The birth of jazz

The city of New Orleans features prominently in early development of jazz. A port city with doors to the spicy sounds of the Caribbean and Mexico and a large, well-established black population, the Crescent City was ripe for the development of new music at the turn of the century. Brass bands marched in numerous parades and played to comfort families during funerals. Also, numerous society dances required skilled musical ensembles. New Orleans was home to great early clarinetists Johnny Dodds, Jimmy Noone and Sidney Bechet.





One of the first great cornetist, Joe "King" Oliver and his leading student and future star, Louis Armstrong
hailed from New Orleans along with other influential musicians including Jelly Roll Morton.