The New Orleans Jazz Museum presents. Join us as we celebrate the artists that make New Orleans a world destination for music. 

This program takes place inside our third-floor Performance Center. Admission is free and open to the public, seating is limited and offered first-come, first-serve.

If you can’t make it in person, enjoy jazz music from home with the New Orleans Jazz Museum! Join the Jazz Museum online for our daily Live-Stream Concert Series, in which dynamic musicians perform live from the Jazz Museum! Tune in at 2 pm on facebook.com/nolajazzmuseum/live

The New Orleans Jazz Museum and Jazz Foundation of America presents a live performance on Wednesday, May 6th at 2:00 PM CDT inside the New Orleans Jazz Museum. 

This program takes place inside our third floor Performance Center, listening room. Admission is free and open to the public, seating is limited and offered first come, first serve.

Enjoy Jazz Music from home with the New Orleans Jazz Museum! Join the Jazz Museum online for our daily Live-Stream Concert Series, in which dynamic musicians perform live from the Jazz Museum! Tune in at 2pm on facebook.com/nolajazzmuseum/live

Live at the New Orleans Jazz Museum 

Join us on Tuesday, May 5th at 2:00 PM for a special live performance by Brazilian pianist and composer Luciano Leães!

New Orleans Jazz Museum
400 Esplanade Ave
New Orleans, LA 70116

Blending the soulful sounds of New Orleans R&B and jazz with vibrant South American rhythms, Luciano Leães brings a truly unique and internationally celebrated sound. His latest single Festa Brasilis—a tribute to the legendary Professor Longhair—premiered right here in New Orleans on WWOZ.

With a career spanning over three decades, Leães has performed alongside icons like Carey Bell, Hubert Sumlin, and James "Boogaloo" Bolden, and has appeared at world-renowned festivals including the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Montreal Jazz Festival.

As bassist Reggie Scanlan says: “Luciano Leães is the real deal—his swinging, funky groove is too deep to measure.”

Don’t miss this unforgettable afternoon of music, culture, and rhythm in the heart of New Orleans!

Gratefully, 

Join us for an unforgettable evening celebrating music, photography, and storytelling at the New Orleans Jazz Museum! We’re thrilled to welcome acclaimed music photographer Steve Rapport for a special photography book talk and signing.

As the featured photographer behind our newest exhibition, Less is More: The Photography of Steve Rapport, his work captures the spirit of both legendary international performers and beloved New Orleans musicians. Through his lens, each image tells a powerful, one-of-a-kind story that brings the energy of jazz to life.

Come be part of this inspiring experience. Meet the artist, hear the stories behind the photographs, and celebrate the rich musical heritage that makes New Orleans so unique. We can’t wait to see you there!

Steve Masakowski Family & Friends Official Two Worlds Release Concert: Celebrating a landmark New Orleans jazz album honoring guitarist Steve Masakowski, with a multigenerational project featuring Steve, Sasha, and Martin Masakowski, plus Brian Blade, Oscar Rossignoli, and Rex Gregory

The Masakowski Family stands at the heart of New Orleans’s modern jazz scene, carrying forward a rich tradition of musical innovation and artistry across generations.

Patriarch Steve Masakowski has been a central figure in New Orleans jazz since the early 1980s. A celebrated guitarist, composer, and founding member of the award-winning group Astral Project, he has released numerous recordings, including two on Blue Note Records, and has twice been named “Best Guitarist” by Gambit and Offbeat. Steve has performed with legends such as Alvin “Red” Tyler, Ellis Marsalis, Danny Barker, James Black, and Earl Turbinton, as well as Grammy-winning artists Bobby McFerrin, Nicholas Payton, Allen Toussaint, and Dianne Reeves. For nearly 30 years, he served as the Coca-Cola Endowed Chair of Jazz Studies at the University of New Orleans, mentoring generations of musicians while publishing influential works, including Jazz Ear Training (Mel Bay).

