OnAir March 2024

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

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

Latin Head

Natalie Najar latin@wkcr.org

News & Arts Head

Ian Pumphrey news@wkcr.org

Sports Head

Nathan Kim sports@wkcr.org

Dear Listeners, March is a big month for our beloved station both internally and externally. Recently, our elections were held—you may notice some differences on the side panel of this page. It is my deepest honor and privilege to write to you this month as WKCR’s new Station Manager. This new board seeks to continue to build on WKCR’s mission of both cherishing the past and embracing the futurem and we have confidence in each other that we will do just that. There are many exciting broadcasts coming up this month. We will celebrate the multi-talented Miriam Makeba, who employed Afropop and jazz throughout a career that was also spent fighting against the apartheid government in her home country of South Africa. Further, Maurice Ravel is back this year with his own 24 hour celebration, and as always, we will honor Ornette Coleman on the 9th. This is a special year because it marks the centennial of Sarah Vaughan, to whom we will be dedicating 48 hours! Beyond birthday broadcasts, you can read about the career of Lionel Hampton and his incorporation of the vibraphone into jazz. This piece accompanies Rachel Smith’s upcoming Sunday Profile of Hampton, a show that I personally will definitely be tuned in to. You can also learn about the intersection of architecture and jazz with a piece detailing the inspiration drawn from architect Buckminster Fuller by Ornette Coleman. That and much more in the pages ahead!

All this to say that, even though the weather is changing and our board is too, WKCR’s commitment to bringing you the programming you love remains unwavering.

Peace and love,

Ted Schmiedeler Station Manager

Cover photo of Miriam Makeba by Rob Mieremet.

Hamp's Vibes The Birth of Lionel Hampton's Iconic Sound

by Rachel Smith

Let me tell you a story. You might think it starts in Louisville, Kentucky in 1908. But my story starts in Hollywood, California in 1930. It is not the story of the birth of a person; it is the story of the birth of a sound.

In the late ‘20s, Lionel Hampton was a drummer. He played for the Dixieland BluesBowers, the Quality Serenaders (with whom he made his record debut), and the Les Hite band. You could see his personality as a musician and entertainer from the start: as Gene Tuttle puts it in a DownBeat magazine article, “[h] e juggles drum sticks and hurls them into the audience; he tap-dances and turns somersaults.” Hampton also played the xylophone—which prepared him well for the career-changing moment to come.

One fateful day in an NBC recording studio in 1930, a young instrument sat in the corner. It was a vibraphone (also called a “vibraharp” or simply “the vibes”), invented as we know it today sometime between 1921 and 1924. NBC had famously used the vibraphone to make the three-note sound (G-E-C) that identified the station for its contemporary audience. Otherwise, it was largely dusty and forgotten. Louis Armstrong &

His Sebastian New Cotton Club Orchestra were there to record a new tune, written in 1930, for the musical Blackbird. The tune was called “Memories of You,” and Lionel Hampton was to play the drums—but fate had other plans. In a free moment, Hampton spontaneously reproduced Armstrong’s trumpet solo on the vibraphone. Satchmo was duly impressed, and he asked Hampton to play the vibes on the track. And so Lionel Hampton became the first ever musician to use the vibraphone on a jazz recording.

In the summer of 1936, the Benny Goodman Trio—Benny Goodman (clarinet), Teddy Wilson (piano), and Gene Krupa (drums)—came to see Lionel Hampton play at the Paradise in Los Angeles. Rumor has it that the four musicians played together that night. The next morning, Goodman invited Hampton to a recording session for RCA Victor, and the Benny Goodman Trio became a quartet. Their first two recordings were “Moonglow” and “Dinah.” Following this session, Goodman invited Hampton to join his big band.

