big band of concept was remarkably relaxed, and she was

B

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Billie Holiday at the Downbeat in NYC, c. 1947. Photo by William P. Gottlieb.

in the forefront of the rhythmic revolutionaries of The Swing Era who elasticized Jazz’s beat.

Holiday articulates ‘3’ against ‘2’ differently from Louis Armstrong and the New Orleans shuffle. Her own rhythmic secret is discernible in her quarter-note triplets. Billie’s associate Lester Young’s use of eighth-notes and eighthnote triplets demonstrates their similarity, and that they’re different.

Billie Holiday was heard by talent scout and producer John Hammond, who hired her in 1935 to make a series of records that changed the way a song’s lyrics were presented in Jazz.

Lady Day’s delivery of the vocal was part of a string of solos, which were otherwise played by instrumentalists, in a miniature jam now known as The Swing Song Tradition. These records helped make Billie Holiday a star, and she soon embarked on a career as a cabaret singer. An early illustration would be Lady Day’s headlining at the Café Society’s grand opening in January 1939. Previously, she had often sung in big bands such as Fletcher

Henderson’s (1936), Count Basie’s (1937-38), and Artie Shaw’s (1938). Now, a smaller band backed her vocals: whether at posh clubs, Jazz joints, or in concert, the accompaniment was small, often just a pianist.

Billie Holiday, celebrity chanteuse, stopped making discs in the style of The Swing Song Tradition, but all of her records were Jazz classics even when devoid of instrumental Jazz improvisations or even Jazz musicians. This was due to Lady Day’s swing and inventions.

Her biggest hit records came during this period, highlighted by “Lover Man” in 1944. Even when Lady Day appeared with former colleagues such as Lester Young or in jam-session settings such as Jazz at the Philharmonic, the performance was all about her. She was the soloist, the only soloist. In 1946, Billie Holiday debuted at Carnegie Hall and appeared in a Hollywood motion picture with Louis Armstrong.

At this zenith of superstardom, Billie Holiday’s heroin addiction caught up with her. Her fame continued but now included notoriety with sordid details of drug busts and missed engagements. Pockets of consistent performance occurred in her later years and most of her last records happily returned her to The Swing Song Tradition. But Lady Day never beat substance abuse or law enforcement.

Billie Holiday died on July 17, 1959, at age 44.

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nderstanding Billie Holiday’s recorded career, as with any performer, requires the listener to understand the nature of a formal record date and a commercial release.

Billie Holiday was recorded at many gigs and off the air informally; she never expected these recordings to be widely heard. When she went into the studio, however, she hoped to be listened to by millions.

Lady Day’s recording debut was a studio recording for commercial release done with Benny Goodman in 1933. For the next nine years virtually all of her recordings were made for one company, today known as SonyBMG. The first three years were combos—The Swing Song Tradition. Starting in the fall of 1938,

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Billie Holiday in an ad on page 2 of July 28, 1945 Billboard magazine. Unknown author.

most of the records document her switch from informal combos to back-up bands and, after January 1939, she no longer recorded as a sidewoman. These mid-sized ensemble backups continued until 1942.

In 1939, Billie Holiday—now a pop star— wanted to record the song “Strange Fruit” as a protest against racism. Columbia Records was too scared to risk the wrath of a segregated America by recording it. Still, they didn’t want to alienate their diva. Billie Holiday was allowed a one-time release from her exclusive contract to record “Strange Fruit” for the allJazz label, Commodore Records. Following the practice of the day, Commodore recorded four tunes to make a full date, [which] was a union regulation.

Between July 31, 1942 and 1944, [the record labels and the musicians’ union] had no

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agreement, and commercial recording, not just for Billie Holiday, was halted. Billie Holiday was free to switch labels after this strike and on March 25, 1944 made for Commodore her first records after the settlement. Commodore was run by Milt Gabler. He had helped Billie to broker her one-time release from Columbia to record “Strange Fruit” in 1939. Gabler became an executive with Decca Records and signed Billie Holiday to Decca later in 1944.

Decca Records allowed, and probably preferred, Billie Holiday to record as a cabaret star with discreet backgrounds that underutilized—often in the extreme—any Jazz instrumental solo talent that was present. It is known, however, that Billie Holiday enjoyed these records and desired the backdrop.

They also sold, in BIG numbers. All of Billie Holiday’s recordings for commercial release between 1944 and 1950 were done for Decca.

It is during these years that the number of informal recordings of Billie Holiday expanded exponentially. In her lifetime, however, the Decca records were the ones that were known.

Decca Records, in part due to Billie’s drug problems and in part due to the beginning of Jazz’s descent from the pop market, chose not to re-sign Billie Holiday. She made only one session over the next two years: for Aladdin, on April 29, 1951, [with] guitarist Tiny Grimes.

Grimes had directed Billie’s group many times in the mid-1940s. Their 1951 reunion goes unexplained.

Then in 1952, Billie Holiday signed with Norman Granz, the founder of Jazz at the Philharmonic, [who] signed [her] to an exclusive contract. In a decision nearly as insightful as his idea to have Ella Fitzgerald record all the evergreens from the American popular songbook’s master composers, Granz returned Billie Holiday to Jazz accompaniment and The Swing Song Tradition. She often thrived on the concept, as she once again jammed tunes with fellow improvisers. Even when her drug habits and personal problems make her weakness audible, the fun inherent in The Swing Song Tradition approach still seems present. Granz, nevertheless, could

Billie Holiday performing at the Storyville Club in Boston, 1955. Photo by Mel Levine.

see that Billie Holiday, whose lifestyle often created logistical problems, was now often physically incapable even when she was on time and willing to perform. During 1957, he elected not to re-sign her.

By now many, many Billie Holiday live appearances were being recorded, often to high audio standards. Even while she was alive, a few of them were issued. Recordings of this type—in good, bad, and indifferent sound— now dwarf the number of formal recordings for commercial release.

Her brief time was just about over. The last records are anomalies. One, Lady in Satin, is considered a unique masterpiece in her recorded career. Both of her last albums found arranger Ray Ellis as her music director. Ellis was a Jazz musician who became an arranger at the end of the big band days. Wisely, it was decided that she would use repertoire she had never recorded. It clicked. Even listeners who couldn’t bear to hear the decaying, limited voice of Billie Holiday’s later years admired Lady in Satin. Billie Holiday, however, didn’t have much left when she tried to follow it up

for MGM in March 1959, again with Ray Ellis.

