Draft:Free Music Store

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Free Music Store
GenreExperimental, classical, folk, jazz
Location(s)New York City
Years active1969–1976
FounderEric Salzman
SponsorWBAI (Pacifica Radio)

The Free Music Store was a live concert series hosted by WBAI-FM, a Pacifica Radio station in New York City, from 1969 to 1976. Conceived by composer and WBAI music director Eric Salzman, and later produced by Ira Weitzman[1], the series aimed to democratize access to live music by offering free performances from a wide range of genres, including experimental, classical, folk, and avant-garde music.[2]

History

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The Free Music Store began in 1969, inspired by public arts initiatives such as Shakespeare in the Park.[2] After moving from a Public Theater space, concerts were held in the deconsecrated church on East 62nd Street that was WBAI's home. The venue featured floor seating, refreshments at the entrance, and a relaxed, community-oriented atmosphere. Smoking was prohibited—except for performers.[2]

Audience members were encouraged to make donations, which were divided between the performers and WBAI's operating costs.[2] Concerts were recorded in high-fidelity stereo using four-track equipment by Pacifica engineers including David Rapkin.[2]

Performers and Programming

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The Free Music Store hosted a diverse lineup of musicians, including: Aeolian Chamber Players[2], David Bromberg[2], Suzanne Ciani[2], Cleveland Quartet[1], Julius Eastman with John Adams[3], The Firesign Theatre[4], Milford Graves[5], Jim Hall[2], John Hammond Jr.[2], Igor Kipnis[6], Don McLean[1], Joe McPhee[2], Meredith Monk[7], Mother Mallard's Portable Masterpiece Company[8], Pran Nath[9], Phil Ochs[2], Oregon (band)[10], Max Roach[2], Dave van Ronk[2], Peter Schickele[11], Seals and Crofts[2], Lucy Shelton[12], Patrick Sky[2], Patti Smith[13], János Starker[2] and Naná Vasconcelos[2]. Special events included a tribute to Igor Stravinsky held in December 1971, several months after his death.[14]

The Free Music Store played a notable role in the revival of ragtime music during the early 1970s. Beginning in 1970, WBAI hosted an annual Ragtime Revival Reunion concert as part of the series, featuring performances of works by Scott Joplin and other early ragtime composers.[2] These concerts contributed to resurgence of interest in ragtime by presenting it not as nostalgic novelty but as a vital and complex musical form worthy of serious appreciation,[2] even before its popularization by the 1973 film The Sting.[15] Among the performers were William Bolcom, Eubie Blake and Joshua Rifkin -- whose influential 1970 and 1972 piano recordings of Scott Joplin were Grammy-nominated.

Legacy

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Many performances were preserved by the Pacifica Radio Archives, supported by grants from organizations such as the Grammy Foundation[2].

One notable release is At WBAI's Free Music Store, 1971, a live album by jazz multi-instrumentalist Joe McPhee and Survival Unit II, recorded on October 30, 1971. The album was released in 1996 by the Swedish label HatHut Records and received critical acclaim for its intense yet lyrical improvisations.[16]

[edit]
  • WBAI Free Music Store program page
  • Henahan, Donal (February 28, 1971). "They've Gotta Be Free". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  • Pacifica Radio Archives – Joyful Noise article

References

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  1. ^ a b c Holden, Stephen (December 10, 1976). "A Free and Easy Place for Music". The New York Times. Retrieved September 20, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u "Joyful Noise: An Introduction to WBAI's Free Music Store". Pacifica Radio Archives. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  3. ^ "Going Out Guide". The New York Times. February 15, 1973. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  4. ^ "Firesign Theatre Chrono Site~ From 1970 to 1974". Firezine. Firezine.net. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  5. ^ "Outer Sounds 032 – June 2023". Outer Sounds Vinyl Subscription. Autumn Records. June 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  6. ^ "Harpsichord recital by Igor Kipnis at the Free Music Store, New York City, 1970-01-29". Stanford University Libraries Archives. Stanford University. January 29, 1970. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
  7. ^ "Concert at the Free Music Store / Meredith Monk, 1976". New York Public Library Research Catalog. New York Public Library. May 15, 1976. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
  8. ^ John Rockwell (October 6, 1975). "Synthesizer Group at WBAI's Studio C". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
  9. ^ Marian Zazeela (1974). "Poster for Pandit Pran Nath, Early Morning Ragas, WBAI-FM Free Music Store, May 19, 1974". The Museum of Modern Art. MoMA. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
  10. ^ "Live at the Free Music Store, WBAI, New York, 2 Sep '72 (Live)". Spotify. Spotify AB. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
  11. ^ "Record Ramblings" (PDF). Cash Box. March 15, 1969. p. 30 (printed as p. 32). Retrieved 26 August 2025.
  12. ^ "Local chamber music". Pacifica Radio Archives via UC Berkeley Library. Pacifica Radio Archives. November 7, 1973. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
  13. ^ "Free Music Store". Discogs. 1975. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
  14. ^ All Stravinsky Concert. Pacifica Radio Archives. December 18, 1971. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
  15. ^ Berlin, Edward A. (1994). King of Ragtime: Scott Joplin and His Era. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199740321.
  16. ^ "At WBAI's Free Music Store, 1971". Wikipedia. Retrieved 11 August 2025.