Dear Listener,

Festival season in New Orleans is a wonderfully busy time at WWOZ. We were pleased to share with you another amazing French Quarter Fest live broadcast from the Mint earlier this month, and now we’re back broadcasting live from the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, 2016 edition. We'll be filling the airwaves with some of the best local acts New Orleans has to offer. I am particularly looking forward to sets from Meschiya Lake & the Little Big Horns, Henry Butler’s tribute to Jelly Roll Morton, Gerald French & the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band, and the New Breed Brass Band— all of which you can hear on our broadcast from the Fairgrounds.

April also means Piano Night, which happens on Monday, April 25. Piano Night is the most important nights of WWOZ’s year and we love celebrating the great New Orleans piano tradition with the people who are most passionate about it—you, our listeners. We hope you’ll join us again this year at the House of Blues for our 28th annual Piano Night. There is so much going on in the days surrounding Jazz Fest that it can be hard to pick and choose your events, but this is a truly special evening.

I look forward to meeting many of our Brass Pass holders in the WWOZ Hospitality Tent this year. I’m happy to share the news we’ve got an even larger tent with all the fresh fruit and iced coffee you could want, mist fans, plus (we heard this!) more port-o-lets and an improved phone charging station. Come say hello to our show hosts broadcasting from the Festival in their new spot up at the front of the tent. 

Here's to sunshine, great music, and delicious food. See you in the tent!

Yours,

Arthur Cohen
Chief Operating Officer

Start with more than 1,000 performers on 12 stages over seven days of live music. 85% Louisiana artists - local legends and up-and-coming acts - plus some national and international stars, with WWOZ's live broadcast of some of the tastiest parts. Add a vast array of array of amazing food and drink, and the warm happy vibe of family reunion. Yeah, it's Jazz Fest. Is there any wonder why we love it so much?

» Starting Friday: Jazz Fest

» WWOZ's Daily Jazz Fest Broadcasts

Help us celebrate the New Orleans piano tradition at WWOZ Piano Night, our flagship benefit event and a tradition among lovers of New Orleans music. The 28th annual Piano Night happens April 25 on three stages at the House of Blues New Orleans. This year, we'll be honoring the late, great Allen Toussaint with a lineup that includes, Monty Alexander — Harlem Kingston Express, Henry Butler, Marcia Ball, John Gros, Joe Krown, Tom McDermott, Courtney Bryan, Kyle Roussel, Marty Sammon, and more.

» Get Piano Night Tickets

We'll be live broadcasting the first set (at 8:45p) of the Bootleg Duo, a union of two New Orleans musical forces: Tricia Boutté and Paul Longstreth. This special evening is presented by WWOZ at the Ace Hotel New Orleans' Three Keys. Doors are at 8p and the duo will be performing two sets.

 » Hear Tricia Boutté & Paul Longstreth

Because Jazz Fest happens in New Orleans, the music continues in clubs and bars all night long. For your Jazz Fest planning purposes, don't forget about the WWOZ Livewire Music Calendar. We compile listings from New Orleans music venues, so you can find out who's playing where and when, from the Allways Lounge to the Zeitgeist Multi-Disciplinary Arts Center and everything in between.

» Show times and more details

For Livewire on the go, check out our iPhone app.

» Livewire iPhone app

Jorge Fuentes, WWOZ's Operations Director, is involved in all aspects of the stations day-to-day operations, including continuity, radio production, and facilities management. Jorge is a native of El Salvador who went to high school in New Orleans and graduated from the University of New Orleans. He was the first programming director of the first Spanish-language TV station in the city. His radio experience began in the late 1980s when he volunteered at WWOZ, then located in Armstrong Park. He joined the Operations Department at WWOZ in 2008.

 » Jorge Fuentes in photos

The French Market is celebrating the 30th anniversary of Creole Tomato Fest (June 11-12) with a first-ever Creole Tomato Festival Cookbook, containing 30 Creole tomato festival recipes by local chefs, food writers, historians, home cooks and local farmers. The festival is still accepting online recipe submissions until April 25.

 » On Line Recipe Submission Form

Lovers of New Orleans culture go to festivals for more than just the music -- they go for the food. And this month on WWOZ's weekly syndicated program New Orleans Calling, host George Ingmire makes a culinary investigation of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival -- tracking down the chefs of legendary Jazz Fest dishes ranging from Alligator Sauce Piquante and the Cochon de Lait to Crawfish Monica and the Vaucresson Sausage Company's Po-Boys. Listen to New Orleans Calling on Saturday mornings at 7, or stream episodes online anytime.

 » Eating at Jazz Fest

If you like the Pheasant, Quail and Andouille Gumbo that Prejean's sells at Jazz Fest, you'll like this dark roux-based gumbo. A couple of non-traditional techniques (browning the sausage and using freshly ground chile powder) give extra depth of flavor.

 » Recipe: Turkey Wing Gumbo