WPKN Music, Arts, and Culture Podcast

Jackie Downing on the Great Give 2026! (Senior Director of Grantmaking and Nonprofit Support at the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven) with WPKN General Manager, Brendan Toller

Jackie Downing of the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven discusses the Great Give 2026! The Great Give, now in its 17th year, raises over $4.4 million annually for more than 500 local nonprofits. The fundraiser also offers over $200K in matching funds. The Great Give takes place Wednesday, May 6th and Thursday May 7th. Advance gifts can be made for The Great Give beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, May 1. Donation pages will remain open until 8:00 a.m. on Monday, May 11. The Great Give [https://www.thegreatgive.org/] Donate to WPKN on the Great Give [https://www.thegreatgive.org/organizations/wpkn89-5fm]

Guitarist/Composer Julian Lage interviewed by WPKN's Joseph Celli (My Other Music, Soundprint Asia)

WPKN radio host Joseph Celli interviews guitarist/composer Julian Lage as he discusses his early training, guitarists that influenced him and that he admires as well as several of his Blue Note releases. Lage, a child prodigy, presents several cuts of his music including the solo Day & Age, his quartet recording with Bill Frisell and a cut from his newest release Scenes From Above.  “Mr. Lage sounded almost miraculous …. A guitarist of extravagant technique, he made each solo feel like an onrushing discovery, reeling off lines and phrases while neatly sidestepping cliché. And for all the self-possession in his playing, it felt tempered by an introspective humility, ….” Nate Chinen (NY Times, 4/18/12)

Larry McDonald (the Skatalites, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Gil Scot-Heron) interviewed by WPKN's Amy Wachtel aka DJ Night Nurse (Rockers Arena)

For the first edition of “Rockers Arena” of the new year, the Night Nurse, Amy Wachtel, invited her long-time friend, Jamaican percussionist Larry McDonald to sit in with her and shoot the breeze. They spent much of the time reviewing Larry’s long and illustrious career, including time with Taj Mahal and his almost 30 years with Gil Scot-Heron. The loquacious octogenarian is currently a member of the Legendary/Legacy JA ska band, the Skatalites, touring regularly world-wide. Larry Mac, as he is affectionately called, is also a part of the NYC Ska Orchestra, Dave Hillyard & the Rocksteady Seven, Sub-Atomic Sound System, and an on-going project he co-leads with sax player Anant Pradhan. Rockers Arena with the Night Nurse can be heard first and third Fridays, 12noon-3pm on WPKN.

Parranda Y Salsa Special! on ReHumanize Yourself Radio with Herman Olivera feat. Ric Reyes, John Torres, and Molly Dryman

WPKN is a media partner for Parranda y Salsa at the Downtown Cabaret Theatre in Bridgeport on Thursday, December 18th, running from 5 to 10 pm. Now in its third year, this holiday celebration brings the Parranda traditions of the Caribbean together with live salsa music for a night of dancing, community, and culture. The Downtown Cabaret Theatre is located at 263 Golden Hill Street in Bridgeport, Connecticut. This event is sponsored by: City of Bridgeport, Greater Bridgeport Latino Network (GBLN), Puerto Rican Day Parade of Fairfield County, Bridgeport Caribe Youth League (BCYL), and WPKN. Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/parranda-y-salsa-at-the-downtown-cabaret-bridgeport-ct-tickets-1976784458529

Nels Cline interviewed by WPKN's Joseph Celli (My Other Music, Soundprint Asia)

Joseph Celli WPKN's host of My Other Music (MOM) and SoundPrintAsia interviews composer/guitarist Nels Cline (WILCO) about his inspiration to devote his life to ‘sound’ with his wide range of music making groups ranging from progressive rock to free improvisation.  Nels  talks about the differences between recording and live performance and his love of improvisation and live audiences.  During the course of the interview we hear three cuts of his music and discuss his various bands.