Located in the heart of New Orleans French Quarter, the park's primary visitor center is located at 916 N. Peters Street and is a good starting point to learn about the history and culture of New Orleans jazz. Only in the Jazz National Historic Park do park rangers demonstrate their musical skills through jazz performances.<br><br>One building dominates the park:&nbsp;the Perseverance Hall No. 4. Originally a Masonic Lodge, built around 1820, it is actually the oldest Masonic temple in Louisiana. During the early 1900s both Black and white organizations rented the hall for concerts, dances, and recitals, making it the starting venue for many jazz musicians, thus its rightful place in the state park.<br><br>Visitors who come to the park have the chance to explore and immerse themselves in the history of this uniquely American style of music.

Perseverance Hall No. 4 - the main site of the park

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The New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park FB page

In most of America, the words "National Park" and "jazz" may be seemingly unrelated. However, in New Orleans, there is a National Park specifically to commemorate the history of jazz in its birthplace, New Orleans. The New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park was created in 1994 to commemorate this memorable musical legacy. 

The New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park

This tour includes stops at the homes and haunts of many of the early jazz legends and includes several museums, performance venues, historical markers and statues, and the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park. The complete tour should require a full day. Like jazz itself, however, improvisation is welcome. Anyone can create and save their own personal version of this tour by adding or removing sites to match their interests and schedule.

<p>Emmett Louis Hardy (June 12, 1903-June 16, 1925) lived in this Morgan Street home from 1920-1923. Born in Gretna, Louisiana, Hardy lived for much of his life in the New Orleans west bank Algiers neighborhood. He had an illustrious career sadly cut short by his death at the age of twenty-two due to tuberculosis. Before his death, he toured with Tony Catalano’s band, played with the New Orleans Rhythm Kings in Chicago, and with Carlisle Evan’s band in Davenport, Iowa. The majority of his time in New Orleans was spent playing with the Norman Brownlee Orchestra. Impressively, Hardy also did metal work, making his own mouthpieces and adding an additional spit-valve to his cornet.</p>

<p>He was well respected in the jazz community. The great Louis Armstrong allegedly called him “The King” after losing to Hardy in a cutting contest. The term “cutting contest” was used in to an instrumental improvisation competition popular during the swing era, approximately 1935-1946. From the 1920s-1940s, the term was more commonly used to refer to a competition between piano players. However, during the swing era the term referred to contests conducted by a variety of musicians and instruments. The legendary contest between Hardy and Armstrong took place in 1919. Modern day forms of the “cutting contest” include “trading” in jazz improvisation. In trading, two jazz musicians take turns playing parts of solo choruses.&nbsp;</p>

The former home of Emmett Hardy, a prominent jazz cornet player in the early days of New Orleans jazz, is part of the Algiers Historical Society’s self-guided “Over da River” Jazz Tour. The historical society’s website features other self-guided walking tours, including another music-focused tour called the “Brooklyn of the South” Jazz Tour. The “Over da River” tour includes other former homes of famous musicians, prominent historical jazz venues, and the Robert E. Nims Jazz Walk of Fame.

Jazz Tour of New Orleans-Former Home of Emmett Hardy

<p>Norman Brownlee and his Orchestra were staples in the New Orleans jazz scene of the twenties. The band recorded on the record label Okeh in January of 1925. Brownlee (1896-1967) was an Algiers native known as a pianist and bass violinist. Brownlee’s Orchestra is historically remembered largely for Emmett Hardy’s cornet playing. Hardy is regarded as one of Leon “Bix” Beiderbecke’s main influences. Bix Beiderbecke (1903-1931) is considered one of the greatest musicians of 1920s jazz. Like Hardy, Beiderbecke is known mostly for his cornet playing. Bix was an active figure in the Chicago jazz scene before tragically meeting an early death due to heavy drinking of illegal liquor during Prohibition.</p>

<p>Crombie was born in 1891 and became a Dixieland-style drummer after the First World War. Crombie also played the trombone. The term Dixieland refers to a musical style that began in New Orleans during the late nineteenth century. Its development evolved out of early blues and brass bands. The style partially relies on the strong improvisations that would later characterize jazz in general. The first group to make a commercial recording of this type of music was the Original Dixieland Jazz Band (ODJB). It is likely that the style of music gained the name “Dixieland” because of ODJB’s popularity.</p>

<p>A two-beat, swing-like playing method and creating innovative ways of keeping time characterize the Dixieland drumming style. Drummers of this style often play in a march-like style on non-traditional instruments, including snare drums, woodblocks, cowbells, small splash cymbals, the rim of a drum, and washboards.</p>

This house on Olivier Street, located in the Algiers neighborhood, was once the home of musician Alonzo Crombie. This home is included in the Algiers Historical Society’s self-guided “Over da River” Jazz Tour. Crombie lived here from 1920-1923. For the majority of his career he played with the Norman Brownlee Orchestra and with Emmett Hardy.

