Dear Listener,

The aroma of Thanksgiving is already wafting our way, and 'OZ has so much to say grace over this year. For one, we’re celebrating the completion of work on our tower, part of our increase in power to 100,000 watts (started last January!). The forces of Katrina damaged two sections of the tower, so they had to be either removed or replaced. The tower crew finally showed up in early November, which meant powering down from 100,000 watts—in fact, relocating our broadcast operations to another location (thank you WWNO-FM for making your facility available!) —just in time for our On-Air Pledge Drive.

Despite our reduced power—which meant NOT reaching a big portion of our listeners when we needed to reach them the most—we had a wildly successful Drive, outpacing last falls’ numbers by about 25%! So, thank you, listeners, for your overwhelming support for our bringing New Orleans music to the universe. And thank you radio gods for finally permitting WWOZ to return to its full 100,000 watts of power! (The folks on the North Shore and Gulf Coast especially thank you.)

And thank you listeners, volunteers, staff, board, donors and New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation for our fast-approaching birthday. On December 7th we’ll be celebrating all afternoon in the streets with a block party at Kermit’s Speakeasy; and before that, on the December 5 with a special show at Tipitina’s. 33 years! We’re so-o-o grateful to have been able to support the musicians and provide our listeners with real-deal local music for lo, these many years.

We’re also thankful to have such a great staff and hundreds of passionate volunteers who lift the spirit of our air far above the stratosphere. We’re all fired up and excited about what we’re doing at WWOZ and our plans for next year. And for that, we can all be thankful.

Yours in twirling batons and soft shell pecans,

David Freedman
General Manager

In this season of giving thanks, here's a giant shout out to everyone who made our recent Membership Drive a record-breaking success, starting with every one of WWOZ's listeners. We need your support in order to keep on Guarding the Groove! Thanks to all the volunteers, musicians, show hosts, food donors, photographers, and everyone else who made this fall's pledge party one long happy groove. Click to check out a photo recap of all the fine entertainment, including staff, volunteers, food and studio performances.

 » Membership Drive Recap

On November 25, the Lower Ninth Ward String Band will visit WWOZ in the latest edition of "Cuttin' Class", a series of live in-studio performances by middle and high school age students in celebration of music education in the Greater New Orleans area, made possible by Coventry Health Care of Louisiana.

» All about "Cuttin' Class"

We'll mark our 33rd anniversary with a pair of celebrations. First, a show at Tipitina's on Thursday, December 5 with the Red Wolf Brass Band, the Mario Abney Effect, Hot 8 Brass Band and our very own Brice Nice.

» Show at Tipitina's

And, on Saturday, December 7, we'll have at block party at Kermit's Treme Speakeasy from noon to 4p, with live music and Kermit manning the BBQ .

» Block Party at Kermits'

During our birthday street party on December 7 (see above), we'll have the Swamp Shop set up at Kermit's Treme Speakeasy from noon - 4p. We'll have special one-day-only deals, so stop by for the grooviest in holiday shopping. Check out our new long sleeve tee shirt, Piano Night tees, festival gear and more! 

» Swamp Shop sale

Applications are now available for the 2014 edition of Class Got Brass, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation's contest for Louisiana high schools and middle schools to create second-line groups in the New Orleans brass band tradition. At stake are more than $20,000 worth of prizes - in the form of instruments for the winning schools' music programs.

» Find our more about Class Got Brass

New Orleans Fringe is hosting its sixth annual theater festival: 70 theater groups from New Orleans and around the country will present over 300 shows at 30 venues throughout the city. The shows include drama, comedy, dance, improvisational, multimedia, musical theater, performance art, puppetry, storytelling, spoken word, and other creative madness.

» More on Fringe Festival

The holiday season is about to happen, and just in time, WWOZ's show hosts have begun compiling lists of their favorite recordings of 2013. When it's time to shop for your favorite music lovers (or yourself!), let those-in-the-know point you to the latest great tunes: Jazz, NO R&B, Cajun, Blues and lots more genres.

» Show Hosts' Favorite recordings of 2013

In the South, fried chicken is basically considered a staple. Its crispy crunchy coating hits a special part in our hearts. Now you can make it right in the comfort of your own home with this detailed recipe from Louisiana Cooking.

» Recipe: Ultimate Fried Chicken