She died a month after that record’s release.

Many Jazz artists’ recordings are difficult to trace and once found might provide an incomplete musical picture of the artist. Billie Holiday’s recordings, her productions under contract to various record companies, are unusual in that they offer a fair reading of her career, provide a clear illustration of her music, and are easy to outline.

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t the start of the Swing Era, producer John Hammond obtained an assignment from Brunswick Records: having a singer backed by a Jazz combo make records of mostly new pop songs, largely for the jukebox trade.

Hammond immediately chose pianist Teddy Wilson to direct these combos. Brainstorming with Wilson, Hammond mapped out a vision of a complete Jazz performance—the singing would be Jazz, too. Teddy Wilson understood and concurred. They each selected an obscure singer who might make the idea work. Teddy’s choice for a vocalist was the (still) obscure

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it was time for the lyric.

The Swing Song Tradition created all sorts of devices to transform a tune into a perfect Jazz miniature. One instrumentalist played the melody, another would play an obbligato behind the singer. Still other instrumentalists improvised variations on the theme.

These solos came after the melody statement but could occur either before or after the vocal (or both). The problem was a limitation in the playing duration of records: singles were supposed to last less than three minutes. This demanded brevity in the ad-libbed instrumental solos, and one solution was the split chorus. Particularly when the tempo was slow, a single chorus of improvisation could feature as many as four individual soloists. This created musical dialogue among the players, Billie Holiday backstage at Carnegie Hall, ca. 1946-1948. Photo by another highlight of The Swing Song William P. Gottlieb.

Tradition. Often at the end of a tune, a free-for-all finale would simulate a jam Beverly “Baby” White. John Hammond told session or even a Dixieland band. him, “Oh, no: the singer has to be Billie The first Swing Song Tradition records [...]

Holiday!” Lady Day not only helped these sold well, and Billie Holiday was signed to men put over their innovation; Billie Holiday her own record contract. The concept was brought The Swing Song Tradition to its zenith modified for the Billie Holiday Vocalions (July at its inception.

10, 1936–September 15, 1938). On Holiday’s The Swing Song Tradition turns the melody dates, singing was heard twice. Billie’s first and the lyric of a song into golden opportunities vocal appearance replaced the instrumental for Jazz soloing. The essential ingredient is the statement of the melody. She would sing again vocal. The delivery of the song’s words comes after the others had soloed. Since a Jazz vocal within a string of instrumental Jazz solos, and is the essential ingredient in The Swing Song the singing is one of those solos. In The Swing Tradition, few felt that the system was marred.

Song Tradition, however, the melody is often Who could complain about Billie Holiday first stated instrumentally, and that too is a Jazz taking a second helping? solo. On The Swing Song Tradition bandstand, to be chosen to play the melody is to get the plum assignment.

That Jazz now features singing seems so logical, but when Jazz was young, most Lady Day returns to 89.9FM for 24 hours vocalists seemed old-fashioned. It was almost on Sunday, April 7th, for what would have as if the Jazz stopped when the singing started. been her 109th birthday. Tune in all day or The Swing Song Tradition was the answer to stream at wkcr.org for one of WKCR’s most the problem. The singer became an equal in beloved yearly celebrations. the improvising, delivering her/his solo when

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AMNERICAN

Ma Rainey and the Black Avant-Garde

by Taylor Guidry

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a Rainey was an American blues singer a storm. The storm start to raining, you try to and influential early-blues recording run here and run there and get away, and you artist. She was born Gertrude Malissa become excited.” (qtd. Lieb 93). Though Ma Nix Pridgett on April Rainey would often write 26, 1886 in Columbus, her songs, in this instance, Georgia, where she also she performed a song passed away on December written by someone else 22, 1939 in due to heart and a reference to Richard disease at 53 years old.

Wagner’s Die Walküre, but Her parents, Thomas and still managed to inject her Ella (Allen) Pridgett, were own invention into the minstrel performers. performance (Lieb 93).

Rainey was known Ma Rainey was known for “her strong vocals, for being a theatrical energetic performances, performer, who changed majestic phrasing, and the narrative for what a her "moaning" style of woman in blues could do. singing” (Brandman). Her She was simultaneously talents are present and a star of vaudeville and most evident in her early a minstrel of her own recordings "Bo-Weevil making. Rainey was Blues" and "Moonshine associated with the Blues." genres of blues and jazz, In the book, Mother as well as a precursor of the Blues: A Study of musically to the swing Ma Rainey, Sandra R. era. We can also see her Lieb writes about how as someone that could be Ma Rainey would start considered avant-garde One of the only pictures of Ma Rainey. Unknown and performance wise; her show performing photographer.

Thomas Dorsey’s “Stormy however, she is not often Sea Blues,” in a theatrical associated with the avantmanner that mimicked being in a storm. Ma garde, since her public persona has historically Rainey sang, “I see the lightnin' flashin' / I see been criticized as inflecting a negative identity the waves a-dashin' / I'm tryin' to spread the of Blackness because her artistic expression news I feel this boat a-crashin' / I'm tryin' to was minstrelsy. spread the news / My man has done quit me Lieb writes about how Rainey emphasized and left me with the stormy sea blues.” And her features to conform to the prejudices “she’d sing it and then do whatever you’d do in against dark-skinned African-American women

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held by Blacks and Whites while wearing mostly gold jewelry (an occasional tiara) that correlated with her gold teeth and matched the shade her skin was when she lightened it with “heavy greasepaint, powder, and rouge, so that she looked almost gold-colored under the amber stage lights” (Lieb 8). It was interesting that Rainey colored her skin to look like gold instead of black: we most often associate minstrel representations of blackness with literal Ed Pollack, Albert Wynn, Thomas A. Dorsey, Ma Rainey, Dave Nelson, and Gabriel blackface representations, Washington in 1923. Unknown photographer. instead of a gold color, associated with wealth and worth. Ma Rainey All of Wagner's complexities could be also performed in elaborate gowns of maroon, characterized in the two main dichotomies gold, or blue beaded satin (Lieb 8). This of modernism: “one strain of modernism imagery of Ma Rainey was aware of what focuses on themes such as progress, novelty, societal stereotypes were prevalent, and she technology, and invention. This is essentially subverted that white gaze by adorning herself a future-oriented, often overtly optimistic with symbols of wealth and feminine glamour. strain. A second strain [...] is somewhat This was not just subversive, but camp and darker, emphasizing alienation, isolation, avant-garde. She was simultaneously both a parody, irony, absurdity, and fragmentation.