Jazz Tour- Former Home of Alonzo Crombie

<p>Thomas Valentine (February 3, 1896- June 18, 1987), more
widely known as “Kid” Thomas Valentine, was born in Reserve, Louisiana. He
became known as a trumpeter during the early twenties and started leading his
own band in 1926. He lived in the Algiers neighborhood for decades. Thomas’
playing style was unique because he continued in the old traditional style of
New Orleans jazz, even when other musicians were influenced by the innovations
Louis Armstrong brought to the genre. He played popular songs of the time, even
into the rock-and-roll era, but he played them in the New Orleans dance hall
style of early 1920s jazz. He was in the legendary Preservation Hall Jazz Band
from the 1960s into the 1980s. He toured worldwide for the Hall, including a
trip to Russia.</p>

<p>Dominic James “Nick” LaRocca (April 11, 1889-February 22,
1961) was the son of Sicilian immigrants and born in New Orleans. He played the
trumpet and the cornet. LaRocca also led the Original Dixieland Jazz Band
(ODJB) and composed one of the most popular jazz classics of all time,
“Tiger-Rag.” He was part of the band generally regarded as releasing the first
jazz recording, “Livery Stable Blues” in 1917. They made the first commercial
jazz recordings in New York City. The success of these records turned the
musicians of ODJB into celebrities.</p>

This building located on the Algiers neighborhood’s Olivier Street has housed the Santa Maria Council No. 1724, Knights of Columbus since the early twentieth century. The Knights of Columbus is a Catholic fraternal organization founded during the late-nineteenth century in Connecticut. The building is included in the Algiers Historical Society’s self-guided “Over da River” Jazz Tour. Many prominent jazz musicians played here, among them the Marcour’s Band, the Magnolia Jazz Band, Brownlee’s Jazz Band, “Kid” Thomas Valentine, Nick LaRocca, and Bert Peck.

Jazz Tour- Santa Maria Council No. 1724, Knights of Columbus

<p>Alphonse Floristan Picou was born to a middle-class Creole
of Color family in downtown New Orleans. The Creoles of Color are an ethnic
group mostly associated with New Orleans, but also existing in other parts of
Louisiana, Southern Mississippi, and Alabama. Creoles of Color were free
throughout history and they often had the same privileges as whites, included
formal education and land ownership.</p><p>Picou began working as a professional musician at the age of
sixteen. At the time he played both the guitar and the clarinet, later choosing
to focus on the clarinet. Before becoming a full-time musician, he worked as a
tinsmith. Initially, he played with classical bands, such as the Creole section
of the Lyre Club Symphony Orchestra. He also played with some brass bands,
including the Excelsior and the Olympia, before becoming part of the early
musical movement that would later be called jazz. Due to his light complexion,
he also played with some white bands, including Papa Jack Laine. Musicians of
color with darker complexions were not invited to play with white bands due to
the racial prejudices of the time. Picou was forced to return to metalwork
during the Great Depression but began playing professional again during the
forties, when he made his first recordings. His funeral proved to be one of the
largest jazz funerals of all time.</p>

This home on the Algiers neighborhood’s Bermuda Street was once home to legendary jazz musician Alphonse Picou (1878-1961) and is included in the Algiers Point Association’s self-guided “Over da River” Jazz Tour. He lived in the house in 1898. He played the clarinet and his musical accomplishments include organizing the Accordiana Band in 1894 and the Independence Band in 1897. He played with a number of notable musicians throughout his career, including Oscar, DuConge, Manuel Perez, John Robichaux, Kid Rena, and Papa Celestin.

Jazz Tour- Former Home of Alphonse Picou

<p>Behrman was a member of the Democratic Party. He was associated with the Regular Democratic Organization (RDO) as a young man. The RDO, also known as the Old Regulars or the New Orleans Ring, is a 130-year-old conservative political group that, as of 2016, is still active. The organization formed near the end of Reconstruction, when the Republican Party began to lose control of the city. The Democratic Party became dominant in the state legislature in 1876. This was in part due to the violent threats of the White League intended to keep Republicans from voting. RDO leadership was responsible for Jim Crow laws and enacting a poll tax. Jim Crow laws, which began enforcing segregation in 1890 in all public facilities continued throughout the South until 1965.</p>

<p>Berhman’s house is included in the Algiers Historical Society’s self-guided “Over da River” Jazz Tour because he was allegedly an avid fan of jazz. It is thought by some that Behrman used his influence to move jazz musician Buddy Bolden from a New Orleans jail to a mental hospital in Jackson, Louisiana by having him declared insane. Bolden was jailed after suffering a mental breakdown due to dementia praecox, now known as schizophrenia. Many credit Bolden and his band for creating the New Orleans style of rag-time music genre that later became jazz.</p>

This house was built for former Mayor of New Orleans Martin Behrman shortly after the fire of 1895. He served longer than any other mayor of the city, serving from 1904-1920 and again from 1925-1926. Behrman was the only mayor from the west bank Algiers neighborhood. Although he was born in New York City, his family moved to New Orleans when he was still an infant. He was born on October 14, 1864 and died on January 12, 1926.

