Join us in our birthday celebration, as we count down 40 days until our 40th Birthday on December 4th, 2020!

This epic 40 days for 40 years birthday party is made possible by: 

The Ruth U Fertel Foundation, The Helis Foundation, The Gia Maione Prima Foundation, The Goldring Family Foundation, The Bentson Foundation of Minnesota, and The Derbes Foundation

Saturday November 28

11 am - Weekend New Orleans with Ron Phillips - Anders Osborne, live from French Quarter Festival 2002
Special sponsorship of the day is Big Sexy Neon on Oretha Castle Haley Blvd.

Sunday November 29

8:30-10:00 am, Gospel with Lauren Mastro - Gospel Soul Children We'll be featuring highlights from a live set by Gospel Soul Children, first broadcast by WWOZ from the Gospel Tent at Jazz Fest in 2009
10:00 am-12:00 pm, Old Time Country and Bluegrass. Spotlight on Hazel Hazel the Delta Rambler is the longest-serving WWOZ show host, having been with the station since its inception. Now, she's delving into her private recordings, to bring us some moments from her earliest broadcasts, as well as a look at the mysterious WWOZ program from the 1980s, Von Turk's Oriental Foxtrot Museum.
6-8 pm, the return of the Minister of Swing! The Minister of Swing stepped down from our Swing Session show about a year ago, to make room for the Secretary of Swing. But just in time for our 40th Birthday and Thanksgiving, the Minister is returning for one show, to let us hear how he's doing, and to bring his legendary knowledge, humor, and joy to our airwaves.
Special sponsorship of the day is Lawrence Kalantari.

Monday November 30

9-11am, Traditional Jazz with Dan Meyer - King Oliver's Centennial, from the Archive Dan Meyer, our second-longest serving show host, is bringing us highlights from an amazing 1984 three-hour program that's in the Archive, talking about the centennial of King Oliver -- including people who actually knew and played with him. The program was hosted by Jerry Brock and Big Mama Rankin, alongside Bill Russell and the great Danny Barker, with Dan himself making a cameo appearance calling in.
12 noon - New Orleans Music Show - Art Neville's 13th Ward Bag - In 1982, Art Neville of the Meters and the Neville Brothers visited WWOZ above Tipitinas, to host a program that highlighted New Orleans R&B and funk. Art never became a permanent show host, but this recording shows that he had what it takes, and a whole lot more.
Special sponsorship of the day is The Sulzer Group.

Tuesday, Dec 1

10-11 am Big Mama Rankin's Traditional Jazz Show - "Big Mama" Betty Rankin was with WWOZ from the very beginning, and she has been described as the best show host WWOZ ever had. Tune in yourself to this vintage archived program from 1986, and see how her warm and knowledgeable personality and programming set the standard for how great WWOZ hosts could be.
4-7pm Stories from WWOZ's history, part I - WWOZ's unique history goes back forty years, and includes countless colorful stories and incredible personalities. We'll be bringing you snippets of show hosts both famous and obscure, as well as stories from the far and recent past -- some stuff you've heard before, and some you haven't.
7-10pm '50s R&B Show host Neil Pellegrin will be sharing portions of two shows from early in WWOZ's life tonight. First, hear part of a Jivin' Gene show from September 18, 1982. Gene graced the airwaves from our earliest years until his "retirement" in July 2013. Neil is also sharing another WWOZ classic: the Duke-a-Paducah interviewing Chuck Carbo from April 2, 1982. 
Special sponsor of the day is Undergrowth Coffee on Magazine Street.

Wednesday, Dec 2

12-1pm Spencer Bohren live from Jazz Fest, 1998. - The great Spencer Bohren at the House of Blues Stage at Jazz Fest, backed by bassist Reggie Scanlon and drummer Andre Bohren.
4-7pm Stories from WWOZ's history, part II
10 pm - 12 midnight - Tribute to the great WWOZ host Billy Delle. Billy Delle's Records From the Crypt Show ran for decades on WWOZ, and was legendary for both the stories Billy told and the guest who came to talk. AJ and AA have chosen a classic Billy Delle show from November 22, 1995 to air as a tribute, for WWOZ's 40th Birthday coming soon. Billy's guests include Eddie Bo, Tommy Ridgley and Harry Nance. You heard Part 1 last week-- hear the second part tonight!
Special sponsors of the day are Kathy Ginger Mortell and Laura Lola Simek.

Thursday, Dec 3

12-1pm Allison Miner's tribute to Professor Longhair - Allison Miner, a co-founder of Jazz Fest, who had also been Professor Longhair's manager, and was involved in WWOZ's early years, did a special broadcast tribute to the late Professor Longhair in 1982, featuring her own memories and many rare recordings. It's been preserved by the Archive of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, and we're bringing it out for everyone to hear, once more.
Special sponsorship of the day is in honor of Preservation Hall.

Friday, Dec 4

The big day, when WWOZ turns 40!
9am-7pm - WWOZ show hosts wish a Happy Birthday - We're enlisting as many WWOZ show hosts as possible to record introductions to individual songs, telling WWOZ stories along the way -- so the day will be a marathon of the voices of WWOZ playing the music of WWOZ, while telling the stories of WWOZ. You don't want to miss any of this!
Special sponsorship of the day is in honor of all who have made 'OZ possible, past and present.

Special thanks to the Archive of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, for preserving these recordings and making them available.