Preservation Hall

Preservation Hall is a crumbling, un-air-conditioned room on St. Peter Street where traditional New Orleans jazz has been performed nightly since 1961 — and it is, without exaggeration, one of the most important music venues in the world. The hall was founded by Allan and Sandra Jaffe specifically to preserve traditional jazz at a time when the art form was being displaced by rock and roll, and for over six decades it has provided a stage for the musicians who carry the original New Orleans sound.

The experience is deliberately spare. There are no drinks, no food, and limited seating — most of the audience stands or sits on the floor in a room that holds about 100 people. The musicians play within arm's reach, and the sound — unmiked, acoustic, and direct — is nothing like the amplified jazz you hear in larger venues. When a trumpet solo hits a note that resonates in your sternum, you understand why this music was born in small rooms and street parades rather than concert halls.

Shows run three times nightly, and the queue forms early. The admission is cash only and affordable, which is part of the Jaffes' original mission — making traditional jazz accessible rather than exclusive. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, the venue's house ensemble, has toured the world and recorded with everyone from the Grateful Dead to My Morning Jacket, but the real magic happens in this room, where the acoustics are imperfect, the walls are peeling, and the music is as close to the source as you can get in the 21st century.