Red Beans & Rice-ly Ours:
Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong
Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong
If you’re coming to town for Satchmo SummerFest this August 3 & 4 (the 4th is Louis Armstrong’s birthday), chances are you’re a big fan of Pops. When you’re not attending the Jazz Mass, second lining in the Satchmo Salute Parade, listening to great local musicians, or attending a fascinating lecture, you might want to check out some sites on our Satchmo itinerary. Chances are you’ve already been to the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, named in honor of Pops in August 2001 on what would have been his 100th birthday. Here’s where else you can do to feel closer to New Orleans most beloved native son. (Note: Louisiana was not named after Louis Armstrong, but it COULD have been.)
Satchmo’s Birthplace,
727 South Broad St.
Unfortunately, Armstrong’s birthplace at what was once 719 Jane Alley was demolished in 1964 to make way for the New Orleans Traffic Court and police headquarters. Today, you’ll find a historical marker on the former site of the little wooden house where he once lived. Not far away is the Holiday Inn Downtown Superdome where you’ll find some truly marvelous murals documenting jazz history in this historic neighborhood known as Back o’ Town. The Clarinet Bistreaux in the hotel also serves up some great red beans & rice, one of Satchmo’s favorite dishes. Long after he moved away from the city, the legend continued to sign his correspondence, “Red Beans & Rice-ly Yours, Louis.”
Former Site of the Colored Waif’s Home for Boys,
431 City Park Avenue
On New Year’s Eve 1912, little Louis celebrated by shooting a gun into the air. He was punished with 18 months in the Colored Waif’s Home for Boys. He made good use of his time there.
While the Waif’s home no long exists, it was there that Louis first learned how to play the cornet under the instruction of Peter Davis. In fact, Louis became the leader of the Waif’s Home Brass Band which performed at parades, parties, and other public events. Incidentally, Louis purchased his first horn with a loan from his employer, the Karnofsky family, which owns and runs Cornet Restaurant in the French Quarter today.
Steamboat Natchez,
Toulouse Street Wharf
Steamboat Natchez Dinner Jazz Cruise
After being released from the Waif’s Home in 1914, the musician set his sights on going pro. He was mentored by the legend Joe “King” Oliver, played some gigs in Storyville (the old red-light district), and it wasn’t long before he landed a job playing his horn aboard the paddle steamer Sidney. Today you can get a feel for what it must have been like for the young musician playing on the river aboard the Steamboat Natchez which offers nightly dinner jazz cruises.
Armstrong Park,
701 N. Rampart Street
Armstrong Park entrance
In 1922, Armstrong left New Orleans to join Joe Oliver’s band in Chicago. He spent much of the Prohibition era working in Chicago and New York with Oliver and, later, as the leader of his Hot Five and Hot Seven bands. Still, he remains New Orleans most famous native son and a park was named in his honor in 1980. Located just steps from the French Quarter, the 32-acre Louis Armstrong Park is home to Congo Square, where jazz was born. You can also view a bronze statue of Armstrong here by sculptor Elizabeth Catlett.
Louis Armstrong Statue – Algiers Point
Robert E. Nims Jazz Walk of Fame
A statue of Louis Armstrong, created and donated by Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World, was unveiled at the grand opening of the Robert E. Nims Jazz Walk of Fame in Algiers on August 25, 2003. The walk includes 60 interactive French Quarter-style lamps featuring audio vignettes on the music and lives of Walk of Fame inductees, including Armstrong.
New Orleans Jazz Museum,
400 Esplanade Avenue
This New Orleans treasure houses Louis Armstrong’s first cornet, his iconic handkerchief, and hundreds of recordings and letters. When Armstrong visited New Orleans in 1965, he identified the museum’s cornet as his own (he recognized the grooves in the mouthpiece, which he added himself to improve the fit on his lips). Currently, the museum has an exhibit entitled, “New Orleans Stomp: The Centennial of King Oliver’s Groundbreaking 1923 Recordings,” featuring the music of Louis Armstrong.
Two More Spots to Celebrate Pops
Hard Rock Cafe,
125 Bourbon Street
On exhibit at Hard Rock Café in New Orleans
Jazz was born in New Orleans, but rock and roll grew up here. Here at Hard Rock Café in the French Quarter, this popular restaurant you can view yet another instrument owned by Satchmo.
Musical Legends Park/Cafe Beignet Bourbon,
311 Bourbon Street
Musical Legends Park / Café Beignet Bourbon
Music lovers won’t want to miss a chance to hang out in the courtyard and patio bar at Cafe Beignet in the French Quarter. Here you can take selfies with statues of our music legends, including Al Hirt, Fats Domino, Pete Fountain, Louis Prima, Allen Toussaint, and Irma Thomas. While there, grab some of the best beignets in town.
Second Line Sculpture in the Treme
Go to: King Louis: When Louis Armstrong Reigned as Zulu
Go to: Best of Guide: Red Beans & Rice
