KNTU FM 88.1 The One

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KNTU FM 88.1 The One

KNTU.com / FM 88.1 The One: The Place for REAL Jazz in D/FW and around the globe! https://linktr.ee All UNT students are eligible to work at KNTU.

88.1 The One is KNTU-FM
KNTU is licensed to the University of North Texas and is on the air 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year, broadcasting with 100,000 watts at 88.1 FM. The station's format is primarily Jazz, but also includes at various times specialty programming created by UNT students. KNTU also offers educational and special interest programs, including news, sports, local

ly produced information/issues programs, and features. KNTU's purpose is essentially three-fold:
--To serve the public interest with news, public affairs, and entertainment programming for the McKinney, Denton, Dallas-Fort Worth area.
--To provide news and information of community interest about the University of North Texas.
--To provide an industry-standards environment in which students learn about radio broadcasting. KNTU's staff is mostly volunteer since the station offers UNT students an excellent opportunity to gain valuable broadcast experience in a variety of areas, including programming and production, news and sports announcing, sales and development, and station administration. KNTU alumni are employed by so many broadcasters there's no way to list them all. The studios are in the Radio/TV/Film & Performing Arts Building (RTFP) on the University of North Texas / Denton campus

10/15/2025

In 1979, Tito Puente took home his first Grammy Award for Homenaje a Beny Moré, honoring one of Cuba’s most beloved bandleaders and vocalists. After 29 years in the industry, Puente’s tribute album captured the enduring bond between Afro-Cuban rhythm and jazz artistry. 🏆🎶

Recorded in 1978, Homenaje a Beny Moré revisits some of Moré’s most iconic songs, including “Santa Isabel de las Lajas,” “Dolor y Perdón,” and “Francisco Guayabal.” Featuring powerhouse voices like Celia Cruz and Cheo Feliciano, the album bridges two generations of Latin jazz and Cuban music history.

A well-deserved win that marked the beginning of Puente’s five-time Grammy legacy, and a lasting reminder of how deeply Beny Moré’s spirit lives within Latin jazz. 📻

10/10/2025

Design Spotlight! This week, we’re highlighting Hepcat by Alexis Enriquez, a UNT graphic design student whose work captures the vibrant pulse of jazz culture. Inspired by the term “hepcat,” meaning a stylish and fashionable jazz listener. Alexis set out to visualize the color, rhythm, and attitude of the scene.

Born and raised in the DFW area to Mexican parents, Alexis brings her heritage and fresh perspective to this piece. She captures the boldness and classiness of jazz culture, creating a simple yet eye-catching design!

We think this design is hepcat. Do you? 😎🎷

10/09/2025

Released in 1975, Marimba Atlacatl by El Salvador’s Marimba Atlacatl stands as a rare fusion of Salvadoran folk tradition and jazz. Blending marimba rhythms with touches of ragtime, tango, and swing, the album captures a moment of musical experimentation and pride. 🎼

Little is known about the artists behind the record, which only adds to its allure! It’s a hidden gem in Latin American jazz history. The marimba, first introduced to El Salvador by African slaves, carries centuries of rhythm and resilience, echoing through each note.

At just 27 minutes, it’s a quick listen that reveals a rich legacy worth celebrating this Hispanic Heritage Month. Take a listen and discover a piece of El Salvador’s jazz story! 🎧 🇸🇻

10/03/2025

The Denton Arts & Jazz Festival is back THIS WEEKEND! A North Texas tradition, this free community event celebrates music, art, and culture with performances and creativity at every corner. ✨

What began as a local gathering has grown into one of the largest tourist attractions in the region, drawing thousands each year to experience top-tier entertainment and visual art! 🎨

Will we see you there this year?

09/30/2025

Today we celebrate 12 years of Venissa Santi’s Big Stuff: Afro-Cuban Holiday! Released in September 2013, this brilliantly innovative follow-up to her debut album reimagines Billie Holiday’s music through the lens of her Cuban roots and jazz artistry. 🇨🇺🇺🇸

A proud Cuban-American vocalist and composer, Venissa’s journey is deeply tied to her heritage. From Philadelphia’s Latin jazz scene to her studies in Cuba with Afro-Cuban masters, she carries forward a family legacy of sculptors, composers, and musicians.

In the spirit of Hispanic Heritage Month, revisit Big Stuff: Afro-Cuban Holiday and experience how Venissa transforms tradition and jazz into a sound uniquely her own. 🏝️🎧

09/24/2025

Design Spotlight! This week we’re looking at a design for the Jersey City Latin Jazz Festival, a vibrant celebration produced by Riverview Jazz. Since 2013, Riverview has been connecting the Jersey and NYC communities through music. This poster captures the spirit of Latin Jazz through its bold shapes, bright colors, and rhythmic energy. 🎨🔥

The festival itself featured two days of performances on the Hudson River waterfront, bringing Latin jazz front and center with artists like Alex “Apolo” Ayala, Bobby Sanabria & Ascensión, and Chembo Corniel Quintet.

👀 Do you see how the design’s movement mirrors the music?

09/11/2025

In 1953, vibraphone legend Lionel Hampton lit up Dallas with his signature swing, captured mid-performance by DFW photographer R.C. Hickman.

