Thursday at 8pm: Ranky Tanky – This Village

By Alex Nudd

Published September 7, 2026 at 10:10 AM EDT

Since forming in 2016, when Quentin Baxter, Quiana Parler, Charlton Singleton, Clay Ross, and Kevin Hamilton—all seasoned musicians from the Charleston, South Carolina area—decided to form this band, Ranky Tanky has earned acclaim for their interpretations of Gullah spirituals and original music that pulls from jazz and folk traditions. They’ve certainly put the rich traditions of the Gullah Geechee people of the South Carolina and Georgia coast on the musical map for many across the country. Their self-titled 2017 debut topped Billboard’s jazz chart, while the 2019 album Good Time won a Grammy for Best Regional Roots Music Album—the first time an album of Gullah music received the honor. We loved hosting them in Studio B back in 2022. They return to our area for a Charlotte show on Saturday, September 12^th.

Peak Of The Week™

Alex Nudd

Alex has been a fan of radio since childhood and jumped at the chance to get involved with college radio in the late 90's. He served as marketing director and program director at WAQU before taking a job with Clear Channel Broadcasting around the turn of the century. After becoming disenchanted with commercial radio, he moved to Asheville in 2006 and soon became acquainted with WNCW as a listener, supporter, and volunteer. In the meantime, he has operated a small home improvement business in Western North Carolina, where he enjoys life with his wife, Darlene, and Son, James, and has enjoyed public radio all the while. It wasn't until 2023 that he knocked on the door at WNCW and said, "I would like to get in on this action." Program director Joe Kendrick noticed that Alex has a face for radio, and Alex explained that it was because he had some radio experience in decades past. It is hard to get the radio off once you really get all into it. After hosting over 100 hours of ARC overnight, Alex signed on as a staff member and now hosts and produces radio programs for WNCW. You can hear him on WNCW's Music Mix Mondays from 3 to 6 pm, Thursdays from 9pm to midnight, and Peak of the Week Thursdays from 8 to 9 pm, and as an occasional fill-in host.

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