On Air November 2022

ON AIR

WKCR 89.9 FM

November 2022 Vol. XXI, No. 1

OnAir · November 2022

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WKCR 89.9 FM Station Manager Schuyler Rabbin-Birnbaum stationmanager@wkcr.org Program Director Sam Seliger programming@wkcr.org Director of Operations Benjamin Magid Student Life Director Ale Diaz-Pizarro studentlife@wkcr.org Publicity Director Jacob Grayzel publicity@wkcr.org Jazz Head Melody Lu and Zachary Vanderslice jazz@wkcr.org New Music Head Razvan Matei newmusic@wkcr.org Classical Head Maria Shaughnessy classical@wkcr.org American Head Izzy Szyfer american@wkcr.org In All Languages Head Charlie Smith ial@wkcr.org Latin Head Vielka Ebadan latin@wkcr.org News & Arts Head Josh Kazali news@wkcr.org

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OnAir · November 2022

Dear Listeners, After a 19 year hiatus, OnAir is back in business.

A lot has changed in these two decades and we thought it only right to give you, our dedicated listeners and alumni, a comprehensive, informative, and creative avenue to receive all the relevant WKCR news.

Though it has been on our minds for a long time, this project came to fruition very suddenly after some serious archive digging, late night procrastination, and a call from alumni and listeners alike for programming updates. On top of that, WKCR’s general body has grown exponentially since last fall and we have more students than ever interested in keeping the station alive. I won’t get into the nitty gritty of all the tremendous effort that went into making this publication a reality, just know that we have an amazing and hardworking team of dedicated programmers who are responsible for it all.

November brings us a series of both new and years-old special broadcasts: we will celebrate the birthdays of Joni Mitchell and Coleman Hawkins (November 7th and 21st, respectively), a special Scott Joplin thanksgiving celebration, and cover various live sports events. You don’t wanna miss these, so KEEP THOSE DIALS TURNED TO 89.9FM (or wkcr.org, for those of you with an internet connection).

Also in this issue, expect to find a complete listing of our shows - including new ones which you may have never heard about, extraordinary events to check out around NYC, album reviews written by our very own staff, and so much more. I can’t tell you all how excited I am to invite you back into the written world of WKCR. Happy listening!

Maria Shaughnessy Classical Department Head

Mailing Address

CONTACT US

2920 Broadway General Inquiries: board@wkcr.org New York, NY 10027 Listener Line: 212-854-9920 USA ©Copyright 2022 WKCR FM NYC

This Month OnAir For Charles Bradley, With Love

. . . page 4

Coleman Hawkins in Five Tracks

. . . page 5

Meet a Member: Charles Smith

. . . page 6

Feature: Ragas Live 2022

. . . page 8

Weekly Schedule Special Broadcasts Show Listings for WKCR Listeners Staff Album Picks Events around NYC

. . . page 10

. . . page 12

. . . page 13

. . . page 16

. . . page 18 OnAir · November 2022

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AMERICAN

For Charles Bradley, With Love

O

n Saturday, November 5th, from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m., we’ll be having a special three-hour show where I’ll be playing the discography of the late, critically-acclaimed soul musician, Charles Bradley. Bradley, also known as the “Screaming Eagle of Soul,” was born on November 5th, 1948. He passed away from cancer on September 23rd, 2017, at the age of 68. He would’ve been 74 this year. As a musician, Charles Bradley was relatively unknown until his mid-50s, when he was put on the front stage and gained critical acclaim for his gorgeous, raspy, deep vocals, particularly on his cover of “Changes” by Black Sabbath. Bradley had a particularly difficult upbringing plagued with homelessness, poverty, death, and tragedy, and he spent decades of his life fighting to survive. However, one notable experience shaped his love for music and inspired his entry into the music scene: seeing James Brown in concert at Harlem’s very own Apollo Theater at the age of 14. Bradley fell in love with the soulful, mesmerizing voice and performance of James Brown, and later went on to work as a handyman by day, and a James Brown impersonator by night in the New York City area. After meeting producermusician Tom Brenneck, Bradley released

