WJZZ Detroit Radio
On Air
WJZZ Detroit — Live Jazz

Sheet 1959 Detroit · Michigan

WJZZ

The World's Oldest Jazz Station

On AirBroadcasting Worldwide

42.3314° N · 83.0458° W · 89.7 FM · Est. 1959

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Plate 01

Live from the Booth

Radio.co live transmission · VU-driven tuner

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Live Transmission · WJZZ Detroit

Plate 02

Current Playlist

Recently played · updates every 15 seconds

  1. 01Tuning in…WJZZ Detroit
Programming Index

On Air This Week

  • Monday · 5:00 – 8:00 PMGroovin' w JoanJoan Belgrave
  • Tuesday · 2:00 – 5:00 PMPreservation of JazzSky Covington
  • Tuesday · 5:00 – 8:00 PMThe Dr. Rose ShowDr. Rose
  • Wednesday · 5:00 – 8:00 PMThe Laid Back LoungeRobert Webb
  • Friday · Late NightCosmic JoyRadio Raheem
Full Schedule ›

Plate 00 · Around the Dial · Since 1959

Every hour, somebody in Detroit is listening.

Turn the dial through one broadcast day. Each hour has its own listener, its own corner of the city, and its own reason for staying on WJZZ.

Scroll to tune

6:00 AM

The Kitchen Radio

The lifelong listener

She has had the dial on WJZZ for decades. Coffee, the morning paper, and a trumpet solo before the sun clears the east side.

  • Hosts she knows by voice, on the same days every week
  • Standards played start to finish, never clipped for time
  • A recently played list, so she can find the record later

2:00 PM

The Crate Digger

The new generation

He found Yusef Lateef inside a J Dilla beat. Now he wants the whole record, and the people who played on it.

  • The source recordings behind the samples he grew up on
  • Detroit sessions and the players who cut them
  • Hosts who explain why a record matters, in plain talk
On the dialPreservation of Jazz with Sky Covington · Tuesdays 2–5 PM
See all shows

5:00 PM

Drive Time on the Lodge

The commuter

Bumper to bumper at Davison. Three hours of somebody on the air who sounds glad you made it through the day.

  • A weekday evening anchor, Monday through Wednesday
  • One tap to stream from the phone to the car
  • An ON AIR light that shows who is behind the mic right now
On the dial · 5–8 PMMon Groovin' w Joan, Joan Belgrave
Tue The Dr. Rose Show, Dr. Rose
Wed The Laid Back Lounge, Robert Webb
Host schedule

9:00 PM

The Bandstand

Musicians and venues

A rhythm section loading in on Livernois at eight. They want the whole city to know they play tonight.

  • Live dates and venues read on the air and listed on the site
  • A route to airplay for Detroit players with new recordings
  • The Legacy Jazz Series, 2nd and 4th Fridays, May through September
Legacy Jazz Series

Late night

Detroit, Everywhere

Detroiters away from home

Moved to Atlanta years ago. Still puts the stream on every Friday night to hear home come through the speaker.

  • The worldwide stream, the same signal the city hears
  • Every show listed in Detroit time, with local time beside it
  • Late-night programming built for the long drive or the last hour up
On the dialCosmic Joy with Radio Raheem · Friday late night

6:00 AM, again

Keep the Signal On

Members and partners

Sixty-seven years on the air is paid for by people who decided it should keep going.

  • Members keep every hour above on the air
  • Partners reach the listener in the kitchen, the car, the club and the far city
  • Our Impact reports where the support goes
Become a member Partner with WJZZ
Plate 03 · Sonic Events Registry

Public Inspections Calendar

Upcoming performances, screenings and live broadcasts

Schedule of Inspections
October 2026

Live performanceScreeningBroadcastSeal

Series

WJZZ Presents

The Legacy Jazz Series

A concert series curated especially for jazz connoisseurs — exceptional artists at a stylish, cool venue, featuring The James Russell Project.

  • WhenEvery 2nd & 4th Friday · May through September
  • Time7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
  • WhereAretha's Jazz Cafe · Music Hall · 350 Madison St, Detroit
Get Tickets ›
Plate 04 · Historic Districts & Legendary Venues

Interactive Sonic Map

Tap a pin to open its Property Report

Plate 05

WJZZ Historical Survey

Sixty-seven years on the air, 1959 – 2026

  1. 1959

    1959: The Inception

    WJZZ signs on in Detroit as the world's first jazz radio station, founded by Drs. Haley Bell, Wendell Cox and Robert Bass.

  2. Paradise Valley

    Paradise Valley: The Golden Era

    The station grows up alongside Black Bottom and Paradise Valley — the ballrooms, show bars and after-hours rooms that made Detroit a jazz capital.

  3. 2015

    2015: The Restoration

    Rodger Penzabene Jr. restores WJZZ as a global internet radio station, carrying the call letters to listeners worldwide.

  4. Today

    Today: World's Oldest Jazz Station

    Sixty-seven years on the dial and the stream — live hosts, the Legacy Jazz Series and a Detroit sound that never went off the air.

Historical Record

Celebrating 67 years broadcasting the world's finest jazz from the Motor City

Founded in 1959 as the world's first jazz radio station by Drs. Haley Bell, Wendell Cox and Robert Bass. Restored in 2015 by Rodger Penzabene Jr. as a global internet radio station.

“Rodger Penzabene Jr. is the sonic architect behind the legendary sound of WJZZ Detroit Radio — a true pioneer in the control room, carrying the legacy of jazz, funk, and soul to listeners worldwide while defining its future.”

WJZZ Sonic Engineer Registry
Read the Full Record
  • Service ID · 01 Dr. Haley Bell Co-Founder, 1959
  • Service ID · 02 Dr. Wendell Cox Co-Founder, 1959
  • Service ID · 03 Dr. Robert Bass Co-Founder, 1959
  • Service ID · 04 Rodger Penzabene Jr. Restored, 2015 · Sonic Engineer

WJZZ Master Registry Index

WJZZ Radio Host Schedule
Detroit Jazz Radio · Broadcasting Worldwide · Est. 1955

Sunday

— Open Schedule —

Monday

♪
Jazz Happy Hour
Host: Lady Pearl

2:00 PM – 5:00 PM

♪
Jazz Fusions
Host: DJ Dap

8:00 PM – 11:00 PM

Tuesday

♪
Vibe’n w Naima
Host: Denise Edwards

5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

♪
Jazz Vocals
Host: Selina Baker

8:00 PM – 11:00 PM

Wednesday

♪
The Preservation of Jazz
Host: Sky Covington

8:00 AM – 11:00 AM

♪
The Laid Back Lounge
Host: Robert Webb

5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

♪
Prescription Jazz
Host: Dr. Troy Rose

8:00 PM – 11:00 PM

♪
Jazz Oasis
Host: The Sheik

11:00 PM – 2:00 AM

Thursday

♪
Jazz Passions
Host: Saundra Bennette

10:00 PM – 1:00 AM

Friday

♪
Cosmic Joy
Host: The Cosmic Commander · Radio Raheem

Time TBD

♪
Night Moves
Host: The Sexy Senior · Audrey Childress

10:00 PM – 1:00 AM

Saturday

— Open Schedule —

WJZZ Detroit Jazz Radio · Est. 1955 · Detroit, Michigan · Broadcasting Worldwide
WJZZ
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