As a member of the big band, Hampton played at Benny Goodman’s iconic concert on January 16, 1938 in Carnegie Hall—the first

Lionel Hampton at Aquarium, N.Y., ca. June 1946. Photo by William P. Gottlieb.

time a big band had ever played at Carnegie Hall. The two-LP set (as it was released in 1950) is one of jazz’s first live recordings. (How the sound was actually captured that night is debated: some believe it was captured by one overhead mic, but our very own Phil Schaap affirms in the liner notes of the 1999 reissue that the sound was actually captured by three other microphones, as the overhead one was not working that night.)

In 1939, Goodman and Hampton wrote “Flying Home.” The story goes that Hampton began whistling the tune while waiting with Goodman for a plane to take them from Los Angeles back to Atlantic City—hence the title. That year, the tune was recorded by the Benny Goodman Sextet, with Goodman on clarinet, Charlie Christian on guitar, Fletcher Henderson on piano, Artie Bernstein on bass, Lionel Hampton on vibes, and Nick Fatool on drums.

By this recording, the Lionel Hampton sound was definitely born. In fact, in this period (the ‘40s and ‘50s), we see Lionel Hampton start to be referred to by his iconic nickname “Hamp.”

Hampton left the Benny Goodman orchestra in 1940 to form his own big band. It was an incredible success in the ‘40s and ‘50s, featuring (at various times) jazz icons like Milt Buckner, Dexter Gordon, Art Farmer, Illinois Jacquet, Charles Mingus, Wes Montgomery, and Dinah Washington. On May 26, 1942, the Lionel Hampton Orchestra recorded the most iconic version of “Flying Home,” with the 19-year-old Illinois Jacquet improvising a solo. The song became Hamp’s musical signature and the climax of his live performances. (At those performances, Jacquet was expected to play his iconic solo as it was recorded. Other musicians were also expected to play Jacquet’s solo, instead of improvising their own, when playing the tune.)

Before I end, I’d like to offer one note on the stories above. I’ve told one version of each of these stories, but there are certainly others. For example, let’s take the case of “Memories of You.” Hampton may have played the vibraphone before, or it may have been his first time on the instrument. He may have brought the vibraphone to the session, or he may have discovered it there. Armstrong may have asked him to play the trumpet solo the vibraphone, or Hamp may have done so unprompted. These stories are the stuff of legends; like any legend, each acquires subtle differences every time it is told.

Tune into Sunday Profiles from 2-7 PM on Sunday, March 3 for Rachel’s special broadcast on Lionel Hampton.

Lionel Hampton in Örebro, Sweden. November 1956.

MEET A MEMBER

Interview with Leni Bryan

by Ale Díaz-Pizarro

Can you introduce yourself and tell me a little bit about your involvement at WKCR?

I’m Leni! I started as a programmer at WKCR over the summer of my sophomore year (I think that was 2022) and now I mostly help with audio tech at the station.

You’ve worn many hats at KCR. Do you have a favorite thing you’ve done? What’s been your experience switching between these roles? It’s hard to say any job was a favorite because they are all so different. Starting as a programmer was super exciting. I had always wanted to be a part of college radio, especially something as exploratory as WKCR, so I couldn't wait to start programming. When I saw the library for the first time I was so blown away, and I knew there were so many exciting shows ahead of me. I have a pretty extensive collection of salsa records back at home, so seeing the record and CD catalog in the library was truly out of this world. I remember telling my grandma and grandpa about all of the records from Tito

Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Hector Lavoe, people like that, and talking with them about their time dancing to the music of these phenomenal musicians. Programming these shows also provided an avenue for me to learn more about my own family history and connection to Latin music in the city.

In this sense, the transition to Latin Head felt natural. Of course, the Latin Department at KCR encompasses genres beyond salsa, and I had a lot of fun learning about music from other countries and across the Latine diaspora. One of my favorite elements about the position: I got to meet some really great long-time programmers, like Jassvan who programs Som Do Brazil, a show I still listen to every Wednesday night.

