Saturday, 3/8/2026 7am-10pm - Celebrate International Women's Day

Photo: Mike Loik Credit: Nick Gonzales | Copyright: UC Santa Cruz

Celebrate International Women’s Day from 7am-10pm with Rachelle Rabin, Clifford Brown Jr., Jesse “Chuy” Varela, Maria Marquez and Harry Duncan as they salute the contributions of women in jazz and related music’s from all around the world.

IWD celebrations were started 33 years ago by (retired) Program Director Melanie Berzon and now a time-honored tradition at KCSM JAZZ 91. Historically IWD was founded 115 years in 1911 and started to recognize women’s achievements and rally for women’s equality.

JAZZ 91 Highlights include:

Rachelle Rabin - I’m going to play all the amazing women musicians, composers, vocalists, arrangers that I’ve discovered over the years and digging deep into my playlists for them.

Clifford Brown Jr. - From 10a-Noon during Midday Jazz I'll be primarily featuring some of the women trailblazers in jazz including Mary Lou Williams, Clora Bryant and Melba Liston. From Noon - 2p, in the American Jazz Countdown slot, I'll feature more contemporary women jazz artists like Tia Fuller, Alexa Tarantino and Artemis. While highlighting instrumentalists, both segments will feature some vocals, brief interviews with a few of the artists, and will be comprised of all women headliners.

Jesse “Chuy” Varela – I will be honoring female artists from Mexico, Brazil, The Caribbean, and Latin America. We’ll welcome Rita Hargrave, producer of “Salsa De La Bahia Vol.3 – Renegade Queens, the groundbreaking anthology showcasing the contributions of women in the San Francisco Bay Area’s Afro-Latin music scene, at 4:00pm.

Maria Marquez - I will be doing three programs dedicated to women in March.  On March 8^th I will be focusing on Women from Africa and the others a mix a women artists from around the globe.

Harry Duncan - I’ll be showcasing Women of Soul, Funk, Blues and Gospel on In The Soul Kitchen. Plus African women singers like Oumou Sangare from Mali and Sally Nyolo from Cameroon.