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OnAir · November 2022

by Olivia Mitchell his debut album No Time for Dreaming, followed by Victim of Love, Changes, and Black Velvet, which was released posthumously in 2018. To say Charles Bradley is a staple of soul and the New York City community is an understatement. Bradley’s intense, transcendent, ethereal, smoky voice was not only beautifully reminiscent of the soul and funk of the 60s and 70s, but also completely groundbreaking and powerful in its fervor, emotion, and quality. It’s an absolute travesty that Bradley’s talent was only brought to the mainstream in his later years, and that his life was cut unfortunately short just as his career was coming to fruition.

It’s devastating that Charles Bradley didn’t get to experience the full impact that his music has on the music world today and on soul as a genre. Charles Bradley deserves weeks and weeks dedicated to his music and voice on WKCR, but, unfortunately, his limited discography makes it difficult for Bradley to gain the air-time and recognition that he truly deserves. On November 5th, join me in settling in for an incredibly special 3 hours dedicated to Charles Bradley’s life, music, and impact on soul and the world.

This is for Charles Bradley, with love.

JAZZ

Coleman Hawkins in Five Tracks

by Stephen Park

“You know, the young ones get confused about me being able to play with them. I don’t know why.”

T

- Coleman Hawkins, as quoted in Downbeat on 4/13/1961

his coming November 21st will mark what would have been the 118th birthday of Coleman Hawkins: a musician who not only carved a place for the tenor saxophone in the pantheon of Black American Music with his brawny lyricism, but also helped to drag it unrepentantly through ever accelerating eras of modernity.

To hear Hawkins play the tenor saxophone is to hear the continuum from the Model T to the Ballistic Missile as linked together

by Louis Armstrong, The Civil Rights Movement, and Stravinsky, all ensconced in a breathy, art-deco delivery system. While you will have the chance to hear 24 hours of Hawkins during our upcoming Coleman Hawkins Birthday Broadcast, I would like to present here five tracks in particular from Hawkins’ career that not only illustrate the depth of his artistry, but the breadth of his musical collaborations.

Coleman Hawkins and His Orchestra “Body And Soul” (12/11/1939) “The sounds of Bach, Tatum, Armstrong, and the untold musicians who had filled his head and ears culminated in one of the greatest spontaneous set of variations ever recorded.” - Loren Schoenberg

Max Roach Ensemble - “Driva’ Man” (8/31/1960) Fervent and militant preaching over a brooding blues in 5/4. You can feel the young Booker Little and Julian Priester listening intently as Hawkins bludgeons the tense harmonies.

Sonny Rollins & Co. With Coleman Hawkins - “All The Things You Are” (7/15/63) Hawkins plays velvety bebop. Paul Bley navigates atonal trails. Sonny Rollins utters geometrically. The past, the present, and the future mingle amongst all three.

Graphic by Madelyn Elizondo.

Fletcher Henderson And His Orchestra “The Stampede” (5/14/1926) A muscular yet limber chorus in the Armstrong vein propels the tenor saxophone into the limelight. Roy Eldridge would go on to learn this solo.

Coleman Hawkins - “Picasso” (1948) An intersection of cubism, romance, and the blues, delivered starkly with Charlie Parker punctuation. Sonny Rollins would have more to say about solo saxophone in its wake.

OnAir · November 2022

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MEET A MEMBER

An Interview with Charlie Smith

by Naira Altunkeser in? Where are you from? Tell us about yourself.

I’m about to graduate in the fall. I’m from New York City, and I major in Comparative Literature, focusing on Russian and Spanish language and literature, which is kind of why I wanted to do IAL. That makes sense! So you grew up in New York?

Yeah, on the Upper East Side.

How long have you been at WKCR? I’ve been at WKCR since Fall 2020 and have been the department head since Fall 2021. So when I started, everything was remote. We were sending in our shows that we made at home.