While being Latin Head was great, I think I am having the most fun now as a sound engineer at the station. For people who don't know— Live Constructions is a show where we bring in performers to play a live set at the station that we broadcast onto air. We have had a pretty awesome variety of performers, including experimental saxophone with Sam Weinberg, who used to be involved with WKCR. My job is running the sound for the shows, which includes setup, sound check, live muxing, and breakdown. I am really passionate about audio in general: I love live sound engineering but I am also really interested in audio electronics and tinkering, and running sound at the station has given me a lot of experience in exploring how a variety of equipment works! What I like most about the job though is the social aspect. The show absolutely absolutely not run without me alone—there is a team of students who have commited an incredible amount of time to the

Art by Ale Díaz-Pizarro, working off a photo by Josh Wang.

show from interviewing artists, taking photos during their set, and learning about the sound aspect of it! The artists that we have on are always so thrilled and kind—we record the set for them digitally and on cassette, so we try to make sure to give them the best mix possible. I love thinking about Live Constructions as an artistic collaboration between the students who run it and the artists who play.

How has KCR impacted your time at college?

So many ways. To start, I wake up to the radio every day from my Sony radio clock, and I have KCR and other station playing in my room through out the day. I have been exposed to so many styles of music that I had never heard of before, and I have met so many wonderful personalities at the station. I have learned so much about perspectives beyond mine here, which has been a truly valuable experience. WKCR is an example of the amazing work that can be done entirely by students. It is something that I am extremely proud to be a part of.

Also, bringing it all back to Live Constructions, the first time I touched a sound board was at WKCR. I had always loved to play music, but my deep exploration in sound and audio really started here because it gave me the space to learn independently and with my peers.

I have made long lasting friendships at the station, but also with people from around the city. A lot of the artists who come onto Live Constructions are super nerds about gear, which is right up my alley, and some very sweet friendships have grown from this shared interest. An adjacent point—being involve with WKCR has also made me a much more confident and social person. Whether that be sound checking bands or programming a show talking to the abyss, it takes a bit of courage to put yourself in those positions. When I programmed my first show, I read from a quasi script, my hands were clammy, and there was defninietly a shake in my voice, and it is so precious to look back on that show and think about how much I have changed from being a part of WKCR.

Do you have a favorite show you’ve done?

I have done a few Afternoon New Music slots, and those have always been my favorite. As much as I love to program Mambo Machine or Nueva Canción, I like to lean into the freeform nature of a New Music show—I once did an auto themed show when I covered the slot for someone last minute. We started at the Ford Pinto controversy and ended at a heated debate about how to categorize highways, freeways, and expressways. Shows like that—telling an odd story through music—have always been really fun.

Recently a show you engineered ended up on an EP. Tell me a little bit more about that! Yes! We had Anthony Fuscaldo and his group on air recently for (the new Jazz Head, yay!) Rachel [Smith]’s recent Sunday Profile. They were one of my favorite performances this year in part because their performance was so beautiful and loose, but also because they were lovely people to talk to. This was a show that really felt like a collaboration because we spent some time discussing how we wanted the music to feel. Was it warm? Inviting? Having conversations like this with artists is always fun because I believe that recording an artists involve imposing a bit of your own artistic vision onto their music, and this way I can do so in a way that respects their musical vision.

What’s next for you after graduation? Does it involve radio, sound, music in any way?

After graduation I will be staying in the city! I am taking a year off before I apply for masters programs in Electircal Engineering, but until then I hope to find somewhere that I can work on audio electronics! It would be really cool to be able to live off of my passion. (Please hire me, please.)

Lastly—what's it like to have WKCR follow you around your other job?

Hungarian [Pastry Shop] is still my stomping ground, and my boss DOES love WKCR—he can name all the shows.

“My Best Hero:” Ornette Coleman and the Oddity of Buckminster Fuller

by Georgia Dillane

Ornette Coleman once thought he would be an architect. One could make an argument about the ambiguity of the title of architect, in a field as conceptual as it is concrete in our built environment. However, in the traditional sense of the word Architect, Coleman never achieved that dream. That’s not to say he was not inspired by architects, one of Coleman’s lesser known projects from 1985 Prime Design / Time Design was dedicated to none other than architect Buckminster Fuller, a man Coleman referred to as his “best hero.”

