Special Programming

Besides the weekly shows mentioned below, numerous special broadcasts occur throughout the year, pre-empting all regular programming for at least 24-hours. These include:

Birthday Broadcasts

Long ago it became tradition at WKCR to play 24 hours of a jazz great's music on his/her birthday.  The musicians we celebrate are as follows:

January 10: Max Roach (b. January 10, 1924; d. August 16, 2007)

January 30: Roy Eldridge (b. January 30, 1911; d. February 26, 1989)

March 9: Ornette Coleman (b. March 9, 1930)

March 10: Bix Beiderbecke (b. March 10, 1903; d. August 7, 1931)

April 7: Billie Holiday (b. April 7, 1915; d. July 17, 1959)

April 22: Charles Mingus (b. April 22, 1922; d. January 5, 1979)

April 29: Duke Ellington (April 29,1899; d. May 24, 1974)

July 4: Louis Armstrong (b. August 4, 1901; d. July 6, 1971) --- he believed his birthdate to be July 4th 1900, so we celebrate both birthdays.

August 4: Louis Armstrong (b. August 4, 1901; d. July 6, 1971)

August 27-29: Lester Young (b. August 27, 1909; d. March 15, 1959) and Charlie Parker (b. August 29, 1920; d. March 12, 1955) --- we preempt August 28 as well, playing Lester Young until noon, when we switch to Charlie Parker.

September 23: John Coltrane (b. September 23, 1926; d. July 17, 1967)

October 10: Thelonious Monk (b. Oct. 10, 1917; d. February 17, 1982)

October 30: Clifford Brown (b. October 30, 1930; d. June 26, 1956)

November 21: Coleman Hawkins (b. Nov. 21, 1904; d. May 19, 1969)

Festivals 

WKCR is perhaps most famous for its extended marathon festivals. Beginning with Albert Ayler in 1970, the Jazz Department has periodically pre-empted all programming in order to present, in chronological order, the complete recorded oeuvre of a jazz great (see Phil Schaap Interview for complete list).

Furthermore, every December, WKCR presents its annual Bach Festival, playing nothing but the music of Johann Sebastian Bach for the last 7-10 days of the year.  Check back for more updates about Bach Festival 2011.