Portrait sketch of Charlie by Natalie DiFusco.

W

hat’s your position?

I’m the head of In All Languages.

How might our listeners recognize you?

Our listeners know me from a couple different shows. Last year, I programmed a show called Evening Profiles, where I was playing a lot of music that I think made our listeners either very happy or angry. We did an M.I.A. profile, a PJ Harvey profile. We did a profile of Bad Brains. I think the listeners know that anytime I do a show I play rock and roll. So they know me from hearing rock and roll music, I guess.

That sounds fun. Just as a quick background on you as a student, what are you majoring

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OnAir · November 2022

What was that like?

It sucked. I mean… No, it actually didn’t. It was fun because you could really fine-tune what you were going to do. So all of 2020, I had a live show during Live Constructions, which ran from 10 to 11 pm on Sundays.

I would just play wild stuff. I remember playing “Slob On My Knob” on Valentine’s Day. So I would mess around.

Would you normally program alone?

Well, I did a really fun show with my friends where we would put a recorder between us and we did a show that way. With one of my friends, we did the history of early punk rock, which is on SoundCloud. We also did another show called Stoner Metal and Three Six Mafia Southern Hip Hop. You mentioned you majored in Comparative Literature. I’m just

wondering how that reflects onto your view of music and its place in human history as a form of art.

In All Languages deals with world music, while Comparative Literature deals with the idea of world literature. I think that is a fascinating question to deal with because you have to answer not just the question “What is music?” or “What is literature?” but you also have to answer the question “What is a world?” So I think it is interesting to think that, whether it’s literature or music, different kinds of cultural products travel around the world and pick up influence wherever they go. They can also bring groups of people together.

Let’s shift towards your time here. What’s your favorite show you programmed here?

Let me give you a couple of answers here.

One great show we did last year was Chicana Punk Rock and got a guy who was active in that scene and talked to me about sort of influences about Mexican punk rock culture. I think it was a lot of fun. I also did a show last spring where I read the names of plants and trees with whale noises behind it and played the Voyager record. Perhaps the most fun I had this year was a month ago, where we did our first live show back since Covid. This experimental metal group called Frederik’s Dead came in and played an amazing live set while I interviewed them.

What’s your favorite WKCR show to listen to?

I love Eastern Standard Time. That’s our reggae show. So good! It’s great to wake up to because it’s from 8am to noon.

What are you listening to right now?

I am listening to this album I love—Guitar

by Sonny Sharrock—which I think is such an amazing encapsulation of the power and softness that the guitar can do. Sweet, but mean enough to drive your roommate up the wall.

What is your favorite cultural or music event in NYC? Every year at Pioneer Works, in Brooklyn, there is the Ragas Live Festival which is 24 consecutive hours of meditative music from all over the world, specifically traditional Indian music. I love that! I also love the World Accordion Festival that happens in Bryant Park annually.

What song, music, or artist have you connected over with others the least but want to?

I have never met anyone who likes PJ Harvey enough. PJ Harvey is a huge deal in 90s rock and roll. There are people who view Kurt Cobain’s death as the end of grunge and the beginning of something really icky and commercial. What I love about Harvey is that she was Cobain’s grunge contemporary, but unlike Cobain, she had the time to develop the style into something with all these surprising angles and pretty colors. Like, if Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged was a sign of where Cobain would have gone had he lived, Harvey actually went there with To Bring You My Love. It’s like if grunge grew up and learned some restraint. Then she kept making more great records.

BACHFEST CALL TO WKCR ALUMNI!

Bachfest is around the corner and we are always looking for WKCR alumni to program a show or two (live and remote accepted). Reach out to classical@wkcr.org if you are interested!

