The heart of New Orleans beats with a rhythm all its own. The city's mix of cultures, backgrounds, and lifestyles is reflected in its music. New Orleans is alive with jazz, blues, world music, zydeco, bluegrass, rock, and just about every other genre of music you can imagine. Since 1980, the unofficial ambassador of New Orleans' musical heritage to the airwaves has been 90.7 FM, WWOZ.
Inspired by the Wonderful Wizard of OZ, The 'O-Z (as locals call it) has been broadcasting a unique mix of flavors since its humble beginnings in a sweaty apartment above Tipitina's nightclub. Now broadcasting from the historic French Quarter, The 'O-Z delights both local and worldwide listeners through its 100,000 watt antenna and live stream on www.wwoz.org (streaming since the late 90's, long before this was commonplace). The 'O-Z literally has something for everyone and every taste. You can expect to hear everything from traditional jazz to gospel to acoustic blues to live Rolling Stones recordings from the 70s to traditional Irish music, sometimes all within the same hour or two!
WWOZ is a nonprofit, listener-supported community radio station whose board is appointed by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation. Tune in during Jazz Fest weekends to hear live broadcasts direct from the festival grounds. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the 'O-Z broadcasted a "Festing In Place" series, showcasing live recordings from past Jazz Fests. WWOZ's reputation as "Guardians of the Groove" has been recognized as the greatest radio station in the country by publications such as Rolling Stone and Esquire.
Whether you're coming to New Orleans for MLA, participating remotely, or just want to listen to some great music, check out www.wwoz.org for the famous live stream, the "Groovapedia" of historical multimedia content, links to community events, the Livewire (a calendar of live, local music shows—absolutely essential!), and much more.
In the words of the 'O-Z Livewire, "now get out there and enjoy some live, local music!"