'OZone Email Newsletter for January 2022

Beth Arroyo Utterback
Photo by Ryan Hodgson-Rigsbee

Report to the Community for 2021

A Message from WWOZ General Manager Beth Arroyo Utterback: Dear Guardians of the Groove: I am proud to share with you WWOZ's brand new Report to the Community for 2021. It's hard to believe that our beloved station accomplished so much during these incredibly challenging and stressful times. Many thanks to our amazing staff, show hosts, volunteers, musicians, board and supporters like you! Please take a few moments to read our report. I think you'll agree--this is a WOW! Yours in the Groove, Beth

» Read the PDF

Oscar Rossignoli at WWOZ.
Photo by Leona Strassberg Steiner

Jazz & Heritage Foundation Concerts and Video Streams

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation presents concerts the next two Saturday evenings: guitarist, multi-instrumentalist & composer Mahmoud Chouki on January 22 and piano player Oscar Rossignoli on January 29. WWOZ will be live video-streaming both shows on Facebook and YouTube. Each starts at 8pm and happens at the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center on Rampart St. Tickets cost $5.00; more info at the link.

» Tickets and more info

Vinyl in the studio.
Photo by Kichea S. Burt

WWOZ Hosts' Favorite Recordings of 2021

2021 was another long, strange trip of a year, but but some things don't change: once again, WWOZ show hosts compiled lists of their favorite recordings. Before we get too far into 2022, take a minute and let some genuine music experts help you catch up on amazing music that you might have missed.

» WWOZ Hosts' Favorite Recordings of 2021

Gentilly Jr in the studio.
Photo by Maryse Dejean

Volunteer Profile: Four Decades of Gentilly Jr.

We asked Gentilly Jr. how he feels about celebrating 40 years on the air at WWOZ Mondays from 7-10 pm. Here is what he shared: "I had no idea I would be doing this for so long. I just did the first one because I thought it would be fun and a couple of weeks later I called Walter Brock and asked him if I could do another one. He said, "Why don't you do it on a regular basis"? I was shocked, it had never crossed my mind that I could do a weekly show. It's still a very surreal feeling for me. The time has flown by and doesn't nearly feel like 40 years. Above all I feel privileged to be able go to the station every week and play records for the listeners. I'm going to dig through my archives and maybe see if I can find some things from the past to play on the anniversary show." Big thanks for bringing so much great music to the airwaves, Gentilly!

» Volunteer at WWOZ

Action Jackson at WWOZ in 2020.
Photo by Carrie Booher

In Memoriam 2021

It was another very difficult year for us at WWOZ. During 2021, we lost: long-term volunteer Louis Holmes; show hosts Ron Phillips and Suzanne Corley; and Charles "Action" Jackson, who hosted both a weekly show and Takin' It to the Streets. In addition, New Orleans lost a number of great artists and culture bearers in 2020, including, among others, George Wein, Lloyd Price, Ike Stubblefield, Carol Fran, Bennie Pete, and Sandra Jaffe.

» In Memoriam 2021

Mahogany Blue Baby Dolls in 2019.
Photo by Olivia Piskadlo-Jones

Carnival 2022: It's Happening!

Carnival is happening: Twelfth Night, which brought the first parades of the season, is in the books. Check our schedule to plan for upcoming parades. And as we get closer to Mardi Gras (March 1), look out for special seasonal music programming.

» Parade schedule

Sticky Rib Tips
Photo by Sienna Viette

Recipe: Sticky Rib Tips

A two-fer this month: a recipe for sticky rib tips and another for the accompanying jalapeño jelly, both from Chef Brian Landry at the Bayou Bar in the Pontchartrain Hotel. This might be the first time a dish from a music venue covered by our Livewire Music Calendar has appeared in our Recipes section. Take a batch of these out to the neutral ground on parade night--you'll make friends. And eat 'em with your hands!

» Recipe: Sticky Rib Tips