Dear Listener,

At WWOZ springtime means two things: festival season (French Quarter Fest and Jazz Fest.... here we come!) and the WWOZ Spring Membership Drive. Thanks to you, we were able to exceed our goals for this drive by 5%!

Membership drives at WWOZ are unlike any other radio station's: we are bursting at the seams with even more musicians and volunteers than normal, all here to step up and show their support of WWOZ by donating time and energy to keep New Orleans music on-air and in your ears.

Over our 11-day Spring Membership Drive we had 45 live performances, more than 200 volunteers, food from almost 50 restaurants, and most importantly: all of you who pledged to be a part of WWOZ. You can see video highlights here, and dozens of amazing photos here.

WWOZ is far bigger than any one of us, it's all of our passion – the volunteer DJs, the musicians, the listeners - and love for New Orleans music that makes WWOZ the irreplaceable and entirely one-of-a-kind station that it is. One of the best parts of any drive is that it's our chance to hear from you. We want to take this opportunity to share some of the love we heard from you during this drive:

"Consider it as my tuition to the school of musical knowledge" - Steve, Metairie, LA

"I worked hard this year to be able to support my favorite station in the world!" - Caitlin, New Orleans

"Every morning when I get in the car and turn on 'OZ I am immediately thankful to live in the magical city of New Orleans." - Diana, Gretna, LA

"Love the music. Love that you highlight NOLA music. I've lived here all my life and had no idea of volume of original music here." - David, River Ridge,LA

Again, thanks for being part of the 'OZ family.

Yours,

Pamela Wood
Chief Development Officer

In addition to French Quarter Fest (see below), we'll be bringing you a number of live events in the coming weeks. At noon on March 31, we'll broadcast the latest edition of Cuttin' Class with students from the Einstein Charter Middle School, and that evening we'll broadcast Cyrus Chestnut's show at the Jazz & Heritage Center. On Friday, April 1, we'll broadcast Camile Baudoin and Papa Mali from Buffa's. We'll also stream live video from the Abita Springs Busker Festival on April 17.

» Live radio broadcasts

» Live video streams

WWOZ will be broadcasting live from the Esplanade in the Shade stage at the Old US Mint during the 33rd edition of French Quarter Fest, April 7-10. Some three-quarters of a million people will enjoy over 1500 local musicians (including favorites like Irma Thomas, Bonerama, and Buckwheat Zydeco) playing on 23 stages throughout the Vieux Carré.

» Full French Quarter Fest Lineup

» WWOZ FQF Broadcast schedule

We'd like to extend a shoutout to our French Quarter Fest broadcast sponsor: Zatarain's, which has been made in New Orleans, by and for New Orleanians, since 1889.

 » Sponsor Shoutout: Zatarain's

If you've already bought a Brass Pass (thanks much!), you can pick it up according to the instructions here.

» Brass Pass pick up times and locations

If you haven't bought this year's Brass Pass, you can still score one!

» Buy your Brass Pass while they last

In the newest edition of New Orleans Calling, host George Ingmire visits saxophonist, student of jazz, and educator Donald Harrison, Jr. to talk about everything from Miles Davis to Nouveau Swing, personal inspirations, and the importance of experiences and collaborations. Listen to New Orleans Calling on Saturday mornings at 7, or stream episodes online anytime.

 » Donald Harrison, Jr: You Have to Live It

Here's a Louisiana take on an Italian classic. It's New Orleans funk artist John "Papa" Gros' contribution to That Sounds Good!, WWOZ's cookbook of recipes from our Louisiana musical family. Fresh herbs, tomatoes, smoked chile powder and of course andouille combine to make a dynamite appetizer.

 » Recipe: John "Papa" Gros' Cajun Bruschetta