OnAir · November 2022

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FEATURE PIECE

Ragas Live Still Lives on the Blowtorch of the Northeast

by Sam Seliger

I

t’s been a long time since Ragas Live’s humble beginnings as an overnight festival at WKCR studios. In fact, it had been a long time since Ragas Live was even truly a 24-hour live music festival. Not since 2019 had musicians and audience members gathered at Pioneer Works for 24 hours of Ragas and world music, performed live and broadcast live on KCR. Following the mostly-live festival of 2021, and the video-call broadcast of 2020, this year’s Ragas Live was a tremendous return to form, with electrifying jazz fusion bands, hypnotic analog synth programmers, and of course, a stunning diversity of the titular form of Indian classical music. A thrilling surprise

Photo by Sam Seliger.

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OnAir · November 2022

awaited the audience each hour as the stage reawoke.

I arrived in Red Hook barely an hour before kickoff. Patrons were already beginning to enter and check in at the door; a few congregated in front of the stage and a larger number milled about out back. Pioneer Works is a gorgeous space, a cavernous red brick shell punctuated by precise modern walls, sparsely repurposing the landmark of post-industrial desolation into a blank canvas for the creative and cultural impulses of innovative thinkers of all stripes. A collection of large, warm-colored rugs covered the cold white tile floors at the center of the audience space; outside, friends and volunteers wandered the manicured garden while tending to the fire pit and opening up the bar.

Tucked away in an offstage corner with the other radio and web broadcast staff, I didn’t have much of a direct view of the events on stage–although I could see the feed of all eight cameras supplying the webstream in real-time– but I had the soundboard mix pumped directly into my headphones, and a spectacular view of the audience as Saraswathi Ranganathan kicked off the performance just after 8pm.

I often found my eyes drawn to the crowd throughout the

night.

By the time carnatic fusion vocalist Sid Sriram took the stage just two hours later, the house was swelling, but it was almost dead silent as he began an otherworldly set of vocal and instrumental improvisation, traditional Indian styles, ambient music, original Englishlanguage poetry, and even some daring elements of pop. At one moment it could sound like Frank Ocean meets Brian Eno, at the next like southern Asia’s answer to Mazzy Star, and after that, like nothing I had ever heard before. His set was titled “Boundless.”

Certainly it was.

Rarely have I gotten to observe the audience at performance from outside while still getting to hear the entire show. Every person in the room was locked on the stage, a concentration of energy in the hands of the performers. It was often deeply spiritual; when the content of the music was at its most transcendent, descriptions become useless. While it is such a tremendous thing for the public to be able to hear the entire festival on the air, nothing can replicate actually being in the room.

At the peaks of the performance, the entire space can coalesce into a single entity, each member of the crowd joining each other in a metaphysical unity guided by and guiding the musicians on the stage.

Astoundingly, WKCR’s staff were able to offer radio listeners some smidgen of insight into the magic through the offstage interviews with performers–something like a post-game press conference after each leg of this spiritual Tour de France. I will admit to having been among the least helpful here: I was far too flustered by what I had experienced to ask Sriram many meaningful questions. That others were able to ask better questions of the likes of Roshni

Photo by Sam Seliger.

Samlal and Kroba is a testament to their journalistic prowess.

While the audience inevitably thinned out some in the night’s wee hours, Pioneer Works was always far from empty. Often with their own blankets, chairs, and sleeping bags, many dozens of attendees stayed through the entire thing, some sleeping up against the main room’s back wall and letting the overnight ambient performances guide their dreams.

I myself returned from a brief doze for the final segments of Kroba’s saxophone and synthesizer improvisations to gently rouse my spirit.

Among the personal favorites were both the most and least traditional of the performances.

Abhik Mukherjee’s sitar and tabla duo on Sunday morning was a revitalizing treat before I left to return to Manhattan. Bringing some levity and some heat the night before, Brazilian master percussionist Cyro Baptista brought a jazz-rock quartet that lent their mind-blowing chops to some absolutely incredible grooves, punctuated by a crowd-thrilling comedic bit.

