Keeping the Music Alive
The first of two very special episodes about the life, work, and legacy of Harold Battiste will be the focus of this week’s New Orleans Calling. Harold was one of the greatest musicians and teachers in New Orleans in the late 20th century. He was born in 1931, and before his death in 2015 he wrote, produced, arranged, or recorded hundreds of songs, toured the world, scored movies and television shows, and pioneered new sounds in jazz, R&B, and pop music. And several times over the years he visted WWOZ, where this program is produced, to talk about his career and play some of his music.
These interviews were preserved, and have not been heard since they first aired. And this week we delve into WWOZ’s archived past, and hear the story of Harold Battiste’s career — in his own words, speaking about Sam Cooke, Ed Blackwell, Dr John, Ellis Marsalis, Sonny & Cher, and more.
New Orleans Calling airs Monday afternoons from 4 to 5p.m.