Deep Focus

By Small Media LargeEducation Arts Music Music Commentary

Deep Focus episodes

October 05 2026.08.31 Eric Person on Jackie McLean - 2 of 3
When we were coming up, alto saxophonist Jackie McLean was one of the main cats. He, along with friends like Sonny Rollins, Max Roach, and Art Taylor, had emerged in New York City revering Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk, yet he discovered his own unique sound. We hunted for his well-worn Blue Note albums (not yet reissued at the time), and waited for him to play in NYC. And waited, and waited.

In 1968, Jackie McLean had started teaching at the Hartt School in Hartford, CT, beginning a long and influential career as an educator. Sadly for those of us who weren't enrolled, his live performances had become much less frequent.

Saxophonist Eric Person's choice of Jackie Mac as the subject for a Deep Focus is going to depend on the WKCR archives' ability to provide rare, live, unreleased recordings.
Will host Mitch Goldman and G*O*A*T* guest Eric Person find these hidden treasures?
Will the music reveal new facets of Jackie McLean's magnificent artistry?
And how long can this krazy high-wire act continue??

These questions and more will be answered this Monday (8/31) from 6p to 9p NYC time on WKCR 89.9FM, WKCR-HD or wkcr.org,

Or join us when it goes up on the Deep Focus podcast on your favorite podcasting app or at https://mitchgoldman.podbean.com/. Subscribe right now to get notifications when new episodes are posted. It's ad-free, all free, totally non-commercial. We won't even ask for your contact info.

Find out more about Deep Focus at https://mitchgoldman.com/about-deep-focus/ or join us on Instagram @deep_focus_podcast.

Photo credit: Jackie McLean. Photo by Francis Wolff/Mosaic.

#WKCR #DeepFocus #EricPerson #JackieMcLean #JazzRadio #JazzPodcast #JazzInterview #MitchGoldman
1 hr 7 min
September 29 2026.08.31 Eric Person on Jackie McLean - 1 of 3
When we were coming up, alto saxophonist Jackie McLean was one of the main cats. He, along with friends like Sonny Rollins, Max Roach, and Art Taylor, had emerged in New York City revering Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk, yet he discovered his own unique sound. We hunted for his well-worn Blue Note albums (not yet reissued at the time), and waited for him to play in NYC. And waited, and waited.

In 1968, Jackie McLean had started teaching at the Hartt School in Hartford, CT, beginning a long and influential career as an educator. Sadly for those of us who weren't enrolled, his live performances had become much less frequent.

Saxophonist Eric Person's choice of Jackie Mac as the subject for a Deep Focus is going to depend on the WKCR archives' ability to provide rare, live, unreleased recordings.
Will host Mitch Goldman and G*O*A*T* guest Eric Person find these hidden treasures?
Will the music reveal new facets of Jackie McLean's magnificent artistry?
And how long can this krazy high-wire act continue??

These questions and more will be answered this Monday (8/31) from 6p to 9p NYC time on WKCR 89.9FM, WKCR-HD or wkcr.org,

Or join us when it goes up on the Deep Focus podcast on your favorite podcasting app or at https://mitchgoldman.podbean.com/. Subscribe right now to get notifications when new episodes are posted. It's ad-free, all free, totally non-commercial. We won't even ask for your contact info.

Find out more about Deep Focus at https://mitchgoldman.com/about-deep-focus/ or join us on Instagram @deep_focus_podcast.

Photo credit: Jackie McLean. Photo by Francis Wolff/Mosaic.

#WKCR #DeepFocus #EricPerson #JackieMcLean #JazzRadio #JazzPodcast #JazzInterview #MitchGoldman
1 hr 6 min
September 21 2026.08.17 Steven Bernstein and Peter Apfelbaum on the Don Cherry tapes 3 - 3 of 3
This Monday's (8/17) Deep Focus is on pocket trumpeter and global troubadour Don Cherry, a dear, deeply missed friend of WKCR. Back in the Eighties, Don was a frequent guest on Mitch Goldman's show. Don would guest DJ, talk to the audience, bring guests... It was an ongoing Eighties NYC Don Cherry party. And if there was a blank cassette handy, Mitch would make a recording. The tapes got tossed in a box and ended up deep in storage.

In January of 2024 and again in February of 2025, Mitch and his guest, the bandleader, trumpeter, cultural historian, and raconteur Steven Bernstein, blew the dust off a few of the tapes and took their audience on a time-travel journey beyond the imagination of PKD or William Gibson. Cherry as a radio host was knowing, passionate, deeply curious, and remarkably generous. He was generous to his guests with his attention and generous to his audience (which is to say, us) by considering them to be part of the conversation. It's very much the way he played music.

