1 day Ago By Riddhi Doshi
It’s three in the afternoon at the iconic French Quarter of New Orleans in the US. The city’s oldest neighbourhood is a vibrant hub of food and music. The narrow streets lined with beautiful, old buildings and their ornate French windows, are bustling with tourists.
The bars, some dating back to the 1700s, are busy serving the city’s iconic Hurricane and Sazerac cocktails. In its kitchens, orders for Gumbo and Jambalaya are piling up. In the midst of it all, a group of street musicians play foot-tapping jazz sets.
Yes, as early as three in the afternoon. That’s exactly why New Orleans is called the Big Easy. Two trumpets, one saxophone and a bass drum.
That is enough to get the entire neighbourhood grooving. In this port city by the Mississippi River, jazz is everywhere; on the streets, inside hole-in-the-wall joints, at posh cafes and big and small hotels. After all, it’s the jazz capital of the world.
It’s where jazz was born, in the early 20th century. Experiencing this quintessential American music form is an immensely rich encounter, unique to the city. Most tourists sign up for at least one performance every evening of their stay.
Yet, it’s never enough. On top of these must-see-performances is the jazz presentation of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Established in 1960, the club and its musicians are known for preserving traditional New Orleans jazz—one of the oldest jazz styles that went extinct until gallery owner Larry Borenstein, hired senior players to jam in his French Quarter shop to attract more customers.
A year later, the enterprise was handed over to Allen and Sandra Jaffe from Pennsylvania. They were in New Orleans on their honeymoon, but fell in love with the music at Preservation Hall and never left. Guests sit on wooden benches, close to the musicians, for performances all-round the year.
And dancing does happen. Next stop is the Spotted Cat, or The Cat, as the locals call it, on the Frenchmen street of the French Quarter. In this cozy, humble spot, you meet passionate music enthusiasts from around the world.
It’s where a number of local bands play traditional and modern jazz, blues, funk, klezmer and rock and roll. Some call the Spotted Cat the ‘real’ jazz club for its great atmosphere and jazz-friendly, standing area, right by the musicians. Watch out for Robin Barnes’ performance here.
She is one of the few female jazz singers in a male-dominated music scene. Apart from these, the city boasts several other jazz clubs—Pat O’Brien’s Piano Lounge, Fritzel’s European Jazz Pub, Maple Leaf Bar, Blue Nile, The Maison, Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro and more. Though chances are that you might catch a great gig for free just on the streets.
That’s how it all began, anyway; in the 19th century, by enslaved Africans, working at sugar and cotton plantations of New Orleans. They would gather at the city’s Congo Square, every Sunday, to play music and dance and keep their culture alive. Before the Civil War, New Orleans with its 50 slave centres was the biggest hub of human trade in the US.
New Orleans’ Congo Square was the place where African rhythms blended with European harmonies and Caribbean beats, laying down the groundwork for jazz. In New Orleans, you can’t escape jazz. You may arrive as a novice, but you live as an ardent enthusiast.
For more information on best jazz places in the city, visit neworleans.com.