Black Baby Jane and a Black Blanche from The common element to be found in both What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?. Subversion the optimistic and pessimistic strains of and dualism is an antidote to the avant-garde. modernism is the effort by artists to ‘go against the grain’—to snub orthodoxy and replace it with the unorthodox” (Huron). n the article, “Expecting the Unexpected: If modernism is subjugation of structure, Wagner and the Language of Longing,” then Black modernism or the Black avantDavid Huron talks about how Wagner garde experience is a push between the and his music were considered the first positive identity and negative identity of embodiments of modernism because of the Blackness, explored against Black formalism, way he articulated romanticism and used Black traditionalism, and White structure. In leitmotifs to create a contrarian aesthetic of the early 1900s to 1920s it seemed that songs negative identity. His relation with modernism through the medium of folklore was the way is also related in his goal to compose “music that black modernism or black avant-garde of the future” or zukunftsmusik. Hence why was explored.

Wagner is associated with the avant-garde: his Literary Modernism from the 1920s to the music was future oriented (Huron).

I

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1950s was a place to explore the Black avantgarde, especially seen in Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man. “All I know is I ends up singin' the blues. I sings me some blues that night ain't never been sang before, and while I'm singin' them blues I makes up my mind that I ain't nobody but myself and ain't nothin' I can do but let whatever is gonna happen, happen” (Ellison 53). Ellison explores Blackness in relation to the white gaze and white spaces in a Jim Crow America through a narrator that exists within a negative space. In her analysis of Invisible Man, Hortense J. Spillers argues that the book is rooted in the subversion of myth and consciousness, which in turn creates a counter-mythology of the narrator and black body through the motion of black disobedience (Spillers 65-80). “The book has never called itself “revolutionary,” but it begins and ends with a revolutionist determination: If “I” am to be victimized, why not let it be for good reason?” (Spillers 80).

I believe that Ma Rainey used the same subversion tactics in relation to the way she wanted the world to perceive her complexity in personality and in public image. The embodiment of her complexity was also rooted in her nicknames like Ma, Mother of the Blues, Big Mama, and Mama. “But by far the major significance of her name was as a shorthand for “Mama”—a lover, a voluptuous and desirable woman. Her comedy frequently depended on good-natured self-mockery about her looks, and on the contrast between her uninhibited, provocative movements and the discomfort of more straight-laced characters” (Lieb 10). This helped to cultivate a counter-mythology of the true identity of Rainey, and a way to cloak herself from the white gaze—like the narrator in Invisible Man—in order to maintain her mental secureness in a world that was hateful to her and other Black people.

Ma Rainey signified the American dream through her success in music, and in the way she projected success through the clothes and/or jewelry she wore in her performances.

“Rainey signed a recording contract with Paramount Records in 1923, making her one

of the earliest recorded blues musicians.

Between 1923 and 1928, she recorded almost 100 records, many of them national hits that are now part of the American musical canon.

Her 1924 recording of “See See Rider Blues” (for which she was accompanied by a young Louis Armstrong) was added to the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry in 2004" (Brandman).

While Ma Rainey sang the blues, which translated the hardness of her life, it was through the use of physical comedy that she highlighted her personal representations of the negative and positive identity of blackness, which was uniquely avant-garde. Her undisputed and unique expression of southern blues influenced a generation of blues singers and persists to this day.

Works Cited Brandman, Mariana, NWHM Predoctoral Fellow in Women’s History 2020-2022 https://www.womenshistory.org/educationresources/biographies/gertrude-ma-rainey Huron, David. “Expecting the Unexpected: Wagner and the Language of Longing.” The MIT Press Reader, 12 August 2022, https:// thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/expecting-theunexpected-wagner-and-the-language-oflongin g/.

Lieb, Sandra R. Mother of the Blues: A Study of Ma Rainey. University of Massachusetts Press, 1981.

Spillers, Hortense J. Black, White, and in Color: Essays on American Literature and Culture.

University of Chicago Press, 2003.

WKCR will celebrate the "Mother of the Blues" with a special 8-hour tribute, where we will play the entirety of her discography.

Tune into the Ma Rainey Birthday Broadcast on Friday, April 26th, from 10:00AM to 6:00PM EDT.

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MEET A MEMBER

Interview with Sarah Barlyn

by Maria Shaughnessy

C

an you introduce yourself and what your positions have been at KCR? I am Sarah Barlyn. I'm a senior at Barnard and my positions at WKCR have included Director of Engineering, spearheader of Live Constructions as well as Booking Coordinator.

How did you find out about KCR and what made you want to join?

I always wanted to do college radio, like always, but I'm a transfer student and at my former school, Fordham University Lincoln Center there was no radio station—there was only a web stream, and I got rejected. Then, I left Fordham and came to Barnard, and on Activities Day where every club at Columbia sets up their little tent, I came across WKCR and thank God I came across WKCR. And I actually ran into one of our WKCR alum, Olivia Mitchell, who I went to summer camp with as a little kid. And so I had recognized Olivia and we were talking, and since then I’ve been in WKCR. So you founded/restarted Live Constructions, our live music program at WKCR. How did that happen? What made you want to do that?

I learned audio engineering in high school and then I shadowed Zachary Vanderslice a little bit for our live Friday Out To Lunch shows. I honestly forget exactly what compelled me to invite a band on, but I had met a local band at a show two years ago and I reached out to them and I just asked if they wanted to come on the radio. Their name was Foyer Red, and they said yes, and God bless them because we had no idea what we were doing. We had no idea. We totally forgot about monitors and

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headsets—we literally just put them in a room and gave them mics and called it a day. By we I mean mainly myself, Leni Bryan, and Kalen Richardson. And yeah, so then this became a weekly endeavor, which was actually a very big undertaking 'cause it consisted of consistently being in touch with local bands and their management and answering questions and preparing technical aspects, and, um, yeah. It would have been impossible without Leni and Kalen.