This Monday (8/17) from 6p to 9p NYC time on WKCR 89.9FM, WKCR-HD or wkcr.org, Mitch and Steven pull out a few more of these never-before-listened-to magnetic treasures just for you.

Or join us when it goes up on the Deep Focus podcast on your favorite podcasting app or at https://mitchgoldman.podbean.com/. Subscribe right now to get notifications when new episodes are posted. It's ad-free, all free, totally non-commercial. We won't even ask for your contact info.

Find out more about Deep Focus at https://mitchgoldman.com/about-deep-focus/ or join us on Instagram @deep_focus_podcast.

Photo credit: by Mitch Goldman 2026. All rights reserved.

#WKCR #DeepFocus #StevenBernstein #DonCherry #JazzRadio #JazzPodcast #JazzInterview #MitchGoldman
1 hr 6 min
September 14 2026.08.17 Steven Bernstein and Peter Apfelbaum on the Don Cherry tapes 3 - 2 of 3
This Monday's (8/17) Deep Focus is on pocket trumpeter and global troubadour Don Cherry, a dear, deeply missed friend of WKCR. Back in the Eighties, Don was a frequent guest on Mitch Goldman's show. Don would guest DJ, talk to the audience, bring guests... It was an ongoing Eighties NYC Don Cherry party. And if there was a blank cassette handy, Mitch would make a recording. The tapes got tossed in a box and ended up deep in storage.

In January of 2024 and again in February of 2025, Mitch and his guest, the bandleader, trumpeter, cultural historian, and raconteur Steven Bernstein, blew the dust off a few of the tapes and took their audience on a time-travel journey beyond the imagination of PKD or William Gibson. Cherry as a radio host was knowing, passionate, deeply curious, and remarkably generous. He was generous to his guests with his attention and generous to his audience (which is to say, us) by considering them to be part of the conversation. It's very much the way he played music.

This Monday (8/17) from 6p to 9p NYC time on WKCR 89.9FM, WKCR-HD or wkcr.org, Mitch and Steven pull out a few more of these never-before-listened-to magnetic treasures just for you.

Or join us when it goes up on the Deep Focus podcast on your favorite podcasting app or at https://mitchgoldman.podbean.com/. Subscribe right now to get notifications when new episodes are posted. It's ad-free, all free, totally non-commercial. We won't even ask for your contact info.

Find out more about Deep Focus at https://mitchgoldman.com/about-deep-focus/ or join us on Instagram @deep_focus_podcast.

Photo credit: by Mitch Goldman 2026. All rights reserved.

#WKCR #DeepFocus #StevenBernstein #DonCherry #JazzRadio #JazzPodcast #JazzInterview #MitchGoldman
1 hr 7 min
September 06 2026.08.17 Steven Bernstein and Peter Apfelbaum on the Don Cherry tapes 3 - 1 of 3
This Monday's (8/17) Deep Focus is on pocket trumpeter and global troubadour Don Cherry, a dear, deeply missed friend of WKCR. Back in the Eighties, Don was a frequent guest on Mitch Goldman's show. Don would guest DJ, talk to the audience, bring guests... It was an ongoing Eighties NYC Don Cherry party. And if there was a blank cassette handy, Mitch would make a recording. The tapes got tossed in a box and ended up deep in storage.

In January of 2024 and again in February of 2025, Mitch and his guest, the bandleader, trumpeter, cultural historian, and raconteur Steven Bernstein, blew the dust off a few of the tapes and took their audience on a time-travel journey beyond the imagination of PKD or William Gibson. Cherry as a radio host was knowing, passionate, deeply curious, and remarkably generous. He was generous to his guests with his attention and generous to his audience (which is to say, us) by considering them to be part of the conversation. It's very much the way he played music.

This Monday (8/17) from 6p to 9p NYC time on WKCR 89.9FM, WKCR-HD or wkcr.org, Mitch and Steven pull out a few more of these never-before-listened-to magnetic treasures just for you.

Or join us when it goes up on the Deep Focus podcast on your favorite podcasting app or at https://mitchgoldman.podbean.com/. Subscribe right now to get notifications when new episodes are posted. It's ad-free, all free, totally non-commercial. We won't even ask for your contact info.

Find out more about Deep Focus at https://mitchgoldman.com/about-deep-focus/ or join us on Instagram @deep_focus_podcast.

Photo credit: by Mitch Goldman 2026. All rights reserved.

