New Orleans positively reels
under the energy of its
ever-present
live music .
From lonesome street musicians,
through the shambling, joyous
brass bands, to international
names like Dr John and the
Neville Brothers, music remains
integral to the economy and the
ideology of the Crescent City.
While the French Quarter has
its share of atmospheric clubs
and bars, there are plenty of
good venues elsewhere. And
visitors making a beeline for Bourbon
Street , hoping to find it
chock-a-block with cool jazz
clubs, will be disappointed.
That said, even this tawdriest
of streets has a couple of good
places to hear jazz and blues.
To decide where to go, check
the listings papers
(especially the superb music
monthly Offbeat ),
collect fliers in French Quarter
record stores such as
Magic Bus, 527 Conti St, or
Louisiana Music Factory, 210
Decatur St, and keep an ear
tuned to the fabulous local radio
station WWOZ (90.7 FM),
which features regular gig
information and ticket
competitions.
Music in New Orleans often
doesn't get going until late.
However, many venues put on two
sets a night, often by
different performers, so with a
little creative club-hopping you
could easily see three
outstanding gigs in one evening.
Another distinctive feature of
New Orleans' nightlife is that
many shows can be seen - and
heard - from the street. If you
hear something you like, but
don't want to pay the cover
charge - low or nonexistent
in bars, but as much as $20 in
some clubs - it's perfectly
acceptable to stand outside with
a "beer to go" from
another bar, moving on when the
fancy takes you.
Bars
As befits its image as a
hard-drinking, hard-partying
town, New Orleans has dozens of
truly great bars . However,
though 24hr-drinking licenses
are common, don't expect every
bar to be open all night - even
on Bourbon Street many...
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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...
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Other live music
There's far more to New Orleans
than jazz alone. Though the
" New Orleans sound ,"
an exuberant, carnival-tinged
hybrid of blues, parade music
and R&B, had its heyday in
the early 1960s, many of its
greatest stars are still
going...
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more >>
