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The Beat
Saturdays 1pm - 4pm

'The Beat' is a weekly mix of jazz, blues and much more. Each week, host David Nicholas plays selections from WCMU's extensive record and CD library, and brings in some of his own favorite albums from home. 

Latest Episodes
  • Join David Nicholas for The Beat, Saturdays from 1-4 on WCMU! This week, some jazz classics from Billie Holiday, Thelonious Monk and Dave Brubeck. Plus the spotlight is on brand new music, including the jazz mass for golden wedding anniversaries. Tierney Sutton and Kurt Elling are featured in the work by Chris Walden and the LMR Jazz Orchestra and & St. Dominic's Schola Cantorum.
  • Coming up Saturday from 1-4 on The Beat, David has another mix for your gig, including more from recent new releases, some classic Blue Note from guitarist Grant Green and saxophonist John Coltrane, plus classic Verve Label music from vocalist Blossom Dearie and saxophonist Sonny Stitt!
  • Eric Burdon came to fame as front man for the British Invasion band, The Animals. When they split up, he went on to a band who blended rock, blues, jazz, soul, funk, world music...and more!...WAR They're part of the mix Saturday from 1-4 on The Beat!!!
  • LOTS of new music this Saturday between 1 and 4 on The Beat -- David will feature tracks from all the new CDs, including Sidney Jacobs, Shawn Purcell, Bobby Broom, Tracye Eileen, William Flynn, Trio Xolo, and Bruce Barth!
  • Tributes to organist Joey DeFrancesco and jazz producer Creed Taylor this week on The Beat. DeFancesco became a leading B-3 player in the '90s, and Taylor produced classics for Impulse! and his own CTI label. Join David Nicholas Saturday from 1-4 here on WCMU!
  • More music from Michigan guitarist Randy Napoleon; his latest release is called "Puppets," part of the mix for your gig! In the 3:00 hour, we'll wrap up the 13-part series "Jazz Singers" Join Dave Nicholas Saturday afternoon, 1-4, on WCMU!
  • Coming up Saturday afternoon, 1-4 on The Beat, sounds from Michgan artists including Randy Napoleon, RJ Spängler, the late Brad Felt, and Pete Siers! Plus, it's program #12 in the 13-part series, Jazz Singers, in our 3:00 hour!
  • Old and new from Detroit's Planet D Nonet, more from the never before heard concert with Ella Fitzgerald singing Irving Berlin at the Hollywood Bowl and Lizz Wright covers a classic The Bee Gees wrote for Otis Redding! Join Dave Nicholas for the mix, Saturday afternoon from 1-4!
  • Some tunes sound even better for summer afternoons, like "Whisper Not" by Benny Golson. For the mix this week on The Beat, Bobby Shew's version is on the playlist, along with some other laid back tracks, from Michigan artists, Rick Roe and Paul Vornhagen a classic pairing of Brubeck and Armstrong, Kenny Barron, and Stix Hooper!
  • Coming up Saturday at 1 on The Beat, back to our latest new releases to ring out this old month of July, classics from Ira Sullivan, Stan Getz, and Johnny Griffin plus Program #9 in the 13-part series, Jazz Singers in our 3:00 hour!