Jazz Tour of New Orleans-Former Home of Martin Behrman

<p>Dolly Douroux (1904-1979), married name Adams, was a jazz musician who played the piano, trumpet, guitar and drums. However, she is best known as a pianist. The Douroux and Manetta families were both of the Creole of Color ethnicity and were also both established musical families. Adams began playing the piano at age seven and was playing private parties with her brother by the time she was nine. As a young person, she was a music student at St. Mary’s Academy. St. Mary’s is a private Catholic school founded in 1867 and still in existence. Her brother was a violinist. She began playing in her uncle’s band at age thirteen. Playing in Manuel Manetta’s, her uncle, band gave her the opportunity to play with many legendary jazz musicians, including Louis Armstrong, Joe “King” Oliver, and Kid Ory. She married fellow musician Placide Adams in 1922.</p>

<p>Although normally restrictive gender norms would have prevented Adams from pursuing many performance opportunities, particularly early in her career, Adams was relatively free to play in public because she was generally playing with her family. Gigs even took them to the brothels in the infamous Storyville district of New Orleans. They occasionally played Lulu White’s Mahogany Hall, one of the most famous brothels of Storyville. Adams was also part of the Creole Serenaders and Peter Bocage’s band at different points in her career.</p>

This house on the Algiers neighborhood’s Pelican street was once home to jazz musician Louis Douroux. Douroux was born in 1875 and played cornet in the Pickwick Brass Band. He also played in the Eureka and Excelsior Brass Bands. In 1894, he married Olivia Manetta, who was a multi-instrument musician who particularly excelled on the trumpet. They had a daughter, Dolly Douroux, who later became a notable jazz musician herself. The house is included in the Algiers Point Association’s self-guided “Over da River” Jazz Tour.

Jazz Tour- Former Home of Louis Douroux

<div>Although the celebration originated in Mobile, Alabama, the holiday of Mardi Gras is celebrated in Southern Louisiana. Celebrations are concentrated for about two weeks before and through Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. Usually there is one major parade each day (weather permitting); many days have several large parades. The largest and most elaborate parades take place the last five days of the Mardi Gras season. In the final week, many events occur throughout New Orleans and surrounding communities, including parades and balls (some of them masquerade balls).</div><div><br></div><div>The parades in New Orleans are organized by social clubs known as krewes; most follow the same parade schedule and route each year. The earliest-established krewes were the Mistick Krewe of Comus, the earliest, Rex, the Knights of Momus and the Krewe of Proteus. Several modern "super krewes" are well known for holding large parades and events, such as the Krewe of Endymion (which is best known for naming celebrities as grand marshals for their parades), the Krewe of Bacchus (similarly known for naming celebrities as their Kings), as well as the Zulu Social Aid &amp; Pleasure Club—a predominantly African American krewe. Float riders traditionally toss throws into the crowds; the most common throws are strings of colorful plastic beads, doubloons (aluminum or wooden dollar-sized coins usually impressed with a krewe logo), decorated plastic "throw cups", Moon Pies, and small inexpensive toys. Major krewes follow the same parade schedule and route each year.</div><div><br></div><div>While many tourists center their Carnival season activities on Bourbon Street and in New Orleans and Dauphin, major parades originate in the Uptown and Mid-City districts and follow a route along St. Charles Avenue and Canal Street, on the upriver side of the French Quarter. Mardi Gras day traditionally concludes with the "Meeting of the Courts" between Rex and Comus.<br><br>The first record of the holiday being celebrated in Louisiana was at the mouth of the&nbsp;Mississippi River&nbsp;in what is now lower&nbsp;Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, on March 2, 1699.&nbsp;Iberville,&nbsp;Bienville, and their men celebrated it as part of an observance of&nbsp;Catholic<span>&nbsp;practice. The date of the first celebration of the festivities in New Orleans is unknown. A 1730 account by Marc-Antione Caillot celebrating<br>with&nbsp;</span>music&nbsp;and&nbsp;dance,&nbsp;masking&nbsp;and&nbsp;costuming&nbsp;(including&nbsp;cross-dressing).&nbsp;&nbsp;An account from 1743 that the custom of Carnival balls was already established. Processions and wearing of masks in the streets on Mardi Gras took place. They were sometimes prohibited by law, and were quickly renewed whenever such restrictions were lifted or enforcement waned. In 1833&nbsp;Bernard Xavier de Marigny de Mandeville<span>, a rich plantation owner of French descent, raised money to fund an official Mardi Gras celebration.<br></span><p>In 1856 six businessmen gathered at a club room in New Orleans's French Quarter to organize a secret society to observe Mardi Gras with a formal parade. They founded New Orleans' first and oldest krewe, the&nbsp;Mystick Krewe of Comus. According to one historian, "Comus was aggressively English in its celebration of what New Orleans had always considered a French festival. It is hard to think of a clearer assertion than this parade that the lead in the holiday had passed from French-speakers to Anglo-Americans. . . .To a certain extent, Americans 'Americanized' New Orleans and its Creoles. To a certain extent, New Orleans 'creolized' the Americans. Thus the wonder of Anglo-Americans boasting of how their business prowess helped them construct a more elaborate version than was traditional. The lead in organized Carnival passed from Creole to American just as political and economic power did over the course of the nineteenth century. The spectacle of Creole-American Carnival, with Americans using Carnival forms to compete with Creoles in the ballrooms and on the streets, represents the creation of a New Orleans culture neither entirely Creole nor entirely American."</p><p>In 1875 Louisiana declared&nbsp;<i>Mardi Gras</i>&nbsp;a legal state holiday.&nbsp;War, economic, political, and weather conditions sometimes led to cancellation of some or all major parades, especially during the&nbsp;American Civil War,&nbsp;World War I&nbsp;and&nbsp;World War II, but the city has always celebrated Carnival.</p><p>1972 was the last year in which large parades went through the narrow streets of the city's French Quarter section; larger floats, crowds, and fire safety concerns led the city government to prohibit parades in the Quarter. Major parades now skirt the French Quarter along Canal Street.</p><p>In 1979 the New Orleans police department went on strike. The official parades were canceled or moved to surrounding communities, such as&nbsp;Jefferson Parish. Significantly fewer tourists than usual came to the city. Masking, costuming, and celebrations continued anyway, with&nbsp;National Guard&nbsp;troops maintaining order. Guardsmen prevented crimes against persons or property but made no attempt to enforce laws regulating morality or drug use; for these reasons, some in the French Quarter&nbsp;bohemian&nbsp;community recall 1979 as the city's best Mardi Gras ever.</p><p>The marker at this location has inscribed the following:</p><p>From this corner on February 24, 1857, the Mistick Krewe of Comus began its first parade, heading up Julia Street toward St. Charles Avenue. With that parade, Mardi Gras was solidified as a New Orleans tradition that ultimately influnced Carnival celebrations throughout the continent. Comus would introduce the continuing custom of "krewes" staging annual parades and would influence the New Orleans style of Carnival, including floats,the word "krewe" and the playful element of mystery.<br><br>"<i>&nbsp;At 9:00 o'clock, or thereabout, the glare of the torchlights shattered the darkness of Magazine and Julia Streets, bands burst into symphony, and the Mistick Krewe... revealed a company of demons, rich and realistic, moving in a procession that seemed to blaze from some secret chamber of the earth."</i><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;Perry Young, The Mystick Krewe: Chronicles of Comus and His Kin - 1931<br></p><br></div>

