New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park

Most national parks preserve a landscape, battlefield or historic building. New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park preserves something less tangible but equally important:  the story and continuing sound of jazz.

Jazz emerged in New Orleans as African American musical traditions blended with blues, ragtime, spirituals, brass-band music and influences brought to the city by its Caribbean and European communities. It was heard at neighborhood dances, picnics, funerals, parades and gatherings of social-aid societies. Improvisation allowed musicians to reshape familiar melodies and make every performance their own.

Louis Armstrong was among the musicians who carried the sound of New Orleans to the world. In 1926, Armstrong and his Hot Five recorded “Heebie Jeebies” for Okeh Records. Although he did not invent scat singing, his playful use of improvised syllables helped popularize it and demonstrated how the human voice could become another jazz instrument.

Congress established New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park in1994, through legislation signed by President Bill Clinton. Rather than freezing jazz in the past, the park presents performances, demonstrations and educational programs that allow visitors to hear the music as a living tradition. Our visit helped us understand that jazz is more than a musical style. It is the expression of the communities, experiences and cultural exchanges that shaped New Orleans and ultimately gave America one of its most influential art forms.