New Orleans: Jazz
It is generally agreed that jazz was born in New Orleans, shaped in the early twentieth century by the twin talents of Louis Armstrong and Joe "King" Oliver from a diverse heritage of African and Caribbean slave music, Civil War brass bands, plantation spirituals, black church music and work songs. It suits the city well: hard to define, improvisational, and ranging from melancholic to jubilant, upmarket to downright seedy.In 1897, in an attempt to control the prostitution that had been rampant in the city since its earliest days, a law was passed that restricted the brothels to a fixed area bounded by Iberville and Lower Basin streets. The area, which soon became known as Storyville after the alderman who pronounced the ordinance, filled with newly arrived ex-plantation workers, seamen and gamblers, and, from the "mood setting" tunes played in the brothels to bawdy saloon gigs, there was plenty of opportunity for musicians - in particular the solo piano players known as "professors" - to develop personal styles. Children too young to enter the bars set up makeshift "spasm bands" in the streets. Their legacy lives on in the streetwise ragamuffins on every corner, tap dancing, shoe-shining and playing trumpet.
Jazz was originally looked down upon by the white establishment as the "filthy" music of poor blacks, and, after Storyville was officially closed in 1917 - which coincided with a clampdown on live music played throughout the city - there was a mass exodus of musicians to Chicago and New York. Many more jazz artists left the city or gave up playing altogether during the Depression (King Oliver died an impoverished janitor); but in the 1950s the city fathers literally changed their tune and began to promote jazz as a tourist attraction. The double-edged nature of the music - indigenous and authentic, and at the same time a commercial construction - persists, but it remains a living, evolving art form, and you're spoiled for choice for places to see it. The quality ranges from good to exceptional; thankfully, the best is not confined to the tourist traps.
Local, world-class musicians , including the multitalented Marsalis family and trumpeters Terence Blanchard, Irvin Mayfield and Nicholas Payton all perform regularly. Of the pianists, don't miss Henry Butler - whose superb, superfast modern jazz is matched by his mean R&B and blues repertoire. Two of the city's best-loved performers, trumpeters Kermit Ruffins and younger pup James Andrews, can always be counted on for a good show. Both cut their teeth in local brass bands , the ragtag groups who blast out New Orleans' homegrown party music, born from the city's long tradition of street parades. Regulars on the circuit include the ReBirth (Ruffins' old crew); the Lil Rascals, New Birth and Hot 8 brass bands, whose ear-splitting spin on traditional tunes is as big a hit in the parades as in the jazz clubs; Soul Rebels and Coolbone, who mix a cacophony of horns with hard funk, hip-hop and reggae, have a fresh "street" sound.
Jazz venues
Donna's 800 N Rampart St tel 504/596-6914. Funky barbecue joint on the fringe of the Quarter. Hosting all the best brass bands, it feels like a locals' place - there's no stage, and you have to fight your way through the blasting horns to get to the bathroom - but it attracts a big out-of-town crowd, and it's the only place to be on Monday nights, when a host of local stars drop in to jam. Cover varies; one drink minimum.
Funky Butt 714 N Rampart St tel 504/558-0872. Stylish, intimate club near Donna's . The eclectic decor resembles an Art Deco bordello-cum-speakeasy, while the music - cool jazz, piano and R&B - is great. Cover varies, rising to $15, but you can drink in the bar for free.
Joe's Cozy Corner 1532 Ursulines St tel 504/561-9216. Few tourists head out to this Tremé bar, where on Sunday nights Kermit Ruffins plays a lively end-of-week set to a mixed group of friends, family and New Orleanians from all over town. This part of Tremé is dangerous; take a cab there and back.
Palm Court Jazz Café 1204 Decatur St tel 504/525-0200. The aficionados' favorite: top-notch traditional jazz played while you dine in elegant French Quarter surroundings. New Orleans jazz memorabilia adds atmosphere, and they sell collectors' items and records. Reservations recommended for dinner; cover varies, but a seat at the bar costs nothing.
Preservation Hall 726 St Peter St tel 504/523-8939. Shabby old room - with no seats, bar, air conditioning or toilets - long lauded as the best place in New Orleans to hear trad jazz. Though the studied dereliction is a bit hokey - the hall has only been open since the 1960s - the music can't be beat, and gets better as the night goes on. Sets every 45min 8.30-11.45pm. The $5 cover allows you to stay as long as you like.
Snug Harbor 626 Frenchmen St tel 504/949-0696. Sophisticated Faubourg Marigny jazz club in a small, two-story space. Shows at 9pm and 11pm, but the restaurant (serving pasta, burgers and the like) and bar (where you can watch the gigs on closed-circuit TV) stay open late. Regulars include Astral Project, who play cool modern jazz, Charmaine Neville, and Ellis Marsalis. Cover $8-25.
Vaughan's 4229 Dauphine St, in the Bywater tel 504/947-5562. Tiny neighborhood bar that fills on Thursday, Kermit Ruffins' night. The band is crammed up against the audience - a mixed bunch of locals, students and the players' friends and family; between sets, help yourself to free beans and rice. Take a cab. Cover $10 (Thurs only).
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