This marker, installed on the corner of the building at Magazine and Julia Streets, indicates the starting point of the first Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans, which took place on February 24, 1857. The Mistick Krewe of Comus led the parade, which went west on Julia Street. From this point forward, Mardi Gras parades would become a cherished New Orleans tradition. Mardi Gras parades would soon influence other Carnival parades around the country and abroad. 

Historical Marker: Starting Point of the First Traditional New Orleans Mardi Gras Parade

Those who study music history understand that it is not possible to pinpoint a single person who "invented" jazz, nor is it possible to identify a precise date or place of its creation. The heart of jazz is improvisation, something musicians of diverse descent in places like New Orleans and the Mississippi Delta were doing for many decades prior to the creation of the famous Dixieland Jazz Band of Nick LaRocca in 1917. In New Orleans, musicians blended African and European rhythms&nbsp;and methods before the Civil War.&nbsp;<span>&nbsp;For example, Louis Gottschalk created (and most importantly, recorded his music on paper) a variety of styles and songs such as "La Bomboula-Danse Negre" in the 1840s.<br><br>So while jazz can best be understood as the inevitable creation of a place like New Orleans that celebrated music and celebrated (or at least tolerated) mixing people and styles, it is impossible to identify a single birthplace of jazz. &nbsp;<br><br></span>However, as noted by the National Park Service:<br><blockquote>The story of the original Creole Orchestra is a case in point. This band was organized in Los Angeles by bassist Bill Johnson, who traveled with a band to that city as early as 1908. By 1914, Johnson had attracted some of New Orleans best "hot" jazz players, including cornetist Freddie Keppard (widely regarded as Bolden’s successor), clarinetist George Baquet, and violinist James Palao. While performing at a prizefight, the Creole band fell victim to the venom of a writer for the Los Angeles Times, who characterized their playing as "a vile imitation of music." <br><br>Yet from 1914 to 1918, the band traveled throughout the country, playing prestigious theaters, which should have guaranteed success. However, theater audiences were not in a position to respond appropriately because New Orleans jazz was essentially dancing music. In 1916 the Victor Talking Machine Company offered Keppard and the Creole Orchestra an opportunity to record, but he refused. Keppard feared (with some justification) that recording would enable the competition to copy his style. <br><br>When the Creole Orchestra disbanded in 1918, there was little to show for their efforts. The individual members went on to join or form new musical alliance as best they could. In retrospect, however, they were the first New Orleans style band to travel extensively, pioneering a path that would be followed by others.1</blockquote><br>Many cities attribute its own musical history back to New Orleans. In Chicago, notably on its south side, migrating2 Jazz musicians adapted to its Chicago audience, which resulted in greater emphasis on solo performances -- the birth of the Chicago Blues scene. In Paris, many musicians arrived to entertain troops during World War I either from New Orleans, or from second generation musicians in cities like Chicago (with its ties to New Orleans). Many Parisians fell in love with the soulful jazz music.&nbsp;3<br><br>While debate ensues over the evolution of Jazz and its true birthplace, the idea of "hot jazz," made famous in the 1920s&nbsp;by such musicians as Louis Armstrong and Jelly Roll Morton is almost accepted as fact as a New Orleans product. Many argue that this evolution of hot jazz points to the flourishing nature of Jazz in New Orleans that turned the music into something hard to define to something that truly carved out a discernable genre of music. As ragtime, blues, and other music owes its roots back to the same place as hot jazz, it was the development of hot jazz that truly emerged in New Orleans. When many hear hot jazz, they think of it as simply "jazz," and often attribute it to a New Orleans style of music.4<br><br>The ability for improvisation within Jazz music leaves its birthplace difficult to ascertain. &nbsp;However, when one looks a jazz "stars," record deals, and influence to other forms of related music -- such as Blues or even Parisian forms of jazz in the 1930s, it is hard not to look back to New Orleans. It is related to the numerous cultural influences and the acceptance of merging forms of music, poetry, and even religion, notably Voodoo. New Orleans was a hotbed of cultural heterogeneity, and modern Jazz emerged from that hodgepodge of &nbsp;worldly influences.&nbsp;

