Commencing at midnight August 27th and concluding at midnight September 4th, WKCR-FM (89.9 FM, wkcr.org) will dedicate all programming to celebrations of the legacies and influences of two of jazz’s central figures: Charlie Parker (b. 8/29/20, d. 3/12/55) and Lester Young (b. 8/27/09, d. 3/15/59). For more than four decades, the station has noted their birthday anniversaries with a three-day marathon broadcast. Because August 29, 2020, marks the centennial of Parker’s birth, WKCR will expand this year’s celebration into an eight-day marathon; its central component will be the Charlie Parker Centennial Festival.
THE CHARLIE PARKER CENTENNIAL FESTIVAL:
SATURDAY, AUGUST 29 (Midnight) to
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 (Midnight)
To air 24 hours a day, the Festival will showcase the majority of the saxophonist’s extensive discography, including both commercially issued material and rarities. Beginning each day with a potpourri of studio recordings and concerts, its schedule will primarily consist of thematic segments, including surveys of Parker records issued on the Savoy, Dial, and Verve labels and deep focuses into his early years, broadcast appearances, and essential collaborations with trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie.