Joining Ragas Live host David Ellenbogan on the microphones offstage after his set, Cyro said emphatically what I found myself thinking often: “I love WKCR! There is no place in the

OnAir · November 2022

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

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDN

Jazz ‘til Dawn (cont’d)

Daybreak

Field Trip

8:00 am 9:00 am

Amazing Grace

Monday Morningside

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 SoundStage Live Constructions Back in the USSR Seachran: The Celtic Show

PopTalk Caribe Latino Urbano Latinx

News + Arts P Honky Tonkin’ Tuesday’s Just as Bad

Nueva C

Som do

Coordinated Universal Time

3:00 am 4:00 am

Jazz Alte

Phil Lives

10 OnAir · November 2022

Transfigured Night

Night Train

Transfigu

NESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY Transfigured Night (cont’d)

k Express

Sounds of Asia

5:00 am 6:00 am 7:00 am 8:00 am 9:00 am

Birdflight 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

ured Night

Hobo’s Lullaby

Middle Eastern Influences

Sonidos Colombianos

The Mambo Machine

Transfigured Night

8:00 pm

10:00 pm

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

Notes From Underground Alternates every week.

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 Alternates every week.

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

Jazz ‘til Dawn

OnAir · November 2022 11

Special Programming BIRTHDAY BROADCASTS

CHARLES BRADLEY

Saturday, November 5, 12:00-3:00 PM A short and sweet birthday broadcast for the extraordinary and underrated blues singer Charles Bradley, preempting Across 110th Street and one hour of Something Inside of Me.

JONI MITCHELL

Monday, November 7, 9:30 AM-6:00 PM Help us celebrate the legendary Joni Mitchell’s 79th birthday with 8.5 hours of her generation-defining music on the airwaves, preempting Cereal Music, Out to Lunch, and Afternoon New Music.

COLEMAN HAWKINS

Monday, November 21, 12:00 AM-12:00 AM Our only full-day preemption this month, Coleman Hawkins will be taking over our airwaves for a whole 24 hours, preempting all Monday programming.

SCOTT JOPLIN

Thursday, November 24, 9:30 AM-6:00 PM For the first time in WKCR history, we will be dedicating our Thanksgiving programming to the pioneering Scott Joplin and the ragtime music he helped develop. This special broadcast will preempt Cereal Music, Out to Lunch, Afternoon New Music, and Jazz Alternatives.

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THEMED SHOWS

SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE OPERA Saturdays 9:00 PM-12:30 AM

November 5: Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti) November 12: Thaïs (Massenet) November 19: Der Fliegende Holländer (Wagner) November 26: TBD Host: Ale Díaz-Pizarro

SUNDAY PROFILES Sundays 2:00-7:00 PM

“Illinois” Jacquet Profile November 6, 2:00 - 7:00 PM Host: Sid Gribetz

Labeled

November 13, 2:00 - 7:00 PM Hosts: Steve Mandel and J Cohn

Jeff Buckley Birthday November 20, 2:00 - 7:00 PM Host: Natalie DiFusco

Jimi Hendrix Birthday November 27, 2:00 - 7:00 PM Hosts: TBD

SPORTS

Volleyball (vs. UMass Lowell) November 12, 5:00 PM Anouncer: Andy Wang

Saturday Football (vs. Cornell)

November 19, 1:00 PM Anouncers: Schuyler Rabbin-Birnbaum, Ted Schmiedeler, Eric Aguilar

Show Listings

JAZZ

Daybreak Express, weekdays 5-8:20am Out to Lunch, weekdays 3-6pm Jazz Alternatives, weekdays 6-9pm These three programs comprise the core of our jazz offerings. Programming consists of everything from New Orleans jazz, jazz age, swing era, bebop, hard-bop, modal, free, and avant-garde. In short, you’ll encounter the entire range of recorded jazz on these programs. Hosts rotate from day-to-day, offering an exciting variety of approaches, some of which include thematic presentation, artist interviews, or artist profiles Birdflight, Tues.-Fri. 8:20-9:30am Archival programs from the late Phil Schaap, one of the world’s leading jazz historians, who hosted this daily forum for the music of Charlie Parker for about 40 years.