What would you say your proudest achievement at WKCR is?

I think representing women in a community that they're not normally represented in, like audio engineering. Being able to do that and being able to give all of these different bands exposure to women in audio was something that I was very proud of. And then I would honestly say having one of my favorite artists on, who goes by the name of Mavi, that was really fun.

Of all the Live Construction sets that you engineered, which one was your favorite?

Dolly Spartans. They were really fun, because they were technically a bigger undertaking than we're used to, but they were very patient and it was like a very fun experience working with them. I would also say the Golden Dregs were really fun because they had just flown in from the UK and listening to them live was just a total treat.

What are you going to miss most about WKCR when you graduate?

I think I'm really going to miss—and this might

be obvious—a community of people that I felt like I didn't have anywhere else. Music is a totally integral part of my identity, and it's a little bit frightening when you're not surrounded by people who share that part of your identity. In high school and early college I had nobody to go to concerts with and I had nobody to talk about music with, so I never took for granted that WKCR was a space where that part of my identity was kind of removed from the private sphere and introduced to the public sphere. I just love talking to people who live the same things that I do.

So who would you say that the coolest person that you met through KCR is?

My friend Maria.

Okay, we can wrap [laughs].

No, definitely my friend Maria.

I think I've needed a friend like Maria all along. And it's also just nice to have a friend who also deals with music in a professional setting. But the funny thing is that we don't listen to the same music, but it's still so pertinent to both of our lives.

Do you have a favorite show?

It's got to be Live Constructions.

What's coming for you after graduation?

I definitely want to stay involved in a community of music lovers and of humble music lovers.

That's an important detail. Hard to find. Yeah, it's not easy.

Art by Tanvi Krishnamurthy.

Catch Sarah's work on Live Constructions, every Sunday 10:00-11:00 PM! You can also read an article by Sarah about the postpandemic rebirth of live performances on the WKCR airwaves, which she was elemental in achieving. The article is the Feature Piece in the December 2022 issue of OnAir, available online.

OnAir · April 2024 15

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

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

Free Samples Caribe Latino Urbano Latinx

News + Arts P Honky Tonkin’

Nueva C

Tuesday’s Just as Bad

Som do

Night Train

Transfigur

Coordinated Universal Time

3:00 am 4:00 am

Jazz Alte

Phil Lives

16 OnAir · April 2024

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

Programming

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

OnAir · April 2024 17

Special Broadcasts SPECIAL BROADCASTS

Billie Holiday

Sunday, April 7th, all day

A WKCR favorite, this year we once again honor the great Billie Holiday with 24 hours of her music.

We are, as always, thrilled to honor Lady Day, her music, and the way she shaped the world of vocal jazz we know today.

Charles Mingus

Monday, April 22nd, all day

Charles Mingus turns 102 this year and we are excited to honor this inventive force in the jazz world. A proponent of the collective improvisation, his legacy is felt throughout the jazz scene today.

Ella Fitzgerald

Thursday, April 25th, all day

Who would we be without the “First Lady of Song?”

We are pleased to be honoring Ella Fitzgerald for 24 hours this year on WKCR, celebrating her incredible vocal ability and her contributions to jazz.

Ma Rainey

Friday, April 26th, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM (8 hours)

A new special broadcast on WKCR this year will honor the life and legacy of Blues singer Ma Rainey.

Often dubbed the “Mother of the Blues,” her early contributions to the genre are felt strongly to this day. WKCR will play the entirety of her discography over the course of 8 hours on Friday, April 26th, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

THEMED SHOWS Selena

April 21st, 2:00 - 7:00 PM Host: Rachel Smith

Labeled (Label TBD) April 28th, 2:00 - 7:00 PM

Hosts: J Cohn & Steve Mandel

LIVE CONSTRUCTIONS Sundays 10-11pm

Tea Eater

April 14th, 10:00-11:00 PM

Kira McSpice

April 21st, 10:00-11:00 PM

Marcyline

April 28th, 10:00-11:00 PM

FREE SAMPLES

Mondays 9:00 PM-10:00 PM Host: Ted Schmiedeler

People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (A Tribe Called Quest) April 1st, 9:00-10:00 PM

Paid in Full (Eric B. & Rakim) April 8th, 9:00-10:00 PM

Greatest Hits

April 15th, 9:00-10:00 PM Tune in for a best-of, special edition of Free Samples!

SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE OPERA Saturdays 9:00 PM-12:30 AM Host: Ale Díaz-Pizarro

Duke Ellington

Turandot (Puccini)

Rounding out the month with another WKCR favorite, our Duke Ellington birthday broadcast returns this year to honor the 125th birthday of one of genre’s most influential figures.

April 13th, 9:00 PM-12:30 AM Tune in to hear a selection of the most beautiful choruses in opera of all periods and traditions. Call-in requests are welcome (and highly encouraged!).

Monday, April 29th, all day

SUNDAY PROFILES Sundays 2:00-7:00 PM

Ray Barretto

April 14th, 2:00 - 7:00 PM Host: Stephen Park

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April 6th, 9:00 PM-12:30 AM

Great Choruses of Opera

Der Freischütz (Weber)

April 20th, 9:00 PM-12:30 AM

Perfect Lives (Ashley)

April 27th, 9:00 PM-12:30 AM

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

OnAir · April 2024 19

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

20 OnAir · April 2024

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!

Free Samples*, Mon. 9-10pm Explores landmark hip hop albums and their place in history and music at large by playing a selection of songs and breaking them down into the samples that make them up—meaning this show often crosses over with other genres, such as jazz, soul, and funk.