Located on a support columnn at the entrance to the Holiday Inn, this historical marker commemorates this area of New Orleans that is considered the birthplace of jazz. Many businesses were located here in which jazz musicians performed and socialized. These include social clubs, saloons, barber shops, bakeries, and pawn shops. The area at the time was referred to as "Back of Town." The marker was installed by the Orleans Parish Landmarks Commission. A large clarinet is painted on one side of the hotel and there are two murals on the walls on either side of the marker.

Historical Marker: Jazz

<p>This park also features a small historical marker on the gate at the entrance. The &nbsp;property was once part of the electric&nbsp;distribution system in the city and was donated to the city by New Orleans Public Service in 1973. It was named Edison Place after&nbsp;Thomas Edison, who served as&nbsp;director of the&nbsp;city's first electric company (Edison was the inventor of the electric light bulb and was a major advocate for the use of electricity).&nbsp; </p><p>However, Edison Place became a popular hangout for the city's unsavory elements and it was locked up by the 1980s.&nbsp; In 1999, a group of private investors restored the space and opened it as a live music venue now know as Musical Legends Park.&nbsp; They also contracted with local artist, Stephen Gibson, to produce life-size sculptures of the city's music legends and place one at the park every few years.&nbsp; The world famous Cafe Beignet is located at the of the park. The cafe is best known for its Beignet donuts, coffee, and hot chocolate.&nbsp;</p><p>The legends enshrined at the park include: <u>Antoine "Fats" Domino</u> (1928-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ) - Fats, of French Creole descent, was born and raised in New Orleans.&nbsp; He went on to become a highly successful pianist, songwriter and early pioneer of rock 'n roll.&nbsp; <u>Louis Prima</u> (1910-1978) - Prima had a lot of titles, to include singer, songwriter, bandleader, trumpeter, and actor.&nbsp; His career took him far from his native New Orleans, to include New York City, Las Vegas, and a gig playing at President Franklin Roosevelt's birthday party.&nbsp; <u>Ronnie Kole</u> (1929-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ) - Kole was born in Chicago, but his love for jazz brought him to New Orleans where he became an internationally known jazz pianist.&nbsp; <u>Irma Thomas</u> (1941-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ) - A Grammy Award winner and member of the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, Thomas is known by all as the "Soul Queen of New Orleans."&nbsp; <u>Allen Toussaint</u>&nbsp; (1938-2015) - Born in the Gert Town neighborhood of New Orleans, Toussaint was a well-known songwriter, musician, arranger and producer.&nbsp; </p><p><u>Al "Jumbo" Hirt</u> (1922-1999) - Also known as the "Round Mound of Sound," Hirt was on of the best jazz trumpeters of his day.&nbsp; The New Orleans native is best known for the theme to the Green Hornet television show.&nbsp; <u>Pete Fountain</u> (1930-2016) - Born on White St, Fountain took his jazz clarinet to the Lawrence Welk show where he&nbsp;left after a few years, famously claiming "champagne and bourbon don't mix."&nbsp; He's also known for founding the Half-Fast Walking Club, a freelance&nbsp;Mardi Gras marching group.&nbsp; <u>Chris Owens</u> (1932-&nbsp;&nbsp; )&nbsp;The "Chris Owens Review" has been a fixture at the corner of St. Louis and Bourbon Streets since she arrived in New Orleans from Texas in the late 1950s.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

A popular tourist destination, this small park in Bourbon street honors some of New Orleans' best and well known musicians. It is operated and maintained by the New Orleans Musical Legends Foundation, Inc., which was founded in 2000. There are several life-size statues of these musicians, including Al Hirt, Pete Fountain, Fats Domino, Chris Owens, Ronnie Cole, Louis Prima, Allen Toussaint and Irma Thomas. Live jazz is played here everyday and the park is free and open to anyone. There is a cafe at the far end of the park. 