Throughout his career, Fuller’s guiding principle was “doing more with less.” His early designs and concepts reacted to the American housing shortage in the 1940s. The well known “Dymaxion House” (dymaxion coming from the words “dynamic,” “maximum,” and “tension”) was based on the idea of maximum gain of advantage from minimal energy input. Notably, these houses were made of prefabricated materials, meaning they could seemingly be assembled at any place and at any time. We’ll return to these ideas later on. As an aside, we can extend our thanks to Fuller for the efficiency of the toilets on airplanes, the concept for which came from this project.

Perhaps his most well known works, and the ones that captured the interest of Coleman are his geodesic domes. Concerning the same ideas of dynamic construction with minimal material use, Fuller coined the term and expanded the use of these domes in the late 1940s during his time at Black Mountain College. The idea is quite simple: triangles are stronger than squares. In fact a triangle can hold twice the weight when constructed in this way, utilizing gravity instead of opposing it. These domes were erected around the US and in Canada at Expo 67. Readers may be familiar with his incredibly unpopular, though admirably adventurous, concept for putting a geodesic dome over the whole of Midtown Manhattan to regulate the weather and prevent air pollution. How novel.

Let’s return to Coleman. Why did he admire Fuller so much and why did Fuller’s work resonate with his music? In Shirley Clarke’s 1985 documentary Ornette: Made in America, Coleman points to Fuller’s domes not only as an inspiration for his own music, but in many ways, a coexistence of his own art, and his own construction, through music. Coleman, who met Fuller in 1982, was fascinated by Fuller’s geometric construction processes and the mathematics behind them. A recurring image

Blueprint Patent for geodesic construction, 1954.

in the film is that of a triangle within a circle. “This is how I’ve been writing my music,” said Coleman about Fuller’s design process. Fuller’s idea of dynamism, maximalism, and tension is

arguably precisely what Coleman’s signature improvisational style does. While Coleman somewhat rejected the title of “Free Jazz,” as we know it now, free jazz, improvisation, or free improvisation operates with these same principles. It is as ambiguous as it is dynamic, free as it is tense, and minimal as much as it is maximal. These terms may seem in contrast with one another but free improvisation is inherently unclassifiable, as is Fuller’s work. His designs are meant to be versatile, placed anywhere, under any conditions, so is true for improvisation. In the liner notes of Coleman’s aforementioned album Prime Design / Time Design, he writes “he manipulated the model, turned it inside out, made it dance -- but the corners never touched. I said to myself “that’s just like my music!” And at that moment I was inspired to write a piece of music based on Fuller’s mathematics, dedicated to this man and his shining being, investigating the universe like an ancient child.” Featuring Gregory Gelman on 1st Violin, Larissa Blitz on 2nd Violin, Alex Deych on Viola, Matthew Meister on Cello and Denardo Coleman, Ornette Coleman’s son,

on Percussion, this album is designed for five soloists, each musician playing a different time signature at different points in the piece. The piece was recorded at the Fullerian Desert Dome in Fort Worth Texas in 1985, footage of which can be found in Clark’s film.

I admittedly love to throw around the term “Architect” for myriad of seemingly unrelated disciplines, and while I’m at it I may as well give Coleman his title too. While the AIA may disagree for logistic and “legal” reasons, Coleman built the foundation for the improvisational genre we know today. His inventive and deeply methodical approach to composition certainly warrants the praise.

WKCR will celebrate the life and incredible work of Ornette Coleman on what would have been his 94th birthday, for 24 hours on Saturday, March 9th 2024.

Still from Shirley Clark’s Ornette: Made in America, 1985

Prime Design / Time Design 1985 album cover, as seen in the WKCR library. Cover design includes image of Fuller’s dome in Fort Worth , TX.

