The New Orleans Sound: From R&B to Rock ’n’ Roll
In this talk, explore how New Orleans musicians evolved the rhythms and soul of jazz into new American genres that took the world by storm.
In the early 20th century, New Orleans’s rich fusion of cultures gave birth to what we know today as jazz. From its rhythmic and soulful foundations emerged the new American sounds of rhythm & blues and rock ’n’ roll—exciting, defiant, and endlessly creative.
Join us for this Shortcut Talk presented in HNOC’s French Quarter Galleries exploring how New Orleans musicians introduced these groundbreaking genres to the world. Along the way, enjoy classic hits by Roy Brown, Fats Domino, Professor Longhair, Lloyd Price, Smiley Lewis, Little Richard, and more.
Hear this talk
Offered daily at 2 p.m., Wednesday–Sunday*
Free and open to the public (no registration required)
Duration: Approximately 20 minutes
Location: French Quarter Galleries, 520 Royal Street
*This talk is offered on a rotating basis with other Shortcut Talks and may not always be available on a given day.
For groups of 10 or more, please contact tours@hnoc.org.
Learn More
Shortcut Talks
Enjoy free, daily talks that explore Gulf South history and culture through the lens of our exhibitions.
Tours & Daily Programs
Get more out of your museum visit with a guided tour, Shortcut Talk, or daily program.
Related Stories
From the 19th Century to the Nine-Nine
How Juvenile and Gottschalk brought New Orleans music to the world, 150 years apart.
Jenny Lind, Taylor Swift, and Another Era’s Tour
The Swedish singer was one of the first music icons of the early global age, causing frenzy on every stop of her world tour.
Related Collection Highlights
The Fat Man / Detroit City Blues
Fats Domino’s first single, produced in New Orleans, is considered one of the first rock ’n’ roll songs in history.
Les lys et les roses
A bound volume of eight pieces for piano and voice sheds light on the role of women in New Orleans’s 19th-century music scene.
William Russell Jazz Collection
HNOC’s largest collection related to New Orleans jazz was the life’s work of this prolific collector, producer, historian, and photographer.
Related Virtual Exhibitions
Shout, Sister, Shout!: The Boswell Sisters of New Orleans
Explore the musical legacy of New Orleans’s own Boswell Sisters, who where among the first stars of radio’s golden age.
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.
Related Books
French Baroque Music of New Orleans
edited by Alfred E. Lemmon
with essays in English by Jennifer Gipson, Andrew Justice, Alfred E. Lemmon, and Mark McKnight, and in French by Jean Duron
Ernie K-Doe: The R&B Emperor of New Orleans
by Ben Sandmel
with a foreword by Peter Guralnick
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
