For anyone who may have a desire to listen to my drivel instead or reading it, here is a video interview I did with NOLA.com over the course of Jazz Fest. It’s three minutes of sleep deprived and over caffeinated Loki talking about Jazz Fest, WWOZ, and internet tech.
-Loki, Founder and Blog Wrangler, HumidCity
G-Bitch’s post inspired me to follow up with this one on the ‘OZ Blog.
Well here we we go, the last day of the first weekend. With storm clouds overhead failing to impede the enthusiasm of the masses I find myself bouncing between the stages and the WWOZ Brass Pass tent where our web team has set up the silicon. If anybody cares to read my drivel, as well as the words of various other voices ranging from WWOZ DJs to random Jazz Fest attendees, you can stop by the WWOZ Jazz Fest Blog on NOLA.com.
Once again I am acting as Blog Producer for WWOZ during Jazz Fest, so look for our posts and pictures on the Jazz Fest Blog! Come on by, leave some comments, go to the WWOZ site and tune in the stream.
Its time for some food, some music and one hell of a good time.
-Loki, HumidCity Founder
In the near future you will be seeing posts from a voice new to HumidCity: George Ingmire. You may be familiar with him through his Wednesday morning radio show on WWOZ 90.7fm, or you may know him through his work in the local film scene. It you read the Gambit you might recognize him from their most recent 40 Under 40.
Mr. Ingmire is responsible for producing and restoring the documentary film Think of Me First as a Person which was one of 25 films in the country to be added to the National Film Registry in 2006. George has been a fellow conspirator on projects going back to the days of the Silver Machine where he was kind enough to lend his audiovisual expertise to our projects on several occasions.
Check out this video interview with him on NOLA.com!
George, my brother, welcome to HumidCity!
Tune in today, Wednesday (January 16th) from 11:30am to 2:00pm CST, as we celebrate Allen Toussaint’s birthday (January 14, 1938). From the late 50s to the present, from Devo to Irma Thomas, now’s the time to savor some Southern Nights and find those Lipstick Traces, as we listen to Allen Toussaint and those his music has touched.
WWOZ 90.7 on your FM dial!
If you are outside of the New Orleans Metro Area tune in the stream at WWOZ Online
Jazz legends, artists and educators joined radio giant WWOZ yesterday to support a national effort to save Internet radio from a recent royalty rate increase that would bankrupt the industry.
In a letter to House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, famed clarinet wizard Dr. Michael White, legendary trumpeter Kermit Ruffins, jazz phenom “Trombone Shorty”, Kidd Jordan and more than a dozen of the most influential voices in American Jazz called on Congress to take action and preserve Internet radio for the future of Jazz music.
“As working musicians who depend on Internet radio to reach our fans and to make new ones, we are extremely concerned that the recent decision by the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) will close the door to what has become an essential part of our work. Internet radio is one of the precious few outlets we have to reach Jazz audiences and build new ones. If Internet radio dies, the future of Jazz could die with it,” the Jazz legends wrote in a letter addressed to Chairman Conyers.
Representatives of SaveNetRadio, a national coalition of millions of webcasters, listeners, artists and labels joined tens of thousands of Jazz fans this week at the annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival to spread the word and gather the support of jazz artists that depend on Internet radio for exposure and airtime.
New Orleans powerhouse radio station WWOZ’s General Manager, David Freedman said “the massive new royalty fees directly affect New Orleans artists and musicians throughout the country that depend on Internet radio for air play and to reach new fans. For WWOZ, these new rates would drastically limit our effectiveness as a streaming source, and dictate that stations can’t afford to succeed. The marginalization or complete shutdown of our streaming services, which is the emerging environment, is tantamount to choking off an important voice of New Orleans culture and rendering our volunteer powered effort irrelevant.” Read the rest of this entry »
First post up on the WWOZ DJ Blog, some pics I took over the course of the first day.
Also a moment of humorous narcissism as Laureen at Metroblogging makes me aware that not only is there a fake Loki running around, but also that he is a much better artist than I am…
7am tomorrow I head out towards the Fairgrounds as Jazz Fest launches. This year is going to be very busy as I am not only acting as AP to the Program Manager for the continuous live broadcast / webcast (stream here) of the event, but I am also cordinating and producing a group blog of postings by the DJ’s, myself, and possibly a few others.