Special Broadcasts

SPECIAL BROADCASTS

Miriam Makeba

Monday, March 4th, all day

The first birthday broadcast honoring Zenzile Mirial Makeba, also known by the nickname Mama Africa, will feature music from her unique and vast discography. Makeba has performed all over the world, playing everything from mbube to African jazz to Afropop, and singing in several languages including English and Xhosa.

Maurice Ravel

Thursday, March 7th, all day

Although he would often reject the term impressionism to define his music, composer Maurice Ravel is remembered as one of the best French composers of the 20th century. We are excited to bring you 24 hours of his music in honor of his birthday.

Ornette Coleman

Saturday, March 9th, all day

One of the pioneers of free jazz, saxophonist Ornette Coleman was a force to be reckoned with in his heyday. His influence is still felt today, particularly in the contemporary jazz scene. Join us in celebrating his 94th birthday.

Sarah Vaughan Centennial

Tuesday, March 26th through Wednesday, March 27th, all day (48 hours)

We are incredibly excited to announce that in honor of Sarah Vaughan’s 100th birthday, WKCR will bring you 48 hours of her music! This special edition of a beloved WKCR tradition will be something you don’t want to miss.

SUNDAY PROFILES

Sundays 2:00-7:00 PM

Lionel Hampton

March 3rd, 2:00 - 7:00 PM

Host: Rachel Smith

PAN Records

March 10th, 2:00 - 7:00 PM

Host: Giselle Williams

THEMED SHOWS

TBD

March 17th, 2:00 - 7:00 PM

Host: Sid Gribetz

Jesse Montgomery

March 24th, 2:00 - 7:00 PM

Host: Casey Lamb

Umm Kulthum

March 31st, 2:00 - 7:00 PM

Host: Alma Shohamy

LIVE CONSTRUCTIONS

Sundays 10-11pm

Sunday Sessions

March 3rd, 10:00-11:00 PM

Aux Blood

March 17th, 10:00-11:00 PM

WINCE

March 24th, 10:00-11:00 PM

Gluehead

March 31st, 10:00-11:00 PM

FREE SAMPLES

Mondays 9:00 PM-10:00 PM

Host: Ted Schmiedeler

3/11: Endtroducing (DJ Shadow)

3/18: Raising Hell (Run-DMC)

3/25: Labcabincalifornia (The Pharcyde)

SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE OPERA

Saturdays 9:00 PM-12:30 AM

Host: Ale Díaz-Pizarro

The Vanishing Bridegroom & King Harald's Saga (Weir)

March 2nd, 9:00 PM-12:30 AM

Proving Up & Song From the Uproar (Mazzoli)

March 16th, 9:00 PM-12:30 AM

The Boatswain's Mate & Der Wald (Smyth)

March 23rd, 9:00 PM-12:30 AM

Guest Host: Alice Shields

March 30th, 9:00 PM-12:30 AM

Alice Shields, a pioneer of electronic music and well known for her cross-cultural operas, will be joining Ale on SNO as a guest host. The program will feature music from and conversations about her various operas.

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!

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

March Events Around NYC

Jazz

Maria Schneider Orchestra

Birdland, Tuesday 3/13 - Saturday 3/16, 7 & 9:30 pm

Willy Rodriguez ABACOA +2

The Jazz Gallery, Wednesday 3/13, 7:30 & 9:30 pm

Willy Rodriguez, Dave Liebman, Hery Paz, Brandon Lopez, Kenneth Jimenez

Dezron Douglas Quartet

The Village Vanguard, Tuesday 3/19 - Sunday 3/24, 8 & 10 pm

Emilio Modeste, George Burton, Dezron Douglas, Joe Dyson

Kokoroko

(le) poisson rouge, Wednesday 3/20, 8 & 10 pm

Nicole Mitchell Trio

The Stone, Friday 3/22, 8 pm

Nicole Mitchell, Luke Stewart, Tchester Holmes

American

Michael Daves Residency

Rockwood Music Hall, Wednesday 3/6, 9 pm

Fireside Collective

David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center, Thursday 3/7, 7:30 pm (FREE)

Rhiannon Giddens

Beacon Theater, Saturday 3/16, 7pm

Roll On, Cowboys with Andy Hedges and Friends

Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, Friday 3/22, 7:30 pm

Presented by the National Ranching Heritage Center, featuring Andy Hedges, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, and Dom Flemons, among others.

