Dear Listener,

For the next month or two you may think you’ve tuned into the Extreme Home Makeover Radio Channel at 90.7 FM as the sound of buzz saws, electric drills and feverish hammering emerges now and then from your car and home speaker systems. Just my way of saying that we at WWOZ have engaged in a long overdue renovation of our facilities, intended to rectify some air-conditioning and electrical issues we’ve had since landing (on our feet, I must say) here at the French Market building when Katrina made it impossible to return to the old Tree House in Treme.

In addition, we are repositioning our main broadcast studio to the river side of the building, which will not only give our volunteer Show Hosts a stunning view of the ships plying up and down the Mississippi (our building is right on the river bank in the heart of the French Quarter) but will also—and this is the point of it—make our live-performance area much more accessible and user-friendly, as it will then be directly adjacent to the studio where our on-air show hosts DJ.

All of this has to be finished by the end of Mardi Gras, (simply has to be, has to be) since the WWOZ Spring Membership Drive starts up right after that—March 6 through March 16th. So please say some prayers for us to whomever the Patron Saint of Conscientious Contractors is (St. Jude?), because, if this thing goes right, we’ll be able more than ever to dish out the best non-stop stream of live music from ‘OZ, the treat that makes our annual spring rent party such an enjoyable way to support your favorite radio station.

Yours in pom-poms and cherry bombs,

David Freedman
General Manager

WWOZ presents the Johnny Sansone Band as part of the Smoke-Free Live Broadcast series from Ruby’s Roadhouse on the Northshore, sponsored by Let’s Be Totally Clear. Tune in and enjoy the music, and if you're in the neighborhood, come on out and breathe in some fresh air and sweet tunes!

» Get jumpin' with Jumpin' Johnny Sansone

2011 saw its share of ups and downs, but the music was always in the stratosphere. We hope you enjoyed the music as much as we did, and we're counting on you to keep listening to 'OZ and supporting New Orleans music in 2012 (think of 2012 not as an apocalyptic end of the world explosion, but a big bang of music!).

» Look back at 2011 with us

Want to compare notes with our show hosts? Check out our page of show host's favorite albums of 2011 for some inspiration and to remember the albums that made up the definitive soundtrack of 'OZ in 2011.

» Check out the list of albums

Hey Mister, throw me something! Carnival season began on January 6th, and at 'OZ we're getting our costumes ready in anticipation. But here's what we've got to throw to you: check out our Mardi Gras multimedia, the parade schedule and awesome photos from last year to get you in the mood for revelry!

» Get into your purple, green and gold for Mardi Gras 2012

Want to learn more about what's going on with Mardi Gras Indians during the Carnival season? We'll be focusing on Indian culture, practices and events on Takin' It To The Streets as we dance our way to Mardi Gras Day.

» Visit Takin' It To The Streets

Insight New Orleans, a partnership between WWOZ and The Lens, has been hard at work recruiting Gulf Coast voices to be part of the Public Insight Network so that YOU inform the stories that we publish.  Check out what people in our community had to say with our first online content informed by your experiences and insights.  We at 'OZ explored the thoughts and cultural understandings surrounding second lines and The Lens takes you on a tour of life on a bike in New Orleans.

» Get in the know

Wondering what the vintage Jazz Fest tee hullabaloo is all about? We've been given the special opportunity to sell shirts from Jazz Fests past, discovered recently in an excavated vault within a sealed up tomb we found underneath the Fairgrounds. This means that if you LOVED Jazz Fest 2002 and you forgot to buy a tee-shirt to commemorate it, you might be in luck, as we're selling some of the last available shirts through our Swamp Shop.

» Read more about these elusive collectors' items

» Jazz Festing 2012 (perhaps in your fav vintage tee?)

“My biggest mistake in life was to not be born in South Louisiana,” said Jim Hobbs, one of the Sunday afternoon hosts of the Cajun and Zydeco show. Raised in Shreveport, Louisiana, Jim came to New Orleans in 1973 thinking he would stay a couple of years, but he’s still here, and has been on air at WWOZ since the mid-1990s.

» Learn more about Jim's 'OZ Experience

Val Bergman, a longtime volunteer of WWOZ once said, “Some folks are just born to be in New Orleans!” This statement fits Juju and Jim Jozwiak to perfection. Juju and her husband Jim moved to the Crescent City from the Windy City (Chicago!) in the early part of 2010 after falling in love the music and culture of New Orleans from previous visits.

» Read more about Juju

This isn't your ordinary cornbread, but we'd still call it a side. So make some snazzy seafood cornbread and then match it up with one of delicious recipes from the archives. Chicken and sausage jambalaya? Maybe in lieu of the french bread for Shrimp Mosca? Think about it. We're not pressuring you, but why would you say no? If you like the recipe, then visit Louisiana Cookin' magazine. Subscribe with the promotion code wwoz2012, and they'll donate $5 to WWOZ.

» See this month's recipe