Traditions in Swing, Sat. 6-9pm Archival programs hosted by the late Phil Schaap, this award-winning Saturday night staple presents focused thematic programs dealing with jazz up until about World War II. Schaap presents the music, much of it incredibly rare, from the best sound source, which is often the original 78 issue.

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 Phil Lives*, Mon. 3-5am This overnight show features archival broadcasts of long- and local artists. form programs from late NEA Jazz Master Phil Schaap.

Live Constructions, Sun. 10-11pm This weekly program features a live in-studio CLASSICAL performance or a performance pre-recorded specially for the show.

Cereal Music, Mon.-Thurs. 9:30am-12pm An entirely open-ended classical show to start your AMERICAN weekdays. Tune in to hear the most eclectic mix of classical music on the New York airwaves!

Honky Tonkin’, Tues. 10-11pm One of WKCR’s longest-running American music The Early Music Show, Fri. 9:30am-12pm programs, Honky Tonkin’ lands in the harder side of Dedicated primarily to European medieval, Renaissance, Country music. Emphasizing the greatest voices in the and baroque music, all from before 1800 (plus or minus genre, Honky Tonkin’ is a country music dance party 50 years). every Tuesday night.

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.

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 · November 2022 13

LISTINGS FOR LISTENERS Night Train, Wed. 1-5am All aboard! One of our two overnight programs in the American department, Night Train rolls through the post-war R&B and soul tradition, from the genre’s emergence in the 1940’s and 50’s through the funk revolution in the 1970’s. Shows often feature extended live recordings and concerts.

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.

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 LATIN experimental instrumental artists not typically played on mainstream hip hop radio.

Caribe Latino, Mon. 10pm-12am Caribe Latino is a music program that features Across 110th Street, Sat. 12-2pm the diverse, upbeat music from numerous Latin Kicking off our Saturday afternoon American music run, communities in the Caribbean. Popular Latin rhythms Across 110th Street airs soul, funk, and dance music from such as Salsa, Merengue, Bachata and Latin Jazz take the 1960’s through the 1980’s and 90’s. center stage throughout the program.

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

14 OnAir · November 2022

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 Seachran: The Celtic Show, Mon. 12-1am Seachran features 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.

Field Trip, Sun. 6-8am Field Trip focuses on the music and practice of field recordings: music recorded outside of a studio. Tune in and you may catch field recordings that were recorded fifty years ago, others that were experimented with by your favorite Afternoon New Music artist, or even those documented in New York City by WKCR itself.

Raag Aur Taal, Sun. 7-9pm Raag Aur Taal explores the sounds and rich cultural heritage of South Asia. The term “Raag Aur Taal” roughly translates to “melody and rhythm,” indicating the classical nature of this program.

Back in the USSR, Sun. 11pm-12am Back in the USSR features music from across the former Soviet Union and soviet states across Eastern Europe and East and Central Asia, from the mid-20th century through the present.

NEWS & ARTS Monday Morningside*, Mon. 8:30-9:30am Monday Morningside is WKCR’s morning news broadcast to kick off the week, featuring news segments on events around Morningside Heights and upper Manhattan. If you’re not an early bird, all episodes are available as podcasts on Spotify!

PopTalk*, Mon. 9-10pm PopTalk examines current developments in pop music and the latest top-flight releases.

SoundStage*, Sun. 9-10pm SoundStage features audio dramas and radio plays from the WKCR archives as well as new compositions by students and contemporary writers. Some shows also feature interviews with dramatists and directors.

Sounds of Asia, Sat. 6-8am SUNDAY PROFILES Rechristened from Sounds of China, Sounds of Asia explores the recorded musical traditions and innovations Sunday Profile, Sun. 2-7pm* of Asia and the Pacific islands.

