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Home , Essence Music Festival, Faubourg Marigny, Frenchmen Street, Preservation Hall, Snug Harbor (jazz club)

& ALL THAT JAZZ

NEW ORLEANS

THERE’S EVEN A STORY that when one of the Its best-known site, , elderly musicians who starred in the Treme where jazz began in pre-Civil War days & ALL THAT JAZZ HBO TV series passed over to the other side, with Sunday gatherings of singing, his dignified, seated body first presided over a dancing and instrument-playing African gala wake and was then driven in state through slaves, has now been brought back BY MARY MOORE MASON town in an open-topped car. to life. Part of Park, Be that as it may, since it was launched in it includes a statue to its beloved 2010 the TV series has certainly put Tremé namesake musician and film star as well (pronounced TreeMAY) on the international as two venues for live entertainment Jazz is to what country music is to Nashville. The locals not tourism map. Telling the story of how the area’s – the Mahalia Jackson Theater for only live with it but die with it, or perhaps, more accurately, we should say musicians and chefs dealt with the devastating the Performing Arts, named after the wind and flood ravages of 2005’s Hurricane famous New Orleans-born gospel they meet their maker with a jazz beat – a strutting, rooting, tooting jazz Katrina and its aftermath, the series reinforced singer, and the Municipal Auditorium. funeral parade is a sight to behold! Tremé’s image as New Orleans’ oldest African- Tremé is also home to charming, America neighbourhood. brightly-painted wooden bungalows

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as well as shops, restaurants and a newish jazz club, The Speakeasy, presided over by local jazz THE ‘BIG EASY’S’ FAB MUSIC FESTIVALS musician Kermit Ruffin. In addition to its regular music scene, which Although jazz fans have traditionally headed sometimes features Connick, Ruffin and Wynton for the ’s over-commercialised Marsalis and his three fellow jazz musician brothers, and iconic , the the city has music festivals throughout the year. In newer, more-cutting-edge scene is to be found March, there’s the New World Rhythms Fest; in July, along lively in the picturesque the Essence ; in August, the Satchmo neighbourhood to the Quarter’s Musicfest; in October, the Crescent City Blues & east. Not only are all the clubs such as Snug BBQ Fest; and in November, the Voodoo Art & Harbor and The Maison heaving with music lovers Music Experience. Also, somewhere along the way, but the street echoes to the sound of brass bands there’s usually a Cajun/Zydeco Festival and other al fresco groups. featuring that unique French-inspired music of the For a really funky scene, although it’s not Louisiana swamplands. really known for its music, head into the Bywater But the daddy of them all is the April/May New neighbourhood, where you can spend an Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, which I had the ABOVE New entertaining time with folk/visionary artist ‘Dr’ good luck to attend last year. Held in the New Orleans street musicians always Bob Shaffer in his outdoor/indoor hotchpotch of Orleans Fairgrounds over two weekends, it features draw a crowd a studio. Presenting us with his business card, constructed largely by volunteer organisations after the A new hurricane- acts on eight stages that spotlight such talents as LEFT Bourbon which states, ‘Be Nice, Or Leave’, he toured us predominantly-African-American Ninth Ward was almost and flood-proof Willie Nelson, George Benson, Fleetwood Mac, Street revellers past everything from a giant, decorated turtle shell totally demolished by Katrina. Built high on pilings to bungalow in the The Original Dixieland Jazz Band and Ellis Marsalis. during Mardi Gras Musicians Village and elaborate wood carvings to artworks studded protect them from future flooding, the buildings come in To add to the festive spirit, there also are tents with beer bottle-tops. “Alas,” lamented Dr Bob, numerous different designs, some of them quite futuristic dedicated to jazz, gospel and children’s activities; “my supply has dried up since I stopped drinking and environmentally sound. Among the celebrities flamboyant parades, some including the Mardi five years ago.” contributing to New Orleans’ rebuilding effort are local Gras Indians (African-Americans who dress up in A number of New Orleans’ musicians now musician Harry Connick Jr and Hollywood superstar flamboyant Native American costumes), and craft live in the modern Musicians’ Village, which was Brad Pitt.

FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD! CAFÉ DU MONDE – GALATOIRE’S – There are now Located at a particularly two versions of this legendary One of the great joys of visiting New Orleans is its wealth of excellent picturesque corner of French Quarter restaurant – the restaurants, which feature delectable native Creole and Cajun cuisine. the French Quarter, this old family-owned, award- Here are just a few of the places we have personally sampled and can is the place to sample winning one established in café au lait and beignets, 1905 and featuring all those recommend: the delicious fried, traditional Creole recipes (209 cheesecake. 713-725 Saint Louis powdered sugar-coated Bourbon Street, galatoires. Street, antoines.com, 001 (504) 581 local doughnuts. 800 Decatur com, 001 (504) 525 2021) and 4422. Street, 001 (504) 525 4544. the newer Galatoire’s 33 Bar & Steak (215 Bourbon Street. ARNAUD’S – Not only does this COMMANDER’S PALACE – This grande galatoires33barandsteak.com, charming French Quarter restaurant dame of the Garden District, housed in a 001 (504) 335 3932), which, as one would expect, specialises serve up classic Creole cuisine but it splendid, bright-blue Victorian mansion, is in steaks while serving such traditional starters as Louisiana also includes a jazz bistro and a Mardi popular for its Saturday and Sunday jazz shrimp boil, lobster bisque and turtle soup. Gras museum (its onetime owner was brunches, martinis that only cost a quarter one of the movers and shakers behind (25c), and such dishes as Louisiana shrimp KINGFISH – This is the answer for those who prefer the pre-Lenten festival), 813 Rue and grits, Creole bread pudding and down-home Southern cuisine served in a laid-back ambience. Bienville, arnaudsrestaurant.com, praline parfait. 1403 Washington Avenue, Among the specialities are smoked rabbit gumbo, andouille 001 (504) 523 5433. commanderspalace.com, sausage wrapped in puff pastry with collard greens on the 001(504) 899 8221. side, and pork and grits served with roasted corn. ANTOINE’S – Established in CAFÉ AMELIE – Offering al fresco 337 Chartres Street, cocktailbarneworleans.com, 1840, this is the place to go for dining in the charming courtyard of DOMINIQUE’S ON MAGAZINE– With 001 (504) 598 5005. local ambience and a three-course the home of a one-time princess of its sleek, all-white, minimalist décor, this Sunday jazz brunch (as we sipped Monaco, this establishment features newish Garden District restaurant has on TABLEAU – The newest addition to the portfolio of famed Specialists in tailor-made our first Bloody Mary, the singer was light meals that include banana waffles offer innovative cocktails, gourmet dishes restaurateur Dickie Brennan shares its space with the French holidays across the USA belting out Life Is Just a Cabaret, for breakfast and chicken and andouille paired with well-chosen wines, and a back Quarter’s Le Petit Theatre and boasts balconies overlooking Old Chum and the waiter revealed (spicy sausage) gumbo and catfish with patio that features a vertical herb garden Jackson Square, the ambience of an old Louisiana plantation and Canada he had been there for 35 years). Cajun mayo for lunch and dinner. 912 growing up its wall. 4213 , home and classic French Creole dishes with a unique twist. Temptations included soft shell-crab Royal Street, cafeamelie.com, 001 dominiquesonmag.com, 616 St Peter Street, tableaufrenchquarter.com, Tel: (020) 8742 8299 Florentine and a scrumptious, creamy (504) 412 8965. 001 (504) 891 9282. 001 (504) 934 3463. www.americaasyoulikeit.com

