KCSM JAZZ 91- 2015 Holiday Programming
December 21st
Midnight-2am Paul Winter’s 35th Annual Winter Solstice Celebration Celebrate the Return of the Sun - and the Warming of the Earth with an exuberant Feast of Sound captured live in the majestic Cathedral of St. John the Divine. WNYC's John Schaefer hosts this all new performance, featuring the Paul Rivera -- the "National Voice of Puerto Rico”, and Abdel Salaam's Forces of Nature percussion and dance ensemble. Hosted by John Schaefer.
December 25th, Christmas Day
6am Christmas With Morehouse And Spelman Glee Clubs One of the great holiday traditions in America, the choirs of Morehouse and Spelman Colleges -- two of the most prestigious historically black institutions in the nation -- get together to present a spine-tingling concert program. This encore presentation features the best works of the last several years. It's a joyous celebration of the schools' tradition of singing excellence, with their trademark mixture of spirituals and carols. Korva Coleman hosts.
7am An Afro Blue Christmas Join us for a very special holiday concert with Howard University's premiere vocal ensemble Afro Blue and special guest pianist Cyrus Chestnut. Hear the a-cappela group perform a variety of holiday songs including African-American spirituals, jazz and pop tunes, and classical repertoire. The joyous celebration includes one of a kind arrangements on traditional holiday songs plus new compositions…music perfect for the holidays and the spirit of Christmas. Hosted by Michele Norris.
8am Jazz Piano Christmas XXVI NPR Music brings you another great concert from Kennedy Center. Kenny Barron, Fred Hersch, and Carmen Staaf perform their favorite holiday songs in a program hosted by Felix Contreras.
9am Festivo Alt.Latino With Gaby Moreno & Friends Alt.Latino continues its homegrown tradition of celebrating the holidays in song with a special show featuring songwriter/performer Gaby Moreno and her band performing tracks from her popular 2014 album Posada.
Moreno will perform in Austin, Texas in the midst of a tour that has taken her across the U.S. and Europe. She will be joined by special guests to give the show the feeling of a family holiday sing along: Austin 2015 Musician of the Year Gina Chavez and Chicano Zen bandleader and record producer Michael Ramos. Collaborations, traditional holiday music from both sides of the border and three outstanding performers will make Festivo Alt.Latino a "Must Do" holiday celebration!
10am Joy To The World – A Holiday In Pink The internationally acclaimed “little orchestra" Pink Martini bedecks the airwaves with festive holiday songs from across the globe. From timeless classics to rarely heard gems, hear a multi-denominational, multi-cultural jubilee, overflowing with enough holiday spirit to warm your entire family. Hosted by All Things Considered’s Ari Shapiro, and co-produced by OPB and Murray Street Productions.
11am Song Travels: Home For The Holidays Join Michael Feinstein for an hour of yuletide cheer and music. This edition of Song Travels journeys from Hollywood's vintage silver screen to New York City's iconic Birdland club. The Michael Feinstein Big Band performs selections from the classic movie White Christmas, and Feinstein shares rare recordings from some of his favorite performers.
Noon Joy To The World From the producers of Mountain Stage and West Virginia Public Broadcasting, this live performance of holiday jazz hosted by pianist Bob Thompson, featuring guest vocalist Mollie O’Brien, performed before a consistently sold-out audience in Charleston, West Virginia’s Culture Center Theater, as well as at additional live road shows around the Mountain State, is a 22-year old tradition.
December 31st, New Year’s Eve
6pm-2am Toast Of The Nation 2015/2016! An NPR tradition every New Year's Eve since the 1970s, Toast of the Nation is the perfect audio complement for the occasion. It's jazz that you can party to, all night long with countdowns to midnight in all four continental time zones. Spirited, improvised, grooving and swinging, each segment is a stop in a sequence of celebrations, contributing something new to the musical feast. Featuring Wynton Marsalis, Snarky Puppy, Wycliffe Gordon, and more. Hosted by Rhonda Hamilton.