Dear Listener,

Jazz Fest is long gone, but the memories from the Fair Grounds linger on. For me, many of the best moments over the years have happened on my golf cart: Gatemouth Brown confiding to me that he finally felt at home as we pulled into one of the back stables (reeking of horse manure, of course). Or the police shouting encouragement to George Clinton, as we whizzed on by: "Turn that crowd out, George, turn 'em out."

One memory that I'll never forget comes from about 10 years ago: an older couple, dragging themselves from what was then called the Fess/Ray Ban Stage (now Acura), asked where they could get a taxi back to their motel on Chef Menteur Highway.

"I'm afraid you’d have to go all the way down to Gentilly Boulevard; it’s as far away as anything can be from here."

It turns out, they came to New Orleans from far away: San Angelo, in West Texas. I asked the gentleman what brought them to Jazz Fest.

"Well, my wife has a serious heart condition, and, to tell you the truth, she’s dying. She’s in love with Fats Domino and her wish was to hear Fats just one more time. And not only did she hear Fats play, but we’re just now coming back from visiting with him after his performance, and he signed a program for her. Now she’s ready to go home."

And with that, I called transport to arrange a shuttle to the taxi stand, 29 furlongs the other side of the track.

Fats Domino is still with us, and he's still signing things. Last month we received a letter from his daughter Adonica, saying that Fats had signed a limited number of lithographs created by artist Michael Hunt, and that Fats wanted WWOZ to be the beneficiary of the sale of these prints. You can see what it looks like, and order one if you like, from the Hunt Studios site. When they're gone, they're gone, so if you’re a Fats Domino fan, you'll want to check this out. Not only did Fats get paid for his trouble, but WWOZ will also receive a handsome donation from Michael Hunt for each lithograph that is sold.

Yours in one-of-a-kinds and lucky finds,

David Freedman
General Manager

What's better than a festive weekend in Armstrong Park? Catch the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation's Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival, relocated from the Mint, on June 14-15. The legendary Buckwheat Zydeco will be there, along with Rosie Ledet, and BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet featuring special guest Jo-El Sonnier.

» Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival

The French Market’s Annual Creole Tomato Festival returns June 7-8, with live music (Brass-A-Holics, Washboard Chaz, Erica Falls), food booths (fried green tomatoes, crab-meat stuffed tomatoes tomato- and basil-filled crepes), Bloody Marys, cooking demonstrations, children's activities and more.

» All about Creole Tomato Fest

WWOZ's volunteer photographers ripped it up at Jazz Fest. Check out this Flickr album of 100 shots from the 2014 edition of the world's greatest music festival, plus daily highlights of everything from Acura to zydeco including tons of music, food, and fun.

» Jazz Fest 2014: It's a wrap!

The 2014 edition of WWOZ's flagship benefit event, Piano Night, happened on April 28. It was another outstanding celebration of the New Orleans piano tradition, and our volunteer photographers were all over it. See their work in galleries that show off Piano Night from all angles: the performances, the patron party, the amazing food, and more.

» Piano Night Photo Galleries

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation has released eleven videos from Sync Up 2014, with a total run time of 10+ hours. If you were too busy with Jazz Fest to attend the conference, you can see them all here. The Sync Up Conference is New Orleans' top forum for entertainment industry leaders, covering music, film and digital media from the perspective of independent artists.

 » Catch up on Sync Up

This month we give a big shout out to the Rogers family, owners of Buffa's, the restaurant and music venue at Esplanade and Burgundy, for their sponsorship of WWOZ. Chuck and Janis Rogers have been WWOZ listeners and supporters since the 1990s. They bought Buffa's in 2010, with the goal to make it into a vibrant music venue where all musicians are welcome.

 » Shoutout: Chuck and Janis Rogers

This dish is a full-flavored Louisiana classic from our friends at Martinique Bistro. Like a gumbo, this soup tastes best in the days after it's first been made, after all the seasonings have time to meld and balance. A great dish for a casual gathering anytime!

» Recipe: Breaux Bridge Crawfish Bisque with Cornbread Stuffed Shell