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The most-famous street GETTING THERE: Although there are no direct flights car route leads along St from London to Louis Armstrong New Orleans Charles Avenue into the TRAVEL International Airport, Delta Air Line (delta.com, 0871 NOTES 22 11 222) offers excellent connections to the city via beautiful Garden District, its various transatlantic gateways. where we gawked at the majestic mansions, shaded GETTING AROUND: You can easily walk to most of the key attractions by huge Spanish-moss- in the French Quarter, and buses and street cars serve many other swathed oak trees, checked areas. In addition to the mule-drawn carriage tours, there are walking, limo and bus tours (including some to outlying plantations) and cruises out a couple of the fine along the . For a personalised limo tour, we would restaurants, and shopped recommend the one we took, Bespoke New Orleans run by Travis and in the numerous boutiques Jennifer Simpson (bespokeneworleans.com, 001 (504) 534 8874). and gift shops along lively Magazine Street with the For personalised shopping tours, contact ALG Style (ALGstyle.net, aid of shopping specialist ALG Style Tours. Among the 001 (504) 237 1104). choices were Aiden Gill (shaving equipment, ties and ACCOMMODATION: You’re spoiled for hotel and inn choice in other presents for men), GOGO (interesting modern New Orleans. We stayed in – and loved – the opulent, landmark jewellery designed and made on the premises), Windsor Court Hotel (windsorcourthotel.com, 001 (504) 523 Basics and House of Lounge (both with fab lingerie), 6000), with its beautifully-furnished public and guest rooms, choice Anqelique (shoes) and Swap (vintage clothing). of restaurants, roof-top swimming pool and easy access to the So, now that I am back in London, New Orleans French Quarter. Right in the heart of the quarter is the historic lingers on, if only in my wardrobe and in the occasional Hotel Monteleone (hotelmonteleone.com, 001 (504) 523 3341), gourmet meal or exotic cocktail I conjure up thanks frequented in the past by the likes of William Faulkner, Tennessee to those tempting Louisiana cookbooks I purchased Williams and Ernest Hemingway, and featuring the unique, rotating Carousel Bar. And then there’s The New Orleans Hotel Collection along the way. (neworleanshotelcollection.com, 001 (855) 798 6642), which offers a whole range of charming accommodation in five hotels, some in buildings with colourful histories – and the occasional ghost. LEFT Two New Orleans’ icons - its unique architecture THE NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL: In 2014, it will be and its mule-drawn carriages held over two weekends, one beginning on Friday, April 25, and the ABOVE The most-famous street car route leads along other on Thursday, May 1. nojazzfest.com St Charles Avenue into the beautiful Garden District

FURTHER INFORMATION: Visit neworleanscvb.com or contact the dedicated to Katrina’s devastation and the city’s UK office of the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau, gradual recovery and the other to the fabulous 020 8460 7082. costumes and heritage of New Orleans’ world- renowned, pre-Lenten Mardi Gras celebrations. You can easily cover the French Quarter by and food staffs, the latter featuring such foot or take a mule-drawn carriage whose driver delicious Louisiana specialities as shrimp doubles as an often-colourful narrator of local gumbo and spicy andouille sausages. fact and fiction. (If you want to continue the Of course, New Orleans has much to offer music theme, check to see if the mule named besides its music scene. Visitors can enjoy a Mahalia Jackson is available.) holiday in the ‘Big Easy’ without even leaving the fabled French Quarter. There, you will find REVISITING WORLD WAR II AND THE historic buildings resplendent with filigreed, GARDEN DISTRICT wrought-iron balconies; world-renowned To proceed into the adjacent Warehouse/ restaurants, cafés and bars; charming streets, Arts District we took a trolley ride along the notably Rue Royale, lined with tempting Mississippi River waterfront, disembarking at antique, art, jewellery and clothing shops; the stop closest to the National World War II and also much of historic note, particularly Museum. Querying why such a museum was around Jackson Square. In addition to there, we were told by the info desk attendant that the mounted statue of General Andrew it was because the Higgins landing craft that were Jackson, who defeated the British in the vital to the D-Day invasion were built in the city. We 1815 Battle of New Orleans (and went on viewed the thrilling film – as the theatre seats are to become a US President), it is the site of seismically-enhanced, we literally felt the intensity the impressive St Louis’ Cathedral flanked of the bombardment – and the fascinating by The Cabildo and the almost identical exhibitions covering the war throughout the Presbytere. world; enjoyed a live performance of WWII-style Built in 1799 as the seat of the city’s ABOVE TOP Musicians troop entertainment, including jazz, swing and in , one of Spanish Colonial rulers,the former building the best-known clubs on songs by the museum’s own Victory Belles; and features the room where the Louisiana Purchase Frenchmen Street then had a Happy Hour drink and hamburgers and was signed in 1803, ceding vast tracks of ABOVE The city’s annual hot dogs at the American Sector Restaurant. Our land from France to the USA, plus exhibitions spring Jazz & Heritage only complaint was that the whole experience gave Festival showcases covered centuries of Louisiana history; the latter musicians on eight the impression that the Yanks won the war without encompasses two outstanding exhibitions – one stages outside help.

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