It will be a nonstop run unitl 2am Monday night when we wrap Piano Night. Then its the prep and craziness of weekend two. By the way, for my out of town friends who may have escaped exposure to it WWOZ is worth checking out, its not like any other station on earth and its all New Orleans sound. Check out the Wiki , The Site , The Flickr Photo Group, and (of course) 
wwoz_90_7fm
I should hopefully have some good pics and stories to share when its all over, in the meantime I will be out of the loop until after the first weekend of May.
The Jazz and Heritage Fest is finally here and to celebrate WWOZ has launched their retooled website! One of the innovations that I particularly like is the ability to create your own Jazz Fest Schedule. Instead of having to dig through the details of all the acts (which is, of course, also a fun way to do it), you can select which acts you are going to and print out a personalized schedule.
Check it out!
WWOZ PLedge Drive Photo Album (This will continually grow until the end of the Pledge Drive at 7pm on 3-28-07)
Groovesect is in the house! Man, there is nothing like coming into the studio and having a live show going on, the energy in the room is positively electric!
The next to last day of the drive is upon us, 7pm tomorrow is the end so get your pledge on! These funky, funky sounds that make you get up and shake your groove thang need your assistance in order to keep rolling out across the airwaves and the internet. If you have any doubts about the importance just tune your radio to 90.7fm (or grab the stream here) and listen for awhile and they will be dispelled!
One of the really great things about working here over the drive has been getting back in touch with musicians I have had the honor of working with in the past. Right now Govt Majik is tuning up to play their own brand of afro-caribbean funk, and it turns out I know the bass player from back in the old ShopweRx / Silver Machine days: Bru Brusser of the Hi Life Rescue Dance Band!! I haven’t heard this new band, but having worked shows with Bru back in the late 90’s I have high expectations for the upcoming throwdown!
EDIT: As T.R. keeps saying its “listener supported, listener supported, listener suported!!“
Hey out there in interweb land, Loki here, reporting the latest from the musical free for all that is the WWOZ Pledge Drive! Brian Stoltz was here earlier knocking out some really sweet tunes solo on his acoustic guitar. When I was speaking with him afterwards he told me that his new live CD will be hitting the stores about a week before Jazz Fest, and after hearing some tracks from it today I must say I cannot wait!
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There are only three days left, and things are about to get truly out of hand. The array of musicians showing up to bring a little live music into the equation is always amazing during the drive, and the last few days are always the most intense. Over the past few days we have seen local luminaries such as Irma Thomas, Harold Batiste, and more show up in support of WWOZ. I really cannot think of any other example of a radio station being so inextricably entwined with the music scene it embraces.
The image that always comes to mind when I think about what WWOZ means to me and to the music scene is borne of the madness from August ‘05. I visualize a vast expanse of toxic floodwaters, like the ones that inundated our city. Rising up from the middle of this turgid pool rises an arm whose hand clutches a trumpet, holding it aloft above the murk.
With more than half our neighbors and native musicians scattered to the four winds the WWOZ Stream assumes huge importance, bringing a taste of home to those in that diaspora and beyond. As we fight for our survival here in New Orleans, WWOZ holds aloft the beacon of our unique musical heritage, reminding us what we are fighting for.
Harold Cagler just got finished bringing a little of the classic New Orleans funk to the studio, and welcome sounds they were! It is truly things like this that keep me going!
Pledge now, keep WWOZ on the air and on the internet!
xposted on Defend New Orleans
Alright out there Irma Thomas is in the studio, interviewing on Crossroads with Big D, it’s been a great one so far. George Ingmire is hanging out with them and asking some very incisive and penetrating questions.
WWOZ is one of our most important cultural resources. If you’re anything like me you found their stream to be a lifeline while in exile after the Storm. I almost broke out in tears when the stream came back up and suddenly a taste of home sounded from the tinny speakers of my laptop.
Everyone from here understands on a primal level that the two things that most resonate to New Orleanians are food and music. ‘OZ has been a bastion for the musical roots of our unique culture.
This is not just a radio station, it is a non profit engaged in the most important battle we face: the preservation of The New Orleans Sound in an era when it is in danger of becoming a conservatory lesson rather than an organic and growing tradition. Please consider picking up the phone and calling in a contribution. Even if it is a small one it will help. Donations can be made online here.
xposted on DefendNOLA (LiveJournal)
Continuous Liveblogging on a show by show basis will be going on at the above xpost link….
EDIT: Okay, its the second most important battle. The first is and always will be LEVEES.