Sam Amidon: 10th Anniversary of Lily-O

(le) poisson rouge, Friday 3/29, 7:30 pm

With Bill Frizell, Shahzad Ismaily, and Chris Vatalaro

Classical

Vienna Philharmonic

Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, Sunday 3/3, 2pm

Mahler - Symphony No. 9

Revelation: Ivalas Quartet Performs Music by Women Composers

Bruno Walter Auditorium, Thursday 3/7, 6 pm

First performance of newly cataloged scores from NYPL by Helen Crane, Mary Howe, Marion Bauer, Madeleine Dedieu-Peters, and Mabel Wood-Hill.

Sol Gabetta & Elim Chan w/NY

Philharmonic

David Geffen Auditorium, Thursday 3/7, 7:30 pm - Saturday 3/9, 8 pm

Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate - Pisachi; Martinů - Cello Concerto No. 1; RimskyKorsakov - Scheherazade

Winter Festival: Escher String Quartet

Alice Tully Hall, Sunday 3/10, 3 pm

Liu, Crossing; Ouyang, As if sharing a joke with nothingness; Schultheis, Governing Forces; Wray, Broken Record

Trio Zimbalist and Roberto Díaz

92nd St Y, Wednesday 2/28, 7:30 pm

Bartok’s six String Quartets (BB 52, 75, 93, 95, 110, 119)

Orchestra of St. Luke’s & Azrieli Music Prizes: AMP at 10 - an NYC Celebration

Alice Tully Hall, Thursday 3/28, 7:30 pm

Three US premiers: Iman HabibiShāhīn-nāmeh; Aharon Harlap - Out of these depths I have cried until Thee, O Lord; Rita Ueda - Birds Calling… from the Canada in You

March Events Around NYC

Latin

Daniel Prim y su Parampan

The Jazz Gallery, Thursday 3/7, 7:30 & 9:30 pm

Daniel Prim, Adam O’Farrill, Leandro Pellegrino

Miguel Zenon & Dos Alas ft. Camila Cortina Bello

The Jazz Gallery, Friday 3/8 & Saturday 3/9, 7:30 & 9:30 pm

With Noam Tanzer, Avery Logan, celebrating composers Rafael Hernandez and Pablo Milanes

Antonia Jiménez & Inma La Carbonera: A Gaya (To Mother Earth)

Roulette, Friday 3/9, 8pm

Joe Bataan

David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center, Friday 3/15, 7:30 pm (FREE)

New South American Songbook

The Stone, Saturday 3/30, 8 pm Orga Glem - cuatro; Sofia Rei - vocals

In All Languages

Ustad Vilayat Khan 20th nniversary Memorial Concert

Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, Saturday 3/2, 7 pm

Mausiqui Ensemble with narrator Sunayana Kachroo.

Hamza Akram Qawwal & Brothers: Sufi Chants of Pakistan (RBA)

Roulette, Friday 3/8, 8pm

Strings of the East: Cengiz Onural, Ara Dinkjian and Zafer Cinbil

DROM, Friday 3/22, 10 pm

With Umut Deniz Yasmut, Elif Onural, and Deniz Isler

Miriam Elhajli/Ali Dineen's 'The Loneliness of Either Or' Owl Music Parlor, Saturday 3/23, 8 pm

Venezuelan-Moroccan-American singer blending jazz, classical, and global folk musics. Original chamber work presenting feminist examinations of the life of Joan of Arc.

