It
has been suggested by more than one reviewer that New Orleans
is the best place in the world in which to hear live music.
Most New Orleanians don't just live life, they rejoice in
it, thanks at least in part to a past in which, because
of yellow fever and other scourges, one never knew if one
would make it from this year to the next. This exuberance
is evident in the many musical styles that dwell in the
French Quarter. Blues, rockabilly, zydeco, rock, folk, and
of course, the city's own contribution to music - jazz -
can be heard at a variety of clubs in the old city. Music
winds its way around corners in the Vieux Carré; it spills
out onto the streets; it rises over rooftops; it maintains
the backbeat that defines the Quarter's pulse.
Many die-hard jazz fans lament
the decline of the art form, complaining that while jazz
used to be played in practically every venue in the French
Quarter, it can now be heard in only a handful of places.
Others say that the Quarter has simply developed the musical
breadth necessary to satisfy a diverse assortment of residents
and visitors. Either way, the result is that the Quarter
offers a mélange of musical styles - a notational gumbo
if you will - to entice the most discerning listener.
The acknowledged guardian
of traditional, Dixieland Jazz is the renowned Preservation
Hall (http://www.preservationhall.com) at 726 St. Peter
Street, where both up-and-coming and nationally known jazz
musicians play to hordes of rapt listeners. Sets are short
here, which is a good thing, because the surroundings are
less than accommodating - the audience sits on wooden benches
and no drinks or food are sold (you can bring your own).
Everyone should shell out the $5 cover charge to experience
Preservation Hall at least once, but after the first set,
you'll probably be ready to move on.
Just around the corner at
733 Bourbon Street is the unassuming Fritzels European Jazz
Pub (http://www.expage.com/page/fritzelsjazzpub), the venue
many locals assert comes closest to maintaining the true
spirit of jazz. The music is always good, and the shows
often turn into jam sessions as musicians from other venues
drop by to play a tune.
Another hot spot for traditional
jazz in the Quarter is the Palm Court Jazz Café at 1204
Decatur Street. You can hear great jazz here four nights
a week in an atmosphere that is suitably reminiscent of
an earlier era. The club also has a complete dinner menu
and a gift shop that sells hard-to-find jazz recordings
on compact disc. Come early - the last set ends at 11 pm.
The newest and flashiest
jazz club in town is The Storyville District (http://www.thestoryvilledistrict.com/),
located at 125 Bourbon Street. Storyville pays tribute to
the long-bulldozed red-light district in New Orleans where
the early jazz greats got their starts playing in the district's
bordellos. Today's Storyville evokes that ambiance in its
red-velvet-draped Jazz Parlor, but the focus is strictly
on great music -- jazz, R&B, and blues - and good food.
No admission is charged during the week, and the weekend
concerts are reasonably priced, so drop in and enjoy!
Even if you're not hip to
jazz, a virtual cornucopia of musical options awaits you
in the Quarter. Visit the House of Blues (http://www.hob.com/bin/calendar.pl?VENUE=NOW)
at 225 Decatur to enjoy a diverse assortment of blues, rock,
folk and gospel, or stop by the smaller, but equally flavorsome
Tipitina's (www.tipitinas.com ) at 233 North Peters Street
to hear some of the city's best local talent.
If "You Ain't Got a Thing
If You Ain't Got Swing," then head for the Shim-Sham Club
and Juke Joint at 615 Toulouse Street, a 40's-style dance
club featuring big bands, rockabilly groups, torch singers
and even an old-time burlesque show with club's own Shim
Shamettes.
Other venues in the Quarter
feature everything from traditional Irish music -- O'Flaherty's
(http://www.celticnationsworld.com/oflahertys.htm) at 514
Toulouse Street -- to Cajun and zydeco - the Cajun Cabin
at 503 Bourbon Street. Catch some great local blues musicians
at the Funky Pirate (727 Bourbon Street), or savor a spicy
mix of jazz, blues, and food at the Funky Butt at Congo
Square (http://www.funkybutt.com) at 714 North Rampart Street.
To take a hefty serving of
these sounds with you when you go, visit Louie's Juke Joint
(http://www.thejukejoint.com) at 1128 Decatur Street for
a great selection of CDs and memorabilia or tune in to Louisiana
Radio (http://www.louisianaradio.com/), which plays Louisiana
music on the Web 24 hours a day.
If you just can't get enough,
visit our Nightlife
Guide for a comprehensive listing of music venues, both
in and out of the French Quarter. What ever you do, don't
lose the beat and keep tappin' those feet!