Musical Legends Park

<p>The story of Preservation Hall dates back to the 1950s at Associated Artists, a small art gallery at 726 St. Peter Street in New Orleans’s French Quarter. Upon opening the gallery, the proprietor, art dealer Larry Borenstein, found that it curtailed his ability to attend the few remaining local jazz concerts. He began inviting these musicians to perform “rehearsal sessions” in the gallery itself. Soon over time, the music was becoming more attractive than the art on display. These concerts featured living legends of New Orleans Jazz like George Lewis, Punch Miller, Sweet Emma Barrett, Billie and De De Pierce, The Humphrey Brothers, and dozens more.</p><p>During this period, traditional jazz had taken a backseat in popularity to the genres of rock n’ roll and bebop which left many of these players to work odd jobs to make their financial gains. Although concerted efforts by aficionados, such as William “Bill” Russell, succeeded in recording and documenting this fading artform during the “New Orleans Jazz Revival” of the 1940s, venues that offered live New Orleans jazz were few and far between. Before long, Borenstein’s sessions took on a life of their own and enthusiasts of the music gravitated toward the gallery, including a young couple from Pennsylvania named Allan and Sandra Jaffe. The Jaffes arrived in New Orleans in 1960 on an extended honeymoon from Mexico City. During their visit, they conversed with a few jazz musicians in Jackson Square, who were on their way to “Mr. Larry’s Gallery.” As avid fans of New Orleans jazz, the honeymooners followed the musicians and were introduced to Borenstein along with a number of living jazz legends that had gathered that evening for a jam session. Needless to say, they were enraptured by what they saw and heard. The music was pure and unaffected by the swaying of popular music. The Jaffes knew they happened upon something special and moved to New Orleans permanently after their honeymoon.</p><p>The jam sessions at the gallery became much more frequent and that prompted Borenstein to move his gallery to the building next door to make way for a place where jazz music could thrive. Performances were held nightly for donations and were organized by a short-lived, non-profit organization named The New Orleans Society for The Preservation of Traditional Jazz. Shortly after, The Jaffes returned to New Orleans and Borenstein passed the nightly operations of the hall to Allan Jaffe on a profit-and-loss basis. This was where Preservation Hall was born. A new chapter for the Jazz genre was beginning.</p><p>The nightly jazz concerts at Preservation Hall gathered a significant amount of press interest from its inception. The news attention started with local television news around New Orleans and quickly went to the mainstream media along with online newsletters. As time went on, Allan believed the success of both the Hall and it’s mission of preservation would require these bands to tour the world so in 1963, he organized the newly minted Preservation Hall Jazz Band for a string of performances in the Midwest. True to Jaffe’s estimation, the tour was a resounding success and interest in the band lead the rediscovery of New Orleans jazz to as far as Japan. The following decades found the band traveling and featured on a wide array of television performances. Following Allan Jaffe’s untimely passing in 1987, Preservation Hall and The Preservation Hall Jazz Band now operate under the leadership of the Jaffe’s second son, Benjamin.</p><p>Picking up the mission where his parents left off, Benjamin Jaffe began a series of initiatives centered around expanding listenership to the music both at the Hall and on tour. As the years continued, the band began and welcomed a number of collaborative tours and recordings with artists outside of the traditional Jazz genre, including the Blind Boys of Alabama (gospel), Mos Def (hip-hop), the Del McCoury Band (bluegrass), My Morning Jacket (rock), and even a modern dance/ballet collaboration with critically-acclaimed choreographer Trey McIntyre. In addition to rejuvenating the music, Preservation Hall engages with the New Orleans cultural community emphasizing education and social programming. Persevering through the hardships of Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill, the Preservation Hall team created and supported organizations, such as The Preservation Hall Music Outreach Program, The New Orleans Jazz &amp; Heritage Foundation, and the Make It Right Foundation.</p>

<p>Founded in 1961, Preservation Hall is a musical venue in the French Quarter to protect, preserve, and perpetuate traditional New Orleans jazz. The Preservation Hall venue presents intimate, acoustic New Orleans jazz concerts over 350 nights a year featuring ensembles from a current collective of 100+ local master practitioners. On any given night, audiences bear joyful witness to the evolution of this venerable and living tradition. It is also a record label recording studio and a non-profit foundation.</p>

