WWOZ - New Orleans Public Radio

New Orleans jazz radio has documentary weight. WWOZ doesn't treat jazz as background scoring or sophisticated pop - it's a living tradition with specific people making specific choices. Programming stretches from Jelly Roll Morton through contemporary players like Christian Scott and Kris Funn, honoring lineage without fetishizing the past. DJs carry institutional knowledge earned through actual engagement, not research. Second-line funk dominates weekend mornings; late-night slots shift toward free jazz and experimental improvisation. The station captures something crucial: jazz emerges from…