Have You Seen the REAL New Orleans?
— By Robert Firpo-Cappiello
Irvin Mayfield's Jazz Playhouse at the Royal Sonesta Hotel (300 Bourbon St., irvinmayfield.com) is where you can hear Grammy-winning trumpeter Irvin Mayfield and his New Orleans Jazz Orchestra.
Jamison Ross on drums at Irvin Mayfield's Jazz Playhouse in the Royal Sonesta Hotel
Irvin Mayfield, jazz trumpeter and Cultural Ambassador of the City of New Orleans, pauses while the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra takes the tune.
The piano at Irvin Mayfield's Jazz Playhouse in the Royal Sonesta Hotel.
Le Bon Temps Roule (4801 Magazine St., 504/895-8117) is the place to hear up-and-coming bands and nab reasonably priced beer and elaborately garnished bloody marys.
Le Bon Temps Roule is as known for its bloody marys as for its live music.
Early in the evening, jazz pianists sit in for sets in the main bar room at Le Bon Temps Roule, and at 11 p.m. bands set up in the back of the establishment.
Cajun chef Melissa Martin enjoys a festive cocktail at Le Bon Temps Roule.
The Spotted Cat (623 Frenchman St., spottedcatmusicclub.com) is one of the most popular spots to hear jazz and blues.
A clarinet awaits its call to the bandstand at The Spotted Cat.
Jayna Morgan and the Sazerac Sunrise Band prep for a set at The Spotted Cat.
A member of the Sazerac Sunrise Band warms up on his clarinet at The Spotted Cat.
The Three Muses (536 Frenchmen St., thethreemuses.com) features an enticing mix of rising musicians, plus delicious short ribs, jerk duck, and other specialities.
"Today's Riff" drink special of the day (a nod to the film noir classic Chinatown) at The Three Muses.
Bottoms up! Here's "Today's Riff," ready for a sip at The Three Muses.
Chef Dan Esses's celebrated Herb de Provence Roasted Duck and House Rigatoni at The Three Muses.
The bar and tables fill up as the Andrew Duhon Trio sets up to start its set at The Three Muses.
Don't let the humble exterior fool you! Bullet's Sports Bar (2441 A.P. Tureaud Ave., 504/669-4464) has been featured in the HBO series Treme and you should catch live R&B, jazz, and blues here, not to mention charbroiled oysters and other traditional favorites.
Locals and visitors converge on Bullet's for soul food and brass music on Tuesday nights.
A bartender pauses to enjoy the live music at Bullet's.
Charbroiled oysters are just one of many traditional New Orleans favorites to chose from at Bullet's.
The bar at Bullet's.
Fritzel's European Jazz Pub (733 Bourbon St., fritzelsjazz.net) offers first-rate traditional jazz and more in an 1831 building. Here, Pianist Leslie Martin warms up before a set.
Whether you're headed to Mardi Gras or just planning your next great escape, we've rounded up the nightspots where New Orleans's in-the-know locals and regulars flock for authentic seafood, soul food, signature cocktails, and the Crescent City's hottest live music.