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

OnAir · April 2024 21

CONCERT REVIEW

How Mitski Embodies the Magic of Live Music

W

by Ben Rothman

hen I saw Mitski live at the Beacon Theatre on February 22nd, I was not exactly sure what to expect. I believe Mitski’s career and public perception generate some sense of cognitive dissonance: On the one hand, she is critically acclaimed and recognized for a storied discography filled with earnest, powerful lyricism. On the other hand, her virality on social media apps like TikTok brings in a side of her fanbase keen to lunge onto her “sad girl” aesthetic. On past shows of this very tour, some audience members would break the silence between songs to loudly joke around and heckle the singer, much to the chagrin of both Mitski and other fans. Some of that heckling was present in New York, but it did not define the night. Rather, seeing one of my favorite songwriters perform in the flesh made me think about the magic of live performance, and how it can dispel the mystery around an artist’s persona in the modern age.

The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We, released last October, is Mitski’s latest record and a massive moment in her career. It’s no surprise that she performed the album almost in its entirety. With the help of a full band, Inhospitable’s alt-country-tinged ballads translated perfectly to the stage. One highlight in the show was “Heaven,” a track about the deep yearning and pain one feels for an absent romantic partner. As she sang the lyrics, Mitski “slow danced” with a spotlight on the stage, emphasizing that feeling of absence. For the dramatic slow-burn “Star,” purple lights from the ceiling created a makeshift night sky.

When she performed the album’s smash hit “My Love Mine All Mine,” dozens of fractured mirrors descended from the ceiling, wildly

22 OnAir · April 2024

reflecting light into the audience, literally and metaphorically blinding them with the song’s loving message. Meanwhile, for the quiet longing of the soft country number “The Frost,” Mitski sat on a stool and strummed the air on an imaginary guitar. In keeping the arrangements of these songs more-or-less the same while adding poetic visual quirks, Mitski highlighted the brilliance of Inhospitable, a soulful album that may be her strongest work to date.

Alongside faithful renditions of her latest record, Mitski did not disappoint when it came to performing her older material. She transformed old fan-favorites in a mesmerizing fashion: by essentially country-fying them.

The show opened, for example, with the song “Everyone” off of her 2022 album Laurel Hell, which had its ominous synths replaced with jaunty drums and wistful mandolin reminiscent of Dolly Parton or Emmylou Harris. Even more impressive, “I Don’t Smoke” from 2014’s Bury Me at Makeout Creek was transformed from a brutally noisy ballad to an honest-to-god honky tonk anthem, a switch that one would never guess could happen from listening to the studio version. It wasn’t just Mitski’s downbeat slow songs that got the country treatment, though- “Love Me More” (also from Laurel Hell) originated as a pulsating 80s-inspired pop song, while its live version became a country slow jam that brought out the desperation of the track’s lyrics. It is worth noting that on the other hand, some of Mitski’s biggest songs like “First Love/Late Spring’’ and “I Bet on Losing Dogs’’ were closer to their original versions, as were pop smashes “Nobody” and “Washing Machine Heart,” which served as the show’s incredible encore.

Mitski at the Beacon Theatre. Photo by Ben Rothman.

In between songs, in stark contrast to her often depressing lyrics, Mitski took the time to monologue. The morning of this concert, there had been an infamous nationwide AT&T outage, and the singer humorously admitted: “It was a bad thing, and I’m glad it’s sorted out. However, I do have to admit, there was a moment where I was like ‘Chaos!’” At another point, she demanded that the audience let loose and relieve their stress by howling at her like wolves. While one might interpret these cheeky moments as particularly “cringe” or indicative of a millennial sense of humor, something is endearing about their juxtaposition with Mitski’s quietly devastating lyrics and gutwrenching compositions. Perhaps the ability to stop between tracks and show her unfiltered personality on stage is another facet of Mitski’s performance. Her music is often categorized,

by TikTok virality or the commodifying music

business, as “sad girl pop,” a classification that fails to do justice to her versatility, humor, and depth. As I remember how Mitski laughed and danced to her songs, both faithful renditions and country-infused transformations, I cannot help but think about the importance of the concert for an artist’s persona, allowing them to transcend the boxes the music industry has placed them in and reach their fans where it is most impactful.

OnAir · April 2024 23

CONCERT REVIEW

E

HERE for NY: Festival Review

by Ted Schmiedeler

clectic is the best word I can use to describe HERE for NY, a festival hosted

by HERE at the Knockdown Center on February 10, 2024. With performances from Vegyn, Eartheater, underscores, RXK Nephew, and more, HERE for NY had it all for any music lover tapped into the alternative music scene.

HERE did a fantastic job bringing together a variety of genres into one festival without losing the cohesion of clashing crowds that often can plague larger festivals. Further, the target audience was clear. It was not fans of hip hop or hyperpop, but generally alternative or experimental music lovers at large. And it worked. Quite well.

First and foremost, the Knockdown Center was an excellent location to host such a festival. Despite how difficult it is to reach by train from Manhattan, it hosts two different stages, allowing multiple artists to perform at the same time without losing the intimacy of a small venue.

I began the night by watching Liv.e’s set.

I enjoyed it, even if I did not fully understand it.

It was a unique take on R&B that was not afraid to experiment, and it served as a laidback way to begin the evening before the more raucous sets that would follow. Perhaps it was a touch too chill, as I did find myself bored at points during the set, but the crowd was still entering the venue, so the energy from the crowd was not being reciprocated back to Liv.e quite like it was intended to.

Next, RXK Nephew and his Crack Records collective rocked the house with a high-energy set that was my most anticipated performance of the night. I came in with high expectations, and the crew far exceeded them. RXK Nephew

24 OnAir · April 2024

took the lead, performing his hits, engaging with the crowd, signing a record brought to him mid-performance, and displaying his famous “money-rag” to a crowd of fans chanting “RXK! RXK!” However, he brought out 10-15 members of his Crack Records collective who added verses, ad-libs, dances, and more to crank up the energy. The peak of this performance was “Critical,” arguably Nephew’s biggest hit, which was capped off with a member of Crack Records bringing a bottle of Hennessy down into the crowd and pouring it into people’s mouths. You would never see that at a mainstream festival! The only downside of this set was that Nephew did not perform his 9-minute masterpiece “American tterroristt.”

This song explores existentialism, religion, and Nephew’s upbringing in a self-aware, reflective manner. My guess would be that due to a short set time Nephew could not carve out 9 minutes for a song that is lower energy than most of his body of work. Other than that, I know for a fact that many of the uninitiated crowd members walked away from that set as converts to Crack Records.

