Nothing says New Orleans
better than jazz music. New Orleans is credited
with the birth of jazz at the turn of the 20th
century when West African black folk music was blended
with the European music popular at the time. You
probably won’t go far in the French
Quarter without seeing a kid on the street corner
blasting his trumpet or saxophone or hearing the distinct
sounds of jazz wafting out of a nearby pub or fine dining
establishment. All this passion for music is what
makes a vacation to New Orleans so memorable.
If you want to partake in the jazz experience of New
Orleans, a great place to start is Preservation Hall.
This historic building is three blocks from the Mississippi
in the heart of the French Quarter. The Preservation
Hall building dates back to the early 1800’s, but
the actual Preservation Hall was opened in the early 1960’s
as a way to preserve the tradition and style of New Orleans
jazz. This weathered old building gives you a true
taste of the atmosphere of New Orleans when the birth
of jazz occurred. Wooden floors, antique walls and
furniture… stop by and enjoy a taste of the local
flavor that is true Louisiana. This unique establishment
has persevered over the years; even when modern jazz and
rock took over the music scene. Preservation Hall
still hosts many traditional New Orleans jazz musicians,
including the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.
The Preservation Hall Jazz Band was founded at the same
time the Hall was, in 1961. Since that time they
have traveled the world entertaining international and
local audiences by showing them the true original form
of New Orleans jazz. There were several bands touring
the world at one time under the name Preservation Hall
and those founding members performed with the artists
who invented jazz in the early twentieth century including
Buddy Bolden, Jelly Roll Morton, and the amazing Louis
Armstrong.
Today the Preservation Hall Jazz Band tours the world
performing New Orleans jazz for all nationalities to enjoy.
They also continue to perform great jazz at Preservation
Hall. You can see them joined with countless jazz
musicians performing, from the older musicians to the
young kids in training. You can catch such greats
as the New Orleans Jazz Vipers, the New Birth Brass Band
or Glen David Andrews and the Lazy 6. There are
also events occurring in the Preservation Hall like the
Trombone Summit, the Tenor Summit and sometimes they have
guest appearances featuring great gospel performers with
the Preservation Hall band.
If you want to take the treasure of New Orleans home with you, Preservation Hall has its own label, so you can pick up a few CDs to remind you of the beautiful music you enjoyed on the streets of the historic French Quarter. Or try visiitng New Orleans during the famous
New Orleans Jazz Festival to see Preservation Hall come alive with many guest musicians and local artists.
One of the great things to do on your New Olreans vacation,
a visit to Preservation hall is recommend at the top of the
suggested
itinerary lists. For an excellent taste of the
nightlife in the "Big Easy", wind your way down
Bourbon Street and stop
off for jazz at Preservation Hall.
The Preservation Hall has no drinks, air conditioning or other fancy accoutrements; it’s just pure music, available for kids and adults. For a truly unique and quintessential New Orleans Jazz experience, stop by Preservation Hall and see what Louis Armstrong, the king of jazz said, “now that’s where you’ll find all the greats”.
