WWOZ-FM (New Orleans, LA)

RockyGrass Bluegrass Festival is celebrating its 54th year of bringing bluegrass to the front range of Colorado, July 24-26. Its home since 1992 has been the charming mountain town of Lyons, Colorado, which is known as the “Double Gateway to the Rockies”. The festival, originally founded in 1972 as the Colorado Bluegrass Music Society Festival, was launched with the assistance of Bill Monroe, the father of bluegrass music.

Show Host Profile: Mark Landesman --Written by Melissa Milton By the time many of us are waking up and having that first cup of coffee on Sunday morning, WWOZ show host Mark Landesman is wrapping up his first volunteer gig for the day and gearing up for his next service adventure, one that - unlike spinning records - requires a wetsuit.

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Published on: July 10th, 2026 WWOZ joins the New Orleans music community in mourning the loss of Ronell Johnson, who passed on June 14, at just 49 years old. A gifted multi-instrumentalist, Ronell carried the spirit of New Orleans music wherever he performed. Best known for his powerful trombone playing, he also played trumpet, piano, saxophone, and drums, bringing versatility and creativity to every stage he graced.

Published on: July 6th, 2026 New Orleans multi-instrumentalist James Rivers has died at the age of 89. Born in 1937 and raised in New Orleans' historic Treme neighborhood, he was renowned for his mastery of the tenor, alto, and soprano saxophone, as well as the flute, harmonica, clarinet, and even bagpipes.

Slamma Jamma Super Duper July 4 Show with Big Pete Published on: July 1st, 2026 Tune in to the "Slamma Jamma Super Duper July 4 Show" with Big Pete this Saturday, July 4, 8-10am as he spins two hours' worth of patriotic jazz as the United States makes 250 years! He'll be featuring all the jazzed-up patriotic songs you've forgotten about over the last century, including tracks from the Andrews Sisters, Glenn Miller, Harry James, Bing Crosby, Sidney Bechet, Benny Goodman, and more.

In 2002, I remember thinking how appropriate it was that a group of people came together to celebrate the cocktail in the city where the Sazerac – and some will say the cocktail itself – was born. That this was happening in one of New Orleans’s most unique watering holes, the Carousel Bar, only further enhanced the moment.

Photos: Ronell Johnson Memorial Second Line Published on: June 23rd, 2026 A memorial second line for Ronell Johnson was held yesterday, starting at Tuba Fats Square and ending at Preservation Hall. Photographer MJ Mastrogiovanni was on hand to capture these moments from the many who came out to celebrate his life. A Homegoing Service will be held Saturday, June 27, at City Church of East Lake in New Orleans with viewing beginning at 8am and service at 10am.

The idea for this show came to mind as soon as I heard about this new album, A New Orleans Songwriter Protest Song Compilation, which was released last week. The record was produced by Paul Faith, who had the idea of having a bunch of local artists compose new protest songs and put them together in a compilation record. The response was so good that it ended up being a double record featuring 21 local artists performing original songs written for the album.

There are times when reality is harder to believe than fiction... and more inspirational. If you were to hear a tale of a Dominican priest in Hammond, Louisiana who receives royalties for one of the biggest international hits of the early '60s, you might assume that tale was a tall one. But it isn't! Around early 1957, 22-year-old New Orleans native Cayet Mangiaracina walked away from a promising music career to follow a calling he'd had since childhood -- to join the priesthood.