Carrying this legacy forward are Steve’s children, Sasha and Martin Masakowski, each acclaimed artists in their own right.

Jazz vocalist, composer, and producer Sasha Masakowski has gained international recognition for her fearless approach to jazz, blending electronic elements into both her performances and songwriting. She has led projects such as Art Market and Tra$h Magnolia on stages around the world, from Blue Note NYC and SFJAZZ to the Kennedy Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center Shanghai, Cotton Club Tokyo, Copenhagen Jazz Fest, and the Detroit Jazz Festival. Named one of Paste Magazine’s “12 Jazz Artists to Watch” in 2019 and hailed by Offbeat as “one of the brightest young talents in the Big Easy,” Sasha has collaborated with modern icons including Nicholas Payton, David Binney, Damon Locks, and Jason Lindner.

Bassist and luthier Martin Masakowski is known for his adventurous musicianship, fusing jazz with folk, classical, electronic, North African, Eastern European, and Indian influences. Trained at NOCCA, the Rotterdam Conservatory, and the University of New Orleans under his father’s mentorship, Martin was selected for the U.S. State Department’s OneBeat residency (2016–17), after which he released the acclaimed album Valley View with violinist Ira Echo. As a luthier, he designed the custom MAZ Bass travel instrument, expanding the double bass’s possibilities. Now based in New Orleans, he is a sought-after collaborator and performer at premier clubs and festivals.

To celebrate Steve Masakowski’s 70th birthday, his children Sasha and Martin organized a recording session as both a tribute to his legacy and to honor the continuation of the city’s family-driven jazz tradition, joining the lineage of esteemed jazz families such as the Marsalis, Jordan, Batiste, and Andrews families.

The album, entitled Two Worlds, is set for release in the Spring of 2026 and features Steve (guitar) and his children Sasha (vocals) and Martin (bass), alongside Oscar Rossignoli (piano), Rex Gregory (saxophone), and internationally acclaimed drummer Brian Blade. The 9 tracks, recorded at Marigny Studios and mixed/ mastered by Grammy-winning engineer Mike Marciano, blends virtuosic artistry and masterful songwriting with the kind of familial chemistry that could only come out of the Big Easy. 

Two Worlds is grounded in the spirit of mentorship and collaboration that defines New Orleans jazz. A prime example is Steve’s four‑decade musical kinship with drummer Brian Blade, who first studied under him at Loyola University and later appeared on Steve’s Blue Note release Direct Axecess. The album’s title track, along with original compositions by Steve, Sasha, and Martin, sits beside James Black’s classic “A Love Song,” reaffirming New Orleans’ role as a wellspring of modern standards. 

Together, the Masakowski Family embodies the living continuum of New Orleans jazz by honoring its deep roots while continuing to innovate and push the music forward, keeping the art form vibrant, evolving, and alive.

International Jazz Day Festival

Experience the electrifying rhythms and soulful melodies of jazz as we celebrate the International Jazz Day Festival on Tuesday, April 28th, 2024, starting at 2:00 PM. In collaboration with Professor Gordon Towell and the esteemed Music Department at Loyola University, our festival promises an enchanting showcase of talent and creativity.

Highlighting the diversity and depth of jazz, we are thrilled to feature music performances from local schools and colleges, showcasing our community's immense talent and passion.

Join us for an unforgettable International Jazz Day Festival filled with captivating performances, delicious international cuisine, and a celebration of the timeless legacy of jazz.

Line up: Main Stage

2:00 PM –Anne Paceo (France) – Live Showcase

3:15 PM – Roosevelt Jazz Band (Seattle)

4:15 PM – More artists to be announced

5:15 PM – More artists to be announced

6:15 PM – Loyola University Jazz Ensemble

Line up : Third floor venue

2:00 PM – Willow School Senior Jazz Band

3:00 PM – More artists to be announced

4:00 PM – Peer Pressure

5:15 PM – Young Audiences Jazz Combo

6:15 PM – More artists to be