Extending northwest from Decatur Street at the bottom of the Quarter, Frenchmen Street is a gem sparkling with local jazz. Bourbon Street sans raunch, Frenchmen is several blocks of bluesy jazz clubs and independent eateries with a heavy emphasis on music. None of the clubs charge a cover, but tipping is highly encouraged … and easy to do given the high quality of the tunes. Lynn Drury and Sweet Jones were both on tap when I walked Frenchmen last week, and I bought both of their most recent discs which I promptly loaded onto my iTunes.
You can enjoy music on Frenchmen without walking into a club. High school kids play their horns on the street for tips until the wee hours, and they can gather and get a crowd moving as well as the professional bands. As I walked back toward the Quarter to my hotel, I smiled as the music wafted after me for blocks, as if trying to draw me back. Which it did the next night.
berowne.com 