Ana Tijoux

(le) poisson rouge, Sunday 3/24, 7:30 pm

Chilean feminist hip-hop and protest music.

New Music

Brandon Ross Phantom Station

The Jazz Gallery, Saturday 3/16, 7:30 & 9:30 pm

Brandon Ross, David Virelles, Amir Elsaffar, Chris Eddleton, with sound design by Hardedge.

Chris Cochrane: How Will We Recognize Each Other, Part II

Roulette, Sunday 3/17, 8 pm

Cochrane will have two ensembles: a septet playing an open score followed by an original composition with Jessica Lurie, and a quintet playing recordings from their composition Excavation.

Horse Lords, Nadah El Shazly, & Ka Baird

Market Hotel, Tuesday 3/19, 8 pm

Avant-garde rock group Horse Lords play material from their new album Comradely Objects. Sound artist Nadah El Shazly and vocalist Ka Baird open.

Beat Activists

The Stone, Thursday 2/22, 8:30pm

JC Maillard - guitar; Sofia Rei - vocal, charango, electronics

Kristina Teuschler, Andy Clausen, Levi Gillis

Owl Music Parlor, Sunday 3/24, 7:30 pm

Performance grappling with structures of classical music through improvisation, sampling, and satire. Clausen performs a new work for trombone recorded in a converted railroad water silo.

IN ALL LANGUAGES

IGoa: Trance, Dulpod, & Mando

by Courtney Eileen Fulcher

’d heard rumors about Goa: the raves in caves and all night parties on the beach.

It sounded a world away from central Madhya Pradesh, where I was studying abroad my final year before college, learning Hindi and practicing Bollywood singing. (Both of those activities felt like they deserved to have scare quotes around them, considering the glacial progress I was making.) Now as an adult, working in India through Fulbright-Nehru, I could finally investigate Goa's siren call.

I booked my flight for New Year's of 2024. I originally imagined flitting from party to party, scribbling in my reporter's notebook in the corner. I would be a fly on the wall; I would be Goa's Gossip Girl. But I forgot my reporter's notebook back in Pondicherry. Then I got food poisoning.

but it appeared to be long gone when I arrived.

My real discovery, thanks to a very long car ride from Central to South Goa, was Goa's tradition of Konkani and Portuguese music. Goa was only incorporated into India in 1961, fourteen years after Indian independence. Until 1961, Portuguese was its official language. Sylvester, my cab driver, played music I first thought was Portuguese thanks to the combination of brass and guitar. It was instead Konkani. Everywhere I've been in India, there are shops advertising USB drives full of the latest Bollywood hits or bhajans. Post-CD but pre-Bluetooth, they are an essential part of driving in India. I've never paid attention to them, lacking both a car and a USB port.

Techno dominates the restaurants, the bars, even the beaches. Billboards advertised celebrity DJs. I only saw one set at a bar before I keeled over. The people I was with knew I was writing about the music scene. They kept coming up and asking what I thought of the DJ. It was kind of boring, but I couldn't tell when I was being interrupted. I never heard the kind of music I associated with Goa, scuzzy 90's trance music equally easy to dance or fall asleep to. I thought I might finally get Goa Trance in Goa,

This month, I'm excited to bring a Coordinated Universal Time that is eclectic in scope despite covering such a small geographical area. Listening to Goa's dulpod, mando, and trance you might feel what I felt for a moment on the highway listening to Johnny B Gud: surprise and delight.

Tune into WKCR from 1-3am on Monday, March 11 to hear Courtney Eileen’s Coordinated Universal Time show!

Trance party in Vagator, Goa, India, 2010 Photo by Vyacheslav Argenberg

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

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!

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!

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

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

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

Special thanks to Ale Díaz-Pizarro, Ben Erdmann, Courtney Eileen Fulcher, Georgia Dillane, Isabelle Fishbein, Leni Bryan, Maria Shaughnessy, Rachel Smith, Sam Seliger, & Ted Schmiedeler.