Following RXK Nephew’s set, I saw Alice Longyu Gao, a hyper-pop artist with meteoric potential due to their immense creativity and lack of fear of being themselves. Alice played their harp, sang their songs, and danced with (and in) the crowd, who responded by shouting their lyrics back alongside them. They spoke directly to the crowd in between songs, allowing their personality to shine through. Standout performances include the danceable “Come 2 Brazil” and a take of her hit song “Rich B**** Juice” that swapped the original instrumental for the one from Bladee’s “Be Nice 2 Me.” The

crowd never knew what was coming next and embraced every second of it.

After this, I was able to catch the end of underscores’ set, an artist who I have experienced before live and never fails to deliver. The last track performed, “Locals (Girls like us),” seemed to especially connect with the crowd.

Feature artist gabby start was brought out as a guest, lighting up the already enthusiastic crowd. The lighting on this set in particular was superb, cultivating a chaotic environment that mirrored the energy of the music.

DJ Dave performed a DJ set following Alice on the small stage. She is unique in her use of code to execute her sets. While I was not able to go to this performance of hers, my prior experience at her shows (I saw her when she opened for Danny Brown & Jpegmafia back in August) compelled me to give her a nod.

Eartheater performed a dreamy set that I was only able to catch the beginning of, and Vegyn headlined with a DJ set that I was sadly unable to attend.

All in all, the talent at this festival showed up and showed out. The curation was fantastic, and the ticket pricing was quite affordable for the value provided. The one major critique I have of HERE for NY was the placement of artists on the schedule itself. RXK Nephew and 454 were two rappers that I would have liked to see but were scheduled to perform at the same time. Alice Longyu Gao and underscores were the two hyper-pop acts performing and the two acts I was most looking forward to after RXK Nephew. Sadly, I could not see them both due

Alice Longyu Gao. Photo by Ted Schmiedeler.

to the scheduling, which could have been more conscious of the overlapping target audience of artists with conflicting set times.

That being said, I cannot help but commend HERE for their dedication to platforming upand-coming artists alongside local businesses and pop-ups. HERE writes on its website, “HERE is a project that aims to create positive change around the various causes individuals and organizations are here for.” They displayed a statement on the screen behind the stage during breaks in the sets labeling their work as “hyper-local” and this commitment was felt.

Vendors sold interesting pieces of clothing and items, and I connected with Rambler Magazine, a youth cultural magazine that throws events in various cities across the world.

HERE for NY left me not only a bigger fan of the artists I saw, but also helped me connect with a local community of music lovers who are not afraid to embrace the experimental.

I hope HERE continues to host this festival in the future, and I recommend it for anyone interested in alternative, experimental music of all kinds.

OnAir · April 2024 25

April Events Around NYC Jazz

Classical

Zoh Amba Sun Quartet Roulette, Tuesday 4/2, 8 pm Zoh Amba, Lex Corten, Caroline Morton, Miguel Marcel Russell

Manchester Collective and Abel Selaocoe: Sirocco 92nd St Y, Saturday 4/6, 7:30 pm Rising South African cellist and vocalist joins Manchester quartet for a program of original work alongside Haydn, Stravinsky, and more.

Cadence Magazine Festival Nublu, Thursday 4/11, 7 pm - 12 am Including William Hooker Trio, Billy Martin Solo/Duo, David Haney’s Vishnu in New York World Premiere (w/Art Baron, Ken Filiano, and Nora McCarthy), Jazz stories from Sonny Rollins, et al, retold by David Haney.

Jane Ira Bloom Trio Soapbox Gallery, Sunday 4/14, 4 pm Jane Ira Bloom, Mark Helias, Matt Wilson Gerald Clayton Quintet Village Vanguard, Tuesday 4/16 - Sunday 4/21, 8 & 10 pm Gerald Clayton, Dayna Stephens, Marquis Hill, Matt Brewer, Marcus Gilmore Marta Sanchez Trio: “Void” Album Release The Jazz Gallery, Saturday 4/27, 7:30 & 9:30 pm Marta Sanchez, Christopher Tordini, Terri Lynne Carrington

American Matt Munisteri & Jake Eddy / Charlie Burnham & Joanna Sternberg The Owl Music Parlor, Sunday 4/7, 7:30 pm Leyla McCalla Joe’s Pub, Friday 4/12, 7 pm Alejandro Escovedo Bowery Ballroom, Sunday 4/17, 7 pm aja monet, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Wednesday 4/17, 7 pm Aaron Lee Tasjan Baby’s All Right, Thursday 4/25, 7 pm

26 OnAir · April 2024

Chamber Music Society: Sonic Spectrum III Daniel and Joanna S. Rose Studio at CMS, Thursday 4/11, 7:30 pm Lara - Livre dos Sonhos for Clarinet and Piano; Schwertsik Haydn lived in Eisenstadt for Viola and Piano; Staud - Lagrein for Clarinet, Violin, Cello, and Piano; Ludwig - new work for piano, violin, and cello (NYC Premier); Cuog - Wax and Wire for Clarinet, Violin, Cello, and Piano Ensemble Modern Carnegie Hall, Sunday 4/13, 7 pm Leon - Indigena; Nancarrow - Study no. 6, Study no. 7, Study no 12 (transc. Mikhashoff); Khumalo - Invisible Self; Trapani - no window without a wall (NY Premier); Leon - Ritmicas Bergamot Quartet & So Percussion Public Records, Sunday 4/14, 7 pm Trueman - “Songs That Are Hard To Sing,” Negrón - “When the Sun Hits Just Right,” Tarpaga - FēFē (Sō alone), Fink’ - “In the Brink” (quartet w drumset by Jason Treuting) Riverside Choral Society: Scott Ordway’s “The End of Rain” Starr Theater at Alice Tully Hall, Thursday 4/25, 8 pm Luther Adams - “Night Peace;” Grau - Kasar mie la gaji (“The Earth is Tired”); Ordway - “The End of Rain” (NYC Premier)

Film, Theater, & Talks Otro Sol, Film at Lincoln Center, Sunday 4/7, 5 pm and Monday 4/8, 6 pm Lost Angel: The Genius of Judee Sill IFC Center, opens Friday, 4/12 New documentary about the life of California singer-songwriter Judee Sill.

