New Orleans Music Tour

based on 37 reviews

Duration:2 hours (approx.)
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana

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Although New Orleans is heavily associated with Jazz, this tour will show how every form of American popular music is informed by New Orleans. As the outgrageous New Orleans R&B legend Ernie K-Doe said: “I'm not sure, but I'm almost positive, all music came from New Orleans.”

WHAT'S INCLUDED

WHAT TO EXPECT

1.
Explore the world’s richest musical city, starting with Louis Armstrong Park and Congo Square, historic site of African slave gatherings, the only place in North American where pure West African religious ritual and musical traditions were performed. Congo Square is considered the wellspring of all New Orleans music and, consequently, so much of worldwide popular song. It is also the site of the first New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 1970. From Armstrong Park, view the building which housed Cosimo Matassa’s groundbreaking J&M Studios which created the “New Orleans Sound” with such New Orleanians as Professor Longhair, Dave Bartholomew, Fats Domino, Guitar Slim, Shirley & Lee, Lloyd Price, Ernie K-Doe, Allen Toussaint, Clarence “Frogman” Henry & visitors including Little Richard, Ray Charles, & Jerry Lee Lewis. J & M Studios is the true birthplace of rock ’n roll.
2.
From outside St. Louis Cemetery #1, see the New Orleans Musicians Tomb, the use of which was donated by the musical dynasty Barbarin Family for free burial to musicians. The first burial to take place was for Lloyd Washington of the Ink Spots on October 23, 2004. The Musicians Tomb was restored and is administered by Robert Florence of Historic New Orleans Tours.
3.
You will visit Basin Street Station and stroll down Basin Street where you’ll see the remains of Storyville (including Frank Early’s “My Place” Saloon where “Pretty Baby” was written), fabled turn-of-the-century red light district whose parlors presented the likes of King Oliver, Buddy Bolden, Jelly Roll Morton, Sidney Bechet and many more during the early days of jazz.
4.
Then stroll through the Tango Belt to May Bailey’s and the site of the Old French Opera House ending with the legendary Preservation Hall, a place which represents the past, present, and future of New Orleans music.
5.
Then stroll through the Tango Belt to May Bailey’s and the site of the Old French Opera House ending with the legendary Preservation Hall, a place which represents the past, present, and future of New Orleans music. Learn the origins of New Orleans Bounce Music and check out the world’s greatest street musicians who are carrying the flame to this very day.

ADDITIONAL INFO

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Posted By : G1441ACjuless
Amazing tour! So much information and the tour guide loved what he was doing and a wealth of knowledge New Orleans has so much history. It's amazing must see.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-18 11:03:31

Posted By : CYNTHIA_A
Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about the history of music in Louis Armstrong Park.
Great time learning history. We got a surprise a private second line parade.
The Best Ever for me!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-04-27 13:36:28

Posted By : Diane_K
This was not a tour, we simply went to Armstrong Park, only one of the several places we were supposed to visit! Our “guide” did nothing but ramble on, often way off topic. We did not get what we paid for and should get our money back. This was a total waste of an afternoon of our vacation and I couldn’t be more upset and disappointed. Do not waste time and money on this “tour”.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-04-13 07:50:22

Posted By : dianekV8616MN
Everyone on this tour with us should get a refund, it was awful. We spent about an hour in Congo Square listening to our “guide” go on and on about his father’s music career and musicians he had met. We spent nearly another hour listening/watching a video of Mahalia Jackson at the Newport Jazz Festival. The closest we got to the locations we were supposed to visit was our “guide” pointing in one direction or another. A total waste of time, I feel like I was robbed because I didn’t get anything close to what I paid for and was looking forward to. Don’t waste your time with this tour, it was the worst tour ever!!!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-04-12 20:58:24

Posted By : Alex_D
Tour guide was very knowledgeable not only about music, but history as it relates to New Orleans' impact across the globe.
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Posted On : 2024-04-05 10:11:12

Posted By : Mallorie O
Love love loveeeed this tour along with our guide! The tour guide, NIKA, was spectacular! She delivered the most amazing vibes, she was fun to talk to and be around. She knew how to vibe and be serious and have fun all at the same time. You can tell she loves her job, talking and teaching people about the music history of Louisiana!! 10/10 would come back and have her as my tour guide again! Thank you NIKA, you made what usual boring walking tours into a fun and enjoyable learning experience!! <3
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-03-28 19:56:55

Posted By : Inspiration820464
Enjoyed learning about the history of the Congo revival and the beginnings of jazz and rock n roll. Our guide was very knowledgeable on the history. My only complaint is that our tour was supposed to end at Preservation Hall, but our tour guide cut the 2 hour tour 30 minutes short and did not take us to visit Preservation Hall.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-03-10 10:37:28

Posted By : Michele K
Our Music of New Orleans tour was canceled at the last minute. But they offered us a tour of Treme/ Voo Doo a half hour earlier. We were able to get there in time. There was only 4 total people on the tour, so our tour guide David did a great job adapting his tour to also include a lot about Music as well. He was very knowledgeable and funny. He used an IPad to show videos and music to amplify his stories and "prove" his stories were true. For example, we looked at things provided by the Library of Congress.
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Posted On : 2024-01-21 10:25:56

Posted By : PacificLoon
David Higgins is an absolute character, an enthusiastic story teller, and educator. I thought I knew quite a bit about jazz, but the way he put all the pieces together had all of us thinking and talking about the tour for days. We could have listened to him all day! His father was a jazz drummer who had played with many big name jazz artists, and although he didn't talk about himself much, it seemed like he is a musician also. The amount of research he put into his tour was very evident, and he even had videos and photos to show us along the way. If you like jazz and want to learn about how it started you must do David's tour! IT'S A GUMBO!! :)
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-01-03 23:25:36

Posted By : Michelle_L
We love walking tours and take them wherever we travel, but sadly this was the worst walking tour we have ever experienced.
Although Anna, our guide was quite personable this was a total waste of time and money. If you want a musical heritage tour of New Orleans this is NOT a good choice. We wandered around Armstrong Park for an endless hour looking at sculptures of musical icons while our guide looked for samples of the music on her phone. Total waste of time as we could hear very little.
When we finally left the park we entered a rather decrepit laundromat that used to be a jazz recording studio. Our guide talked to us while we side stepped folks moving their dirty clothes around us. The whole experience was sad and demoralizing.
As for other musical venues there was nothing and in fact we had to look at the historic Presevation Jazz Hall from across the street. We all actually thought it was an abandoned building. We were told we could visit famed Frenchman’s Street on our own but to be careful as it could be dangerous.
The final stop at Jackson Square, which was a National Park site was all closed up and no longer in business as the site had been moved to another location. This was news to our “guide.”
I am sorry to say the tour operators should rethink this itinerary and those wishing to learn about New Orleans’ rich music history should look elsewhere.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2023-12-30 11:06:27