The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation will be putting on the Allison Miner Series: About Reel to Real: The Early Airwaves of WWOZ, featuring research from the Jazz & Heritage Archive on September 20, 2023. The event will take place at the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center which is located at 1225 N. Rampart St.
Doors will open at 6 p.m. with a start time of 6:30 p.m. The night will commence with a lecture from George Ingmire to discuss his findings on the early days of WWOZ 90.7 FM. It will be followed by a short reception and an opportunity to ask questions.
The event is free and open to the general public. All guests must reserve their spot online to enter. Guests who cannot attend in person will be able to livestream the event.
The Allison Miner Series is the Jazz & Heritage Foundation's newest project, it aims to highlight research, scholarship, and projects that make use of their historic collections. The presentations for 2023-24 will showcase the work of the recipients of the Jazz & Heritage Fellowship Research Grants.
WWOZ has a rich history in the city of New Orleans. Its first appearance on the radio dial in December of 1980 was considered to be miraculous, coming after a struggle to secure the FCC license for 90.7FM. "Reel to Real: The early airwaves of WWOZ" highlights the history of the radio station in an engaging presentation that showcases the work of WWOZ volunteers to overcome technological problems in the early days, some of the voices of the original WWOZ radio hosts, technicians who helped the station come to fruition, as well as featuring some diehard supporters. This showcase will be presented by George Ingmire, a radio host and producer.
Ingmire has been a producer since 1999, holding a B.A. in anthropology and an M.F.A. in film production from the University of New Orleans. He was the host of the "New Orleans Music Show" on WWOZ for nearly 20 years. His achievements include working as a sound recordist in New Orleans and all over the world, as well as a career in film post-production — working with reputable directors such as Spike Lee and Barbara Kopple.
