Happy Holidays from all of us at KLCC! We’ve got a programming lineup packed with delights for the darkest days of the year with a variety of musical genres and moods. Consider this your program guide for what you’ll hear.
Saturday, December 10
3:00PM – The Eye 5 Holiday Special
Settle in warmly for the Eye 5 Holiday Special! We’ll get a bit demented, go “drone” for the holidays, and play all sorts of sad and surprising songs of the season. Plus, you get the Eye guarantee for a Whamageddon-safe listening experience. Tune in, and Happy Holidays!
Thursday, December 15
8:00PM – Thursday eKLeCtiC’s “Unlikely Christmas Carols”
KLCC’s David Gizara has been working on his winter beard for decades and he’s bringing you a program of unlikely Christmas carols! You’ll hear Sade’s “The Sweetest Taboo,” “Blood On The Rooftops” by Genesis, Low’s “Long Way Around The Sea,” and more!
Saturday, December 17
3:00PM – All Songs Considered for the Holiday Extravaganza
We are revisiting the very first All Songs Considered holiday party from 2012. The guest list for this unforgettable program of music and tall tales includes Kishi Bashi, Dan Deacon, Carrie Brownstein and Nellie McKay. We hosted the festivities at a secluded cabin we rented one weekend in a snowy woods. It was a chilly night, but we had a roaring fire, plenty of eggnog, vegan haggis and lots of holiday songs to keep everybody warm!
4:00PM – The Big Tiny Desk Holiday Special
Celebrate the season with amazing holiday performances from The Tiny Desk Concert series including Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Steve Martin, Hanson, The Polyphonic Spree and more! Hosted by NPR Music frenemies Bob Boilen and Stephen Thompson.
Sunday, December 18
1:00PM – Hanukkah Lights 2022
This NPR favorite returns with the best of the best Hanukkah Lights stories from the last 30 years. Hosted by Susan Stamberg and Murray Horwitz.
Tuesday, December 20
8:00PM – Jazz Night In America: A Holiday Celebration
This year’s Jazz Night in America holiday special features drummer Matt Wilson’s Christmas Tree-O; a ruckus band that flips seasonal songs on their head while inserting humor and joyful swing, and new takes on classics in this special episode recorded at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Christian McBride hosts.
9:00PM – Jazz Piano Christmas
Check out your favorite holiday classics as you’ve never heard them before! This year, our annual sell-out event spotlights ferociously talented Japanese musical phenom Hiromi, Mountain Stage’s Bob Thompson, and Bolivian prodigy José André Montaño, chosen as one of the Kennedy Center’s “Next 50” leaders.
Tuesday, December 21
8:00PM – 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.
9:00PM – A Paul Winter Solstice
Celebrate the return of the sun – and the warming of the heart with Paul Winter’s Winter Solstice Celebration. On the darkest night of the year, we head back to New York’s Cathedral of St. John the Divine to hear a performance of The Paul Winter Consort and the glorious Cathedral Pipe Organ. John Schaefer hosts.
Saturday, December 24
3:00PM – A World Cafe Holiday
World Cafe is celebrating this season by revisiting special holiday performances from Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Los Lobos, Andrew Bird, The Bird and The Bee, Pink Martini, Preservation Hall Jazz Band and more. Hosted by Raina Douris, this musical gift will provide a full hour of hip holiday cheer.
4:00PM – Sound Opinions Holiday Spectacular
It’s the most wonderful time of the year: Andy Cirzan has a bag full of fresh festive tunes for everyone to enjoy. The Sound Opinions Holiday Spectacular is back with Korean psychedelia, Caribbean crooners and even some modern indie artists.
6:00PM – Jonathan Winters’ A Christmas Carol
An updated version of a public radio tradition hosted by NPR’s Susan Stamberg. Master comedian Jonathan Winters presents a distinctive reading of Dickens’ holiday classic, with a special performing edition prepared by Dickens for his own presentations.
Sunday, December 25
3:00PM – A Mountain Stage Holiday
Join Mountain Stage host Larry Groce for an hour filled with beautiful music to mark the season. The show features special guests Holly Cole, Joan Baez, Bruce Cockburn, Loudon Wainwright III, The Roches, Kathy Mattea and more. All performances were recorded live on the Mountain Stage.
4:00PM – The Thistle & Shamrock Presents ‘A Child’s Christmas In Wales’
Cerys Matthews is Welsh musician and patron of the Dylan Thomas Society. In this program she narrates excerpts from the Dylan Thomas holiday classic, set to music that she created and recorded with her collaborator Mason Neely. One reviewer wrote: “Dylan’s words are so deliciously descriptive to begin with, and Matthews’ lilting Welsh accent, and deep understanding of the culture illuminates them further. Her love of Dylan’s poetry shines throughout, and serves to make it accessible to a wide audience.” Hosted by Fiona Ritchie.
Monday, December 26
7:00PM – The Sounds of Kwanzaa
In this broadcast, host Garrett McQueen offers a background on the history of Kwanzaa and its guiding principles, alongside musical selections that highlight the spirit of the celebration. The show features the compositions of Florence Price, Duke Ellington, Sean O’Loughlin, and special performances by Imani Winds.
Saturday, December 31
9:00PM – Toast of the Nation
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 festive jazz you can party to, all night long. Hear sets from Ibrahim Maalouf, Lizz Wright, Ranky Tanky and Chucho Valdés. The party goes well past midnight on KLCC!