Preservation Hall

Originally settled by the French and then Creole populations, in 1788 a fire burnt down 80% of the French Quarter. It, including Bourbon Street, was then rebuilt by the Spanish rulers of the time. Thus, though called the "French" Quarter and maintaining much of the French cultural influence, Bourbon Street, along with the rest of the French Quarter, actually appears more Spanish than French architecturally.<br><br>Bourbon Street, also called Rue Bourbon, has not always held the rowdy reputation it holds today. Historically it was simply a residential neighborhood with a predominantly Creole population. Though there is some debate as to how "rowdy" Bourbon Street might have been in the 1800s (certainly, pirates, voodoo queens, and other professions operated more openly in New Orleans than in other parts of the country), historians posit its current reputation did not exist until World War II.<br><br>During World War II, it became lucrative to sell New Orleans' more illustrious reputation as "traditional" to young servicemen looking to escape their struggles. Bars and brothels flourished and began popping up all around the French Quarter, but most specifically along the Rue Bourbon. During this time traditional celebrations like Mardi Gras grew and took on new significance, as soldiers sought ever more reason to celebrate during their breaks.<br><br>Moreover, when New Orleans' historic red-light district, "Storyville," was shut down in the 1920s, there remained a demand for the same jazz music, which had previously been played in brothel living rooms. Many of the former Storyville musicians migrated to the new Bourbon Street location. At the time, jazz music signified to many the sounds of the red light district and thus may have contributed to the growing reputation of Bourbon Street.<br><br>By the 1940s, Bourbon Street was lined with bars and adult clubs, once again mixing the sounds of jazz with sex. In the 1960s, dance clubs, such as the Franck Studios, were well-known and operated openly.<br><br>Among the historic buildings along the street is Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop. Built in 1722, legend holds that the Blacksmith shop was a front for the pirating activities of the Lafitte brothers.<br><br>The Old Absinthe House also holds interest to visitors to the city. Built in 1806 as an importing firm, the ground floor slowly morphed into a saloon. It was in 1874 that Cayetano Ferrer invented the famous Absinthe House Frappe, which can still be tasted today in this bar, though without the absinthe, as this is now an illegal ingredient in the U.S.<br><br>Of course, countless&nbsp;other historic building line Bourbon Street and are waiting to be explored by the curious traveler, who know how to ask the right questions.<br><br>

Situated in the heart of the historic French Quarter of New Orleans, Bourbon Street may be the most famous (and infamous) street in the United States. Though most of its reputation may arise from its Mardi Gras celebrations and all-night partying, every inch of the street is steeped in the unique history of this multicultural city. History-lovers sure be sure to visit this street twice in their lifetime--once during the evening, and once in the late morning. This will demonstrate how urban spaces can transition from stages of revelry, recovery, and rebirth. 

Bourbon Street

<p>Danny Barker (January 13, 1909-March 13, 1994) was born in
New Orleans to a musical family. He was the grandson of Isidore Barbarin, a
notable bandleader, and the nephew of Paul and Louis Barbarin, who were
drummers. The first instruments he learned to play were the clarinet and the
drums. He later switched to a ukulele his gave him and later still learned to
play the banjo. Barker played rhythm guitar for bands such as Cab Calloway,
Lucky Millinder, and Benny Carter during the thirties. He played with a number
of legendary musicians, including Jelly Roll Morton, James P. Johnson, and Mezz
Mezzrow. He married singer Blu Lu, who he also recorded and toured with. Blue
Lu Barker was inducted into the Louisiana Blues Hall of Fame in 1997.</p>

<p>Danny Barker’s first music group was a street band called
the Boozan Kings. Before moving to New York in 1930, he also toured throughout
Mississippi with Little Brother Montgomery. Shortly after moving to New York,
he played with Fess Williams, Billy Fowler, and the White Brothers. He
collaborated with Buddy Harris in 1933 and with Albert Nicholas in 1935. From
1937-38 he worked with Lucky Millinder and with Benny Carter later in 1938.
During the fifties, he traveled to California to record with Albert Nicholas.</p>

<p>He moved back to New Orleans in 1965 and began working as a
curator’s assistant at the New Orleans Jazz Museum. He started the Fairview
Baptist Church Marching Band in 1970. This later became the popular Dirty Dozen
brass band. He was also the bandleader for the French Markey Jazz Band during
this period of his life.</p>

This historical marker indicates the birthplace of Danny Barker. Barker is best known for his musical accomplishments, but was also a historian, teacher, author, actor, and a painter. He played on over 1,000 records during his illustrious musical career.