#WKCR #DeepFocus #StevenBernstein #DonCherry #JazzRadio #JazzPodcast #JazzInterview #MitchGoldman
1 hr 5 min
August 30 2017.05.01 Vernon Reid, Chris Buono, David Gilmore on Allen Holdsworth - 3 of 3
What makes us love the musicians we love? They do something magical that no one else had ever thought of before. Or the magical thing they do is so outlandishly demanding that, if anyone else had thought of it, they simply would not have been able to execute it. Allan Holdsworth was another of the handful of conjurers who deserves the title, “guitarists’ guitarist.” He passed away at 70 the month of this broadcast, and we celebrate him with a Deep Focus featuring guitarists Vernon Reid, David Gilmore and Chris Buono. History, mystery and surprise abounding. Mitch Goldman is your host.

Photo credit: This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license.
#WKCR #DeepFocus #AllanHoldsworth #VernonReid #DavidGilmore #ChrisBuono #Fusion #JazzRockFusion #Guitar #FusionGuitar #Interview
34 min
August 23 2017.05.01 Vernon Reid, Chris Buono, David Gilmore on Allen Holdsworth - 2 of 3
What makes us love the musicians we love? They do something magical that no one else had ever thought of before. Or the magical thing they do is so outlandishly demanding that, if anyone else had thought of it, they simply would not have been able to execute it. Allan Holdsworth was another of the handful of conjurers who deserves the title, “guitarists’ guitarist.” He passed away at 70 the month of this broadcast, and we celebrate him with a Deep Focus featuring guitarists Vernon Reid, David Gilmore and Chris Buono. History, mystery and surprise abounding. Mitch Goldman is your host.

Photo credit: This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license.
#WKCR #DeepFocus #AllanHoldsworth #VernonReid #DavidGilmore #ChrisBuono #Fusion #JazzRockFusion #Guitar #FusionGuitar #Interview
1 hr 13 min
August 16 2017.05.01 Vernon Reid, Chris Buono, David Gilmore on Allen Holdsworth - 1 of 3
What makes us love the musicians we love? They do something magical that no one else had ever thought of before. Or the magical thing they do is so outlandishly demanding that, if anyone else had thought of it, they simply would not have been able to execute it. Allan Holdsworth was another of the handful of conjurers who deserves the title, “guitarists’ guitarist.” He passed away at 70 the month of this broadcast, and we celebrate him with a Deep Focus featuring guitarists Vernon Reid, David Gilmore and Chris Buono. History, mystery and surprise abounding. Mitch Goldman is your host.

Photo credit: This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license.
#WKCR #DeepFocus #AllanHoldsworth #VernonReid #DavidGilmore #ChrisBuono #Fusion #JazzRockFusion #Guitar #FusionGuitar #Interview
1 hr 20 min
August 09 2019.06.25 Brian Charette on Duke Ellington - incomplete - 1 of 1
This is a beautiful episode of Deep Focus, but unfortunately, only the middle portion of it was recorded successfully. If you have the rest of it, please get in touch with us so we can post it. Enjoy!

How is it possible that no one has chosen Duke Ellington as a subject for Deep Focus? Maybe because it's just too daunting; no one has matched his brilliance as an orchestrator, his ability to lead a band, his supreme elegance. Well, that drought ends tonight. Keyboard monster Brian Charette and host Mitch Goldman have some sparklers from the archives for you, even an extraordinarily rare collaboration with Charles Mingus.

Monday from 6pm to 9pm NYC time on WKCR 89.9FM, WKCR HD-1 and wkcr.org

Photo credit: Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2

See you on the radio!

© 2019 Small Media Large. All rights reserved. No part of this podcast may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission from the publisher.
1 hr 18 min
August 02 2026.07.06 Vernon Reid on James Blood Ulmer 2 - 3 of 3
On Deep Focus this Monday (7/6), a celebration of the life and music of James Blood Ulmer (February 8, 1940 – June 3, 2026), with guest Vernon Reid. Our hearts are heavy, but spirits will be flying. Please join us.

Tune in this Monday (7/6) from 6pm to 9pm NYC time on WKCR 89.9FM, WKCR-HD or wkcr.org.

Or join us when it goes up on the Deep Focus podcast on your favorite podcasting app or at https://mitchgoldman.podbean.com/. It will join over 450 promo-free episodes. Subscribe right now to get notifications when new episodes are posted. It's ad-free, all free, sponsor-free, totally non-commercial. We won't even ask for your contact info.

Find out more about Deep Focus at https://mitchgoldman.com/about-deep-focus/ or join us on Instagram @deep_focus_podcast.

Photo credit: James Blood Ulmer - photo by Nomo michael hoefner www.zwo5.de, CC BY-SA 3.0 creativecommons.org.licenses.by-sa.3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

#WKCR #DeepFocus #VernonReid #JamesBloodUlmer #AdamuMustafaAbdulMussawir #JazzRadio #JazzPodcast #JazzInterview #MitchGoldman
54 min