Congo Square to Frenchmen St

One of the perks of slow travel is that we can explore our surroundings during the week, after work. We decided to spend one evening on a New Orleans “jazz tour.”

Louis Armstrong Park is just outside the French Quarter. it didn’t seem very popular with tourists, but it’s interesting to people like us who love jazz and want to learn more about its origins.

Many believe that Congo Square - now part of Armstrong Park - was the birthplace of jazz. In the 1800s, enslaved and free people of color gathered in Congo Square to sing, dance, and play music.

There are many monuments in the park, and the most prominent is the 12-foot statue of New Orleans native Louis Armstrong. As the story goes, when Armstrong was a boy, he danced in the street for pennies, and would hide them in his mouth so the bigger kids couldn’t steal them. This led to the nickname “Satchel Mouth,” which was later shortened to “Satchmo.”

From Louis Armstrong Park, we walked past the old J&M recording studio and through the French Quarter, and then to Frenchmen Street and its many live music venues. Frenchmen Street has a very different vibe from Bourbon Street - it’s more about relaxing with good music. We only had time for one drink in one club, so we’ll definitely return to Frenchmen Street.

If you’re curious to learn more, see A New Orleans Jazz History