Known as the “King of the Vibes,” Hampton broke barriers with the Benny Goodman Quartet and led an orchestra that launched talents like Quincy Jones and Dinah Washington. 🎶

Hickman, celebrated for documenting Black Dallas and the fight against segregation, also photographed icons like Martin Luther King Jr. and Ella Fitzgerald. This rare shot brings together two pioneers who shaped both music and history. 📸

07/16/2025

Gabriel Alegría Afro-Peruvian Sextet celebrates two decades of innovation with their 7th album, El Muki, dropping Aug. 15 via Saponegro Records. Named after a mythical Andean spirit said to protect miners deep in the mountains, El Muki connects the music to Peru’s ancestral roots and the enduring spirit of cultural guardianship. This album is both a celebration and a statement: music made by humans, for humans. With roots in Lima and New York, the Sextet blends tradition and improvisation into something deeply real—and entirely their own.

Expect a bold sonic journey: from lando grooves in 7/8, to fiery festejos, to a haunting cello-led ballad on absence. Laura Andrea Leguía’s return to composing after motherhood adds a fresh creative layer, while producer Jocho Velásquez brings old-school magic from the band’s earliest days. The album even closes with a tribal reimagining of The Police’s “Walking on the Moon.”

El Muki drops August 15! Experience the heartbeat of Afro-Peruvian jazz from wherever you are. 🇵🇪🥁

07/09/2025

Just dropped: “Pigri” the debut album from duo Emilia Vancini and Guillermo Martín-Viana. No band, no big arrangements. Just voice and percussion, recorded live in the studio. It’s raw, minimalist, and full of emotion. From jazz standards to Brazilian classics and bold originals, this one hits different.

The title Pigri—Italian for “lazy” in the plural form—is a tongue-in-cheek nod to their decision to skip extra musicians and keep the album beautifully spare. But there’s nothing lazy about their sound. Their take on Sting’s “Bring On the Night” and Gershwin’s “My Ship” proves just how much power lives in restraint.

Netherlands-based vocalist Emilia and Spain-based drummer Guillermo built this project on instinct, honesty, and a shared love for doing less on purpose. Pigri is soft protest, bold minimalism, and pure presence! 🙌🥁🎤

Let us know your favorite track!

07/03/2025

Son of jazz legend Dewey Redman, Joshua Redman emerged from Berkeley with a sound that’s bold, soulful, and unmistakably modern. His sound has become one of the most compelling in contemporary jazz! 🎶🎷

Redman’s latest album, Words Fall Short, is a masterclass in subtlety and expression. Each composition breathes with nuance—intimate, raw, and stripped-down yet rich with texture. A conversation through melody!

Let the music speak where words fall short. The new album is available now on all streaming platforms. Plug in, press play, and let Redman’s sound move you!! 🎧🎶

06/27/2025

If you’re going to be in DFW for The Fourth this year, you can catch is in The Colony for the Liberty By the Lake celebration! Here’s everything you need to know about the event:

📍 The Athletic Club, 4100 Blair Oaks Dr.
🎆July 4th
⏰Parade starts 9:15 AM
⏰Fireworks start at 9:30 PM

Hope to see some familiar faces there! Let us know if you’re going!

06/24/2025

The album ‘About Ghosts’ was just released last week, and we are excited to recommend it to you! If you’re looking for a new sound in jazz, this album is for you!

Mary Halvorson, the ever-evolving Jazz artist, really shines in her newest album ‘About Ghosts’. Based in Brooklyn, New York, Halvorson and her talented sextet, called ‘Amaryllis,’ created an album that pays homage to the essential Jazz foundations, while using those same principles to inspire their unique sound.

Halvorson started writing this record in the fall of 2023, a perfect example that all good things take time. Her composing talents are immaculate and stretch the concept of what Jazz can be. Her out-of-the-box approach to the genre could only be brought to life through musical geniuses, the likes of which are in ‘Amaryllis’.

The innovative sound heard in this album is an exciting foreshadowing of what the next half of this decade will sound like for Jazz!

Address

University Of North
Denton, TX
76201

Telephone

+19405652554

Website

http://www.kntu.com/, http://twitter.com/KNTU881

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88.1 The One is KNTU-FM KNTU is licensed to the University of North Texas and is on the air 24 hours, every day of the year, broadcasting with 100,000 watts at 88.1 FM. The station's format is primarily jazz, but also includes Tejano and classical music programming Saturday and Sunday mornings, respectively. KNTU also offers educational and special interest programs, including news, sports, locally produced information/issues programs, and features. KNTU's purpose is essentially three-fold: To serve the public interest with news, public affairs, and entertainment programming for the McKinney, Denton, Dallas-Fort Worth area. To provide news and information of community interest about the University of North Texas. To provide an industry-standards environment in which students learn about radio broadcasting. KNTU's staff is mostly volunteer since the station offers an excellent opportunity for students to gain valuable broadcast experience in a variety of areas, including programming and production, news and sports announcing, sales and development, and station administration. All UNT students are eligible to work at KNTU. The studios are in the Radio/TV/Film & Performing Arts Building on the University of North Texas / Denton campus