A vintage black-and-white photo of the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band. The group, including men and women, is gathered outdoors with musical instruments. A sign reads Music Furnished by the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band.

Original Tuxedo Jazz Band, between ca. 1925 and 1932. Gelatin silver print HNOC, the William Russell Jazz Collection, acquisition made possible by the Clarisse Claiborne Grima Fund, 92-48-L.218

New Orleans Medley

Sounds of the City

The music of New Orleans is the living product of dynamic cultural interactions played out over centuries in this diverse southern port city.

January 19 to August 4, 2019

410 Chartres Street

Williams Research Center

1st Floor

The music of New Orleans is the living product of dynamic cultural interactions played out over centuries in this diverse southern port city. While the city’s music is often characterized by a single style, rhythm, or beat, the reality is much more layered and complex. A debt of authorship is owed to all who have lived—by force or by choice—in these curves of the Mississippi River. Their varied histories are inextricably tied to the city’s distinctive musical heritage. New Orleans Medley: Sounds of the City, opening January 19, 2019, explores how the interactions between many musical cultures shaped the city’s music.

Selections from HNOC’s extensive musical holdings weave the narrative of the city’s rich musical story. Visitors will see the first music published in New Orleans, tickets from the French Opera House, Jelly Roll Morton’s handwritten sheet music, Manuel Manetta’s trumpet and Sidney Bechet’s clarinet, video footage of Mardi Gras Indians from the 1970s, and much more.

VISIT the Virtual Exhibition

Explore HNOC's online version of the exhibition with 360 degree views from your computer or mobile device.

Explore the New Orleans Medley virtual exhibition from your computer or mobile device.

Sights and Sounds of New Orleans

Sacred songs, opera arias, and the tresillo beats of second-line drums are among the sounds of the city celebrated in New Orleans Medley. Explore them all through our interactive video display from the exhibition.

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