WRCJ In-Studio Guests

2026 is the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence! Composer Karen LeFrak was commissioned to write a piece for the occasion. Christa Grix tells us more about the work "American Promise".

2026 is the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence! Here is a little feature from Christa Grix about Revolutionary Era American composer William Billings.

Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival starts this weekend. Paul Watkins takes a bow as artistic director of the festival...

90.9 WRCJ’s film host Haley Taylor interviews actor, producer, screenwriter and director Bruce Campbell. Bruce has a new movie “Ernie and Emma” which will debut at the Redford Theatre on Friday, June 5, 2026 at 8 p.m. They talk about the new movie, independent filmmaking, and Bruce’s long career in cult cinema — from “The Evil Dead” to today.

Renowned bassist Marion Hayden will return to The Station at Michigan Central with the Grammy-nominated band Straight Ahead for a special Mother’s Day edition of Fridays at The Station, on May 8, 2026. The Detroit-born Hayden was the first artist to perform at the first-ever Fridays at The Station event, in April 2025. She has performed and recorded with a number of leading musicians from the 1980s onwards and is considered one of the best acoustical bassists in the country. She began performing at age 15 under the tutelage of master trumpeter Marcus Belgrave and saxophonist Wendell Harrison. She would go on to perform with legends such as Regina Carter, Nancy Wilson, Lionel Hampton and George Benson. She also received the Kresge Eminent Artist Award in 2025, and is widely recognized as an advocate for the preservation of the cultural and artistic legacy of jazz. She is a co-founder of the Grammy-nominated ensemble Straight Ahead—the first all-woman jazz ensemble signed to Atlantic Records. Over the years, members of the band have shared the concert stage with a who’s-who of the music world, including Ray Charles, Tony Bennett, George Duke, Stanley Clark, the Yellowjackets and Dianne Reeves. “Straight Ahead will present a celebration of women as creatives, composers, arrangers and conceptualists,” Hayden said. “The band will open a musical conversation, engaging the audience in themes of womanhood, power and intentionally creating a space where women are uplifted.” Featuring Hayden on bass, Alina Morr on keys, Gayelynn McKinney on drums, Ingrid Racine on trumpet and the vocal stylings of Kymberli Wright. Widely recognized for their eclectic and soulful approach to creating music, the Straight Ahead sound ranges comfortably from jazz, to Latin music and jazzy hip-hop.