Dear Listener,

Finally we’re rolling it out! WWOZ Encore. Even if it’s not completely ready, I’m so excited. Been waiting for years, really: our version of TIVO: a two-week archive that any time you choose, you can listen to any regular WWOZ show that aired during the past two weeks. Just go to wwoz.org/listen/archive and pick your favorite show. (Actually, right now we’ve only got the Wednesday and Thursday program schedule posted. But soon, you’ll be able to hear all the days of the week.)

What does this mean for you? Well, first of all, if you’re one of the many ‘OZilians who want to skip some of our more rootsy offerings on the weekend, now you can simply on-demand listen to any one of our in-the-pocket New Orleans music, blues, jazz or R&B shows that you missed during the week.(Of course, you can also tune into our second stream, known as WWOZ Too, specializing in all-New Orleans music, staying funky 24/7.)

Or if you really enjoyed one of our OZ musigicians doing their thing and you’d like to revisit the moment, all you gotta do is dial it up. Or maybe it’s just a song that you heard during the previous week or two that you would really like to hear again. Just go to the playlist section on our website, look up the time the song aired, and then, on the archive page, zero in on the approximate place in the actual broadcast where you heard it.

WWOZ Encore is still very much a work in progress, but I think many of you will come to appreciate how much the two-week archive deepens your listening experience. We will continue to tweak and upgrade this feature, and would very much appreciate your suggestions as to how we can make it work best for you.

Yours in red dresses and fleet blesses,

David Freedman
General Manager

August 29, 2015 marks the ten-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's landfall in southeast Louisiana, the subsequent collapse of the man-made flood protection system, and the ensuing Federal Flood. Let's remember to take a moment to reflect on both what we lost, and on how far we've come, since that awful August morning. We'd also like to salute 31 community radio stations from around the world for lending a hand as WWOZ struggled to stay on the air. The Katrina Network embodies the true spirit of community radio.

» Katrina Commemoration Events

» WWOZ Thanks the Katrina Network

Ten years ago, there was a storm, and then there was a flood, and they changed New Orleans forever. Many stories from that time have been told, but not this one: how WWOZ went off the air and could have been lost forever, if not for the efforts of hundreds of different people who loved the music and culture of New Orleans. And we’re letting those people tell the story themselves, on this special episode of New Orleans Calling, our weekly nationally syndicated show hosted by George Ingmire.

» New Orleans Calling: "After The Flood"

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation's free music school, the Don "Moose" Jamison Heritage School of Music, is accepting new students ages 10 to 17. Auditions will be held on Saturday, September 12, 10a, at the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center. It's free, and open to students ages 10 to 17 from throughout the greater New Orleans region. The Foundation will also hold auditions for two new programs: the Jazz & Heritage All-City Big Band and the Jazz & Heritage Brass Band.

» Heritage School of Music auditions

Where else could you find over 65 of New Orleans’ performing and visual arts organizations under one roof, a one-night only event of artistic celebration and schmoozing? The seventh annual edition of Culture Collison happens at the National WWII Museum on Wednesday, September 2 from 5:30-8p. It's free and open to the public.

 » Culture Collison 7

WWOZ is proud to support the Renaissance Project's summer youth employment initiative, which provides promising students with employment opportunities over the summer months. This summer two interns came to us through the Renaissance Project: high school senior Elijah Gray and sophomore Latrell Davis. The Renaissance Project is a New Orleans area non-profit that works to improve the quality of life in low-income communities of color by increasing access to fresh, healthy food; improving education opportunities; catalyzing economic development; and celebrating arts and culture.

 » Our Renaissance Project Interns

The sixth season of "Takin' It to the Streets," WWOZ's weekly coverage of second line parades and Mardi Gras Indian events, gets rolling with the Valley of Silent Men Second Line Parade on August 23. Check out "Takin' It to the Streets" for route sheets, interviews with parade organizers and the schedule of upcoming parades.

 » Get route sheets from "Takin' It to the Streets"

This month, we reprise a favorite recipe, Gambas Al Ajillo from RioMar, which has deep roots in coastal Spanish cusine. Like many other classic Latin dishes, there's a New Orleans cousin: per Executive Chef/Owner Miles Prescott, "When tucking into a bowl of Gambas, one cannot help but note its similarity to New Orleans BBQ Shrimp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil replaces butter, in a healthy divergence from our local version."

 »   Recipe: Gambas Al Ajillo