With the return of the five-hour profiles slot, programmers will showcase longform Eastern Standard Time, Sat. 8am-12pm profiles as they have done for decades. While the One of New York’s most popular Reggae programs, primary focus remains on jazz music, we also feature Eastern Standard Time takes listeners through Saturday other styles and traditions from across WKCR’s different morning from 8 am to noon with the hypnotic sounds of programming departments.

Reggae and Jamaican dance music.

* indicates show was created after January 2022

OnAir · November 2022 15

REVIEW

Melt My Eyez See Your Future

D

Denzel Curry

by Ted Schmiedeler

enzel Curry has always captivated me due to his ability to push the boundaries of his sound with every album. Melt My Eyez See Your Future is no exception, as Curry shifts away from the aggressive flow and in-your-face lyrics that characterize his previous works to create an introspective, intimate experience.

With notable features from Rico Nasty, JID, and 454, among others, this album provides a cohesive listening experience without sacrificing versatility in beat selection and flow. Songs like “Melt Session #1” and ‘’Mental” discuss Denzel’s past with a reflective point of view. He explains his matured mindset of confronting insecurities rather than covering them up

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and acknowledges many of the vices he has indulged following his rise to fame.

Additionally, Curry pays homage to MF DOOM, a great personal influence, on the track “Sanjuro,” mentioning one of DOOM’s alter egos, King Geedorah. The pinnacle of this album is the lead single “Walkin” in which Curry flawlessly flows over a head-in-the-clouds beat while rapping about the intricacies and consequences of systemic racism. This track’s production is simply transcendent and paired with some of Denzel’s best bars—the result is mesmerizing.

On this project, Denzel demonstrates his creative ingenuity and lyrical prowess as he proves his virtuosity in hip hop once again.

The Ruby Suns

by Ian Pumphrey

N

estled in the back of New York’s iconic Generation Records, the second album from New Zealand outfit The Ruby Suns, Sea Lion, appeared hidden. A scheming employee may have wanted it for themselves, putting it where it was never to be found—when you listen to this record, it makes sense why.

The record takes you a journey elsewhere, a neo-psychedelic odyssey with orchestral twists and kaleidoscopic turns.

It’s a daring album into the unknown, and the opener “Blue Penguin” introduces the listener to the sound of the record: studio experimentation blasting from the right

REVIEW

Sea Lion

ear to the left ear as sunny ‘60s harmonies build.

Acoustic guitars, tape echo, glockenspiels, distortion, banjos, clapping hands, reverb, dulcimers, trumpets, synthesizers, tape echo, Sea Lion is a world that’s both sonically and instrumentally worth exploring. Standout tracks like “Oh Mojave,” “Kenya Dig it,” and “Adventure Tour” make this album something that shouldn’t be hidden, but rather enjoyed by all.

OnAir · November 2022 17

November Events Around NYC WORLD MUSIC INSTITUTE Underground System, Locobeach, Cheo Pardo When: Thursday, November 10th at 8pm Where: Nublu, 151 Avenue C, Manhattan Price: $20 advance, $25 day of show Brooklyn-based Underground System are rooted in the Afrobeat style of Fela

BLOOMINGDALE SCHOOL OF MUSIC FACULTY CONCERTS The Music of Michael Cochrane When: Friday, November 4 at 7pm and Friday, November 18 at 7pm Where: David Greer Concert Hall, 323 West 108th Street, NYC Price: FREE!

Kuti and have blossomed into a highly energetic global indie dance music ensemble with an undeniably unique infectious sound. Locobeach is the

band Los Amigos Invisibles.

Michael Cochrane will perform this special concert as part of the Bloomingdale Birthday Celebration and will be joined by his quartet as well as two BSM jazz colleagues.