MasterVoices: The Grapes of Wrath Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, Wednesday 4/17, 7:30 pm Steinbeck’s novel reimagined as operatic theater featuring MasterVoices and the Orchestra of St. Lukes.

April Events Around NYC Latin

In All Languages

Caetano Veloso BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, Wednesday 4/3 & Thursday 4/4, 7:30 pm

Ara Dinkjian, Arsen Petrosyan and String Quartet: Music of Armenia (RBA)Roulette, Saturday 4/6, 8 pm Duduk player Ara Dinkjian and Oud player Arsen Petrosyan with a string quartet from the Chamber Players of the Greenwich Symphony.

Marta Periera da Costa Joe’s Pub, Thursday 4/4, 7 pm Marta Periera da Costa - Portuguese guitar, Cesar Garabini - 7-string guitar, Pedro Segundo - percussion, Duarte vocals

Blick Bassy Public Records, Wednesday 4/10, 7 pm

Emilio Sola y La Inestable de Brooklyn The Jazz Gallery, Thursday 4/11, 7:30 & 9:30 pm Nine-piece orchestra led by composer & pianist Emilio Sola.

Karen Joseph & MamboCha David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center, Friday 4/19, 7:30 pm Yotoco Barbes, Saturday 4/20, 10 pm Sebastian Lopez - bass, voice; Natalia Perez - guiro, clave, voice; Gabo Tomassini - congas; Rubén Coca - American drum kit; Geovani Caldero - cuatro.

Film, Theater, & Talks, Cont.

COTTON: Denyce Graves and Justin Austin 92nd St Y, Thursday 4/18, 7:30 pm “New York premiere of an immersive exploration of African American stories through song, poetry, and photography.”

Compost!

National Sawdust, Thursday 4/25, 7:30 Multimedia event with music, theater, and conversation about decomposition and cultivation, featuring Caroline Shaw, Mark Stewart, Tannis Kowalchuk, and New York Times food writer Melissa Clark.

Maendros Barbes, Sunday 4/14, 6 pm Lefteris Bournias - clarinet; Megan Gould - violin; Philip Mayer - percussion; Mavrothi Kontanis - oud, guitar & voice; Umut Yasmut - kanun Firas Zreik: New Journeys in Arabic Music Roulette, Saturday 4/20, 8 pm Palestinian Qanun player leads his flamenco-arabic-jazz fusion ensemble.

NY Oud Festival: Ronnie Malley and Ameer Armaly Joe’s Pub, Saturday 4/27, 9:30 pm

New Music Selba / Jolie / Paraphrase The Owl Music Parlor, Thursday 4/11, 8 pm Selba (Hannah Selin and Concetta Abbate): improvised music for strings and voice; Jolie (Dan Pierson, Paul Bedal, Greg Tuohey, Mike Harmon, Peter Manheim): “soundscape-jazz;” Paraphrase (Michael Eaton, Nicki Adams).

Kronos Quartet and Ghost Train Orchestra Play Moondog, The Town Hall, Tuesday 4/16, 7 pm Special guests include David Byrne, Joan as Police Woman, Karen Mantler, and Marissa Nadler Wolf Eyes & Anthony Braxton (le) poisson rouge, Thursday 4/18, 8 pm Samara Lubelski & Marcia Bassett Duo opening Parents in the Avant Garde: The ensemble performs the graphic scores of their children’s scribbles The Stone, Saturday 4/20, 8:30 pm Matt Mottel, Nicole Lattuca, Genevieve HK, Daniel Fishkin, Tcheser Holmes, Matt Nelson, Jessica Cook, Moppa Elliott, Justin Frye, Jessica Paps Meredith Maloney: Chant Roulette, Monday, 4/29, 8 pm Maloney gives US premier of new work for solo piano, objects, transducers, and playback.

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Charles Blass ('87), former New Music Head: As a listener in high school before ever visiting the station! [Later,] subbing for Afternoon New Music in the mid-90s before cell phones were common, Bill Cosby called in from the car en route back home from the airport... asking who was that guitarist... (it was Jef Lee Johnson and they ended up working on a project).

Aidan (f.k.a. Fameless) Miles ('13), former Business Manager: When Hurricane Sandy happened, a few of us on the board at the time filled in for Carter and Vaughn for [Eastern Standard Time] that week.

I think it was mainly The Wind and myself. The phone was ringing basically the whole time with listeners expressing their gratitude that the show went on anyway, saying things like “this is the show show that gives me the energy to get through the week”.

Definitely made an impact on me, and helped me realize how much community there is around particular shows on the roster.

programs, like the festivals for Rahsaan Roland Kirk and Sun Ra, demanded an all-in approach and many of us were in the studio around the clock for days on end. When Andy Rotman and I produced the first Albert Ayler birthday broadcast in 1987, Milford Graves called up to demand an interview. We were happy to accommodate him and we knew that we were being heard.

Alma Avgar Shohamy, In All Languages Head: Ragas Live!

AROUND TH

When did you were part of special or b yourself

Carter Van Pelt, host of Eastern Standard Time: I volunteered to answer phones for Phil Schaap’s show, and the first call I took was Roy Haynes contributing $200.

Mitch Goldman, host of Deep Focus: I knew WKCR was "something special/bigger" long before I ever set foot in the studios. I have very clear memories of listening to the station when I was in high school. The memorial broadcast for Charles Mingus, the Miles Davis festival, the live broadcasts... They let me peep an expanding universe. This was vital for a curious teen in the pre-internet days. I think I became part of it almost immediately when I showed up a few years later. Collaborative

28 OnAir · April 2024

Stella Fusaro, host of Wednesday Extended Technique: I went abroad and met someone who knew a lot about the history of the station.

David Gonzalez, host of Urbano Latinx: Learning that we were the first station to play salsa on the air and all of the salsa greats that have come by the station over the years last fundraising week was certainly my moment.

That and being recognized wearing a WKCR shirt randomly at NYFF in the fall!

Reading these, I now have a second answer—a caller called during my second (?)

