WWOZ(FM) had donated 7,000 hours of live jazz and blues recordings spanning 15 years to the Library of Congress.
“The contribution, which comes after Hurricane Katrina’s floodwaters nearly destroyed the station’s primary tape storage facility, will ensure the safety of the station’s collection of historic recordings,” the Library said. Supporting the gift, the Grammy Foundation has awarded WWOZ a $45,000 grant toward the preservation of the collection.
Recordings were made at music festivals, nightclubs and street events and feature various forms of New Orleans’s roots music including jazz, blues, gospel, brass band and zydeco. The content includes an extensive collection of live music dating to 1993 of artists including Professor Longhair, Clifton Chenier and Queen Ida.
Before cataloging and digital preservation, the recordings will be stored in vaults at the new Packard Campus for Audio-Visual Conservation in Culpeper, Va.
