Nightlife

TAKE IT BIG EASY

New Orleans is famous for its sensory indulgences, including heavenly donuts, frozen drinks and, most of all, the sweet sounds of jazz.

For many, the roots of American music sprouted in the port city of New Orleans. The mix of French, English, Spanish and Dutch traders, African slaves and Caribbean free men produced a social space open to the exchange of musical rhythms, styles and instruments, which later produced two of the country’s most influential music styles: blues and jazz. Today, the streets, particularly in the French Quarter, are lined with dives serenaded by jazz maestros. Visitors will encounter sublime riffs and melancholy blues almost anywhere their feet can take them.

Preservation Hall

726 St. Peter St 504-522-2841 www.preservationhall.com

Preservation Hall is dedicated to keeping the legacy of New Orleans music alive and well. The hall showcases the city’s best up-and-coming musicians and supports the world-famous Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

It features a rotating lineup of Big Easy godfathers that blow, strum and bang their stuff during weekly events like Brass Band Thursdays and Jazz Masters Fridays. Check the calendar, since jazz legends from around the world often make pilgrimages to this sacred spot.

d.b.a. • 618 Frenchman St • 504-942-3731 • www.drinkgoodstuff.com

Known for its outrageous selection of bourbon and whiskey (more than 200 types of American, Scottish, Irish and Japanese top-shelf hooch), d.b.a. is also a well-traveled troubadour stop. Jimmy Buffett has his own Big Easy nightspot but still stops in for shows. The music selection is as varied as the drink menu; legends like Walter Wolfman Washington play alongside newbies like Linnzi Zaorski.

One Eyed Jacks• 615 Toulouse St • 504-569-8361 • www.oneeyedjacks.net

One Eyed Jacks has been a staple of the French Quarter for as long as anyone can remember. The club is a proud representative of that rare gem: a mid-sized venue with great sound, excellent booking and more interest in the quality of players than payers. Weekends are reserved for touring legends like Little Freddie King and up-and-comers like

Morning 40 Federation. One Eyed Jacks also features DJ nights during the week and the occasional burlesque show, proof that you can’t take the French out of the quarter.