Urbano Latinx show when I was playing rock

music and told me that hearing it made him feel closer to his mother who had grown up on a lot of rock. He then called his mother and called a second time with some of her recs (she didn’t miss).

Rachel Smith, Jazz Head, host of Thursday Out to Lunch: It was the first time I heard Sunday Profiles. I think Sid was on the air, sharing important context and knowledge about a musician I hadn't heard of before. It transformed the

HE STATION

McKenna Roberts, American Head, OnAir Managing Editor: I remember the first few times I was at the station I noticed the wall with all the Polaroids of former board members, each with their creatively curated nicknames written on them. Seeing how far back they went, and thinking about how brief most of our programmers’ time is at WKCR, really put into perspective how special it is to have alumni involved at the station to pass along that generational knowledge to current programmers.

u realize you f something bigger than at KCR? listening experience entirely. Not only did I hear music I'd never heard before, I heard it in a way I'd never heard it before.

Pranay Udutha, sports programmer: Calling the Women’s Basketball game in the Ivy League tournament. Electric crowd, close ending, as good a quintessential college sports moment as the Lions get. It was a big moment for the program; in the backdrop, they were capping off one of their best seasons and catching some broader attention. To quote [fellow sports programmer] Aaron Cohen, we were witnessing a special moment for the program.

Macy Hanzlik-Barend, host of Monday Morningside: When a student at a protest came up to the WKCR news team and said "I'm so glad you guys are here."

Tanvi Krishnamurthy, Publicity Director: One of the first times I did Coordinated Universal Time, a man called in to ask me what song I was playing—it was a song from the album Exuma, the Obeah Man. Like an hour later, close to 3 am, he called back and asked me to give him five new artists to listen to based on what I had been playing because he had enjoyed it so much. I went through all five of the artists and he made me spell them out and pause between each one because he was writing them all down.

That was the first time I really understood that people really do listen to us— that we have unique positions in being arbiters of music, culture, and art for so many people; it put into perspective that what I choose to play at the station really does matter to people, just as it matters to me.

Ben Rothman, Events Director: A listener called in to tell me a cover of a folk song I played had almost brought them to tears and

OnAir · April 2024 29

had made their entire day! It was so sweet.

Ted Schmiedeler, Station Manager, host of Free Samples: When prepping an MF DOOM show for Offbeat, I came across DOOM’s 1997 freestyle on the Stretch & Bobbito Show. DOOM, one of my favorite artists, performed during the same time slot I was now hosting. Wow. Ben Erdmann, Director of Operations & Engineering: Learning about WKCR’s unflinching coverage of the 1968 protests changed my thinking… WKCR is the home of not just alternative music but alternative thought! WKCR is the home of innovative, avant-garde music and ideas! It is so wonderful to learn something new every time I tune in or visit the station.

Satchel Peterson, Jazz Head, host of Friday Out to Lunch: I was doing a slot for Charlie Parker birthday broadcast, and after I finished my show I received a call from Charles Lloyd who told me the show touched him. That was one of the first times I considered that people were paying close attention to the show and it also helped me understand the significance of what we do here!

Ian Pumphrey, News & Arts Head: Less significant but learning that Deakin from Animal Collective used to do this Noise show on New Music was so cool and made me really think about just how much influence the station has had on some of my favorite bands.

Nathan Kim, Sports Head: March 26, 2023.

Columbia vs. Harvard in the WNIT Great 8.

This was the first game I called as its play-byplay commentator. To have that opportunity to engage with such a contest from that perspective is something I just can’t seem to forget.

Alejandra Díaz-Pizarro, OnAir Editor-inChief, host of Saturday Night at the Opera: This might be less uplifting than the rest of the stories shared here, but when I was doing my

30 OnAir · April 2024

first or second Saturday Night at the Opera ever back in 2021, I was so nervous about starting right on time that I cut off the recording of Traditions in Swing right after Phil Schaap stopped talking. Immediately, the phone began ringing; I ignored it as I delivered my opening remarks, but it didn't stop ringing and ringing. Finally, when I put on the music, I was able to pick up; immediately, a voice on the other end yelled, "Do you realize you cut off Phil Schaap right as he was going to play a rare Louis Armstrong cut? Are you some kind of idiot or something?" and promptly hung up.

Later, when I researched the history of jazz and Birdflight at WKCR for my article in OnAir of February 2024, I understood why the listener had been so mad, and more strongly than ever felt the responsibility we have as stewards not only of WKCR's legacy but of the tremendous history of music in New York. That (frankly, kind of scary) call was like a bucket of ice water that made me realize that WKCR was about more than myself and that I, as a programmer, had a duty to preserve and learn from the programs that made WKCR so special. Since then, I have learned to love listening to the last few minutes of Phil Schaap before I start my show, and I learned my lesson—I've never cut him off like that again!

And in a lighter answer, I once broadcast an interview with a composer whose work was set to be performed the following month. At the end of the year, the composer sent me a lovely email, telling me how a man at the performance had commended him on the piece and told him how much he had enjoyed the interview on KCR. Later that same night, someone called in to thank me for airing the interview—and to tell me how nice it had been to speak about it to the composer at the performance. I have yet to see a more tangible, immediate show of the kind of musical ties WKCR fosters.

Thomas Preston, alternating host of Workaround: I was record shopping in the East Village and I mentioned WKCR and the record store owner said that, in his view, WKCR “is the best radio station in the world.”

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... and 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!

OnAir · April 2024 31

Sp e c i a l t ha n ks to Aidan Miles, Alma Avgar Shohamy, Ben Erdmann, Ben Rothman, Car ter Van Pelt, Charles Blass, David Gonzalez, Georgia Dillane, Ian Pumphrey, Macy Hanzlik-Barend, Mari a Shaughnessy, Michael Onwutalo, Mitch Goldman, Nathan Kim, Pranay Udutha, Rachel Smith, Sam Seliger, Sarah Barlyn, Saw yer Huckabee, Stella Fusaro, Tanvi Krishnamur thy, Taylor Guidr y, Ted Schmiedeler, & Thomas Preston.

32 OnAir · April 2024

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 Ale Díaz-Pizarro, Isabelle Fishbein, & McKenna Rober ts.