Historical Marker- Birthplace of Danny Barker

<div>COLLECTIONS</div><div>The Backstreet Cultural Museum is home to collections of costumes, artifacts, memorabilia, photographs, films, and other materials important to New Orleans’ African American culture. Our collections inform and enlighten visitors of all ages. The collections continue to grow with donations of new objects that incorporate unique influences while simultaneously maintaining traditional styles.</div><div><br></div><div>EXHIBITIONS</div><div>The Backstreet Cultural Museum’s permanent exhibits, from displays on Mardi Gras Indians, to social aid and pleasure clubs, and jazz funerals, reveal a particular view on life. &nbsp;The exhibits illuminate African American history in the struggles against slavery and disenfranchisement and for freedom. &nbsp;The artisans who created the objects know hardship, yes. But they also know how to live triumphantly and express the beauty of life; something that no hardship can ever take away.</div><div><br></div><div>The Backstreet Cultural Museum’s exhibitions explore the creative achievements, improvisational brilliance, and collective spirit of New Orleans’ African American society. &nbsp;The exhibits provide opportunities for all visitors to embrace the rich legacy of African American culture.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Film Collection</div><div>Museum founder Sylvester Francis began filming New Orleans’ African American parading culture in the late 1970s. &nbsp;Since then, he has amassed films and videotapes that document over 500 jazz funerals. &nbsp;This collection also records more than thirty years of New Orleans’ African American Carnival celebrations, Mardi Gras Indian public performances, and the second-line parades of social aid and pleasure clubs.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The museum’s film collection is available for the public to access. Videos from the collection are shared with a wide audience at the museum’s annual exhibit during the New Orleans Jazz &amp; Heritage Festival. The museum regularly screens its films at schools and other venues in the Tremé neighborhood. &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Mardi Gras Indians</div><div>The Backstreet Cultural Museum is proud to host an extensive collection of Mardi Gras Indian regalia, including suits of Big Chiefs, Queens, Flag Boys, Wild Men, and more.</div><div><br></div><div>The Mardi Gras Indians are one of New Orleans’ greatest cultural treasures. &nbsp;Every year, the tribes take to the streets, bringing generations of history right along with them. &nbsp;Each suit is an elaborate design of beads, feathers, plumes, and stones: the result of a year’s worth of labor, time, money, and creativity.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The Mardi Gras Indian tradition is rooted in a legacy of resistance. &nbsp;Enslaved Africans, escaping the dehumanizing violence of the plantation, found hospice with Native Americans. The Mardi Gras Indian tribes are noted for their exquisite costumes, public performances at Carnival, and their musical contributions. The Mardi Gras Indians of New Orleans endure as the preservers of a distinctive cultural legacy.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Skull and Bone Gangs</div><div>The museum’s holdings include costumes and objects related to the North Side Skull and Bone gang, one of the oldest African American processional traditions of New Orleans.</div><div><br></div><div>The Skull and Bone gangs serve to bless Carnival by stirring the spirits, thus warding off sickness and injury and ensuring a safe celebration. In the early hours of Mardi Gras day, the Skull and Bone gangs roam the streets, walking with stilts, wearing handcrafted skulls, skeleton suits, and carrying animal bones. &nbsp;With harmless mischief—knocking on doors, beating drums, shouting and singing—they alert the community that Mardi Gras has arrived.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Baby Dolls</div><div>The exhibits contain costumes and artifacts related to the Baby Dolls tradition.</div><div><br></div><div>The Baby Dolls are a New Orleans’ African American Carnival tradition that dates to the first half of the twentieth century. The Baby Dolls are made up of women wearing fancy dresses who parade through Tremé and other largely African American neighborhoods. After decades of being inactive, the Baby Dolls tradition was revived in 2004 and is growing stronger each year. It is a beautiful sight to encounter Indians, Skeletons, and Baby Dolls gathering at the Backstreet Cultural Museum on Mardi Gras Day.</div><div><br></div><div>Jazz Funerals</div><div>The museum’s collection includes films and videos, photographs, obituary records, and memorabilia from jazz funerals in New Orleans over the last thirty years.</div><div><br></div><div>There is an African American proverb that advises us to cry at birth and laugh at death. &nbsp;No tradition better exemplifies this than the jazz funerals of New Orleans. Jazz funerals are an important ritual that sustains the community and links it to the ancestors.</div><div><br></div><div>The jazz funerals of New Orleans date to the beginning of the twentieth century. Many jazz funeral processions are held each year, often to honor musicians or members of social aid and pleasure clubs.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>After the church ceremony, the casket is led to the cemetery by the slow, somber dirges and hymns of a brass band. &nbsp;After the burial, however, to signify that the time for mourning is over, the band picks up the tempo, followers of the procession break into dances, and the second-line parade begins: a celebration to send the loved one’s spirit into the afterlife. &nbsp;</div>

At The Backstreet Cultural Museum, visitors can find an amazing assortment of memorabilia indigenous to Mardi Gras, jazz funerals and other traditions found only in New Orleans. The museum houses the city’s largest collection of brilliantly colored and elaborately designed Mardi Gras Indian costumes hand made by local artisans costing upwards of $10,000 a piece. In this simple setting, the museum also houses an enormous collection of still photos and video footage of Mardi Gras Indians, jazz funerals and second lines.

New Orleans Jazz History Tour

The New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Additional Information