Music Inspiring Music George Crumb’s chimeric celebration of Thelonious Monk’s ‘Round Midnight and Leo Smit’s take on dances from Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story will be featured.

www.worldmusicinstitute.org/undergroundsystemcheo

bsmny.org/events

musical moniker of the NYC-based dynamic supergroup forging a sound blending cumbia pop and Latin disco with a psychedelic edge. Cheo Pardo (aka DJ Afro) is a Latin Grammy Award-winning guitarist, songwriter, DJ, and music producer, as well as the founder, director, and former member of dance/funk

MILLER THEATRE COMPOSER PORTRAIT SERIES A NIGHT OF HIP HOP

Bmor, Deezy, Alvy, Los in the Cut, Cashout, Joe Banger When: Saturday November 5th, 7pm Where: Havana Room, 3604 East Tremont Avenue, Bronx Price: $10 Come out to hear and support a collection of local hip hop artists who write, produce, record, and distribute all of their own music independently. Raw talent will be on display across the lineup. allevents.in/bronx/a-night-ofhiphop/10000418332924037

THE NEW YORK VIRTUOSO SINGERS

Bach Cantatas 134-146 When: Saturday, November 19th at 7:30pm Where: Merkin Hall at The Kaufman Music Center, 129 West 67th Street Price: $30 general admission, $10 student tickets Maestro Rosenbaum writes, “A few years ago I made the decision to eventually perform every choral movement from every choral cantata written by Bach. I’ve hired fabulous pianists to accompany each concert”. nyvirtuoso.org

Luca Francesconi and Ensemble Signal When: Thursday, November 3rd at 8:00pm Where: Miller Theatre, 2960 Broadway at 116th Street Price: $30 The adventurous Ensemble Signal returns to perform two important premieres by Italian composer Luca Francesconi, whose “music is the result of a fearless creative voraciousness” (The Guardian) and who studied with Stockhausen and Berio. His Portrait—long overdue from two separate postponements over the course of the pandemic—features a pair of works, including the New York premiere of Trauma Études—a large-scale, powerful piece that reflects on the human experience of trauma in a modern world. www.millertheatre.com

THE DESSOFF CHOIRS Duruflé and Lusitano When: Saturday, November 5th at 4pm Where: Union Theological Seminary, 3041 Broadway, Manhattan Price: $30 general admission, $20 student tickets The Dessoff Choirs begins its 2022-23 season with a long overdue exploration of the first published Black composer, Vicente Lusitano, paired with music by the last Impressionist composer, Maurice Duruflé.

MINTON’S PLAYHOUSE Calvin Johnson: A love letter to Erykah Badu When: Wednesday, November 16th at 7pm Where: Minton’s Playhouse, 206 W 118th St Price: $25 Calvin Johnson is a3rd generation NOLA musician— saxophonist, composer and bandleader—born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. https://mintonsharlem.com/

www.dessoff.org

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SUPPORT WKCR TOP 5 REASONS TO DONATE TO WKCR 1. You’d be helping a student-run, listener-funded, and volunteer-based radio station continue to bring you the absolute best in what radio has to offer. Music, arts, news, and sports— we’ve got the works!

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

3. WKCR donations are tax-deductible (so make sure you donate before tax season). For more info on that, or anything else business-related, email business@wkcr.org 4. Being “the Original FM,” our equipment is getting a bit old. For example, Buzz, the hamster that runs the wheel that powers the station, is getting a little worn-out and arthritic. We need a new hamster. Sorry, Buzz, but it’s gotta be done!

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

HOW TO DONATE TO WKCR IN 4 STEPS

BY MAIL Step 1: Locate your nearest checkbook

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 cheque 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 cheques to our direct address. Just Follow the same steps listed above but mail the cheque 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 · November 2022 19

20 OnAir · November 2022

WKCR 89.9 FM

2920 Broadway New York, NY 10027

Spe cial thanks to Ale Diaz-Pizarro, Ann Vet tikkal, Charlot te Andreano, Ian Pumphrey, Jacob Grayzel, Leni Br yan, Madelyn Elizon do, Maria Shaughnessy, Naira Altunkeser, Natalie Difusco, Sam Seliger, Sarah Barlyn, Sof ia Yousif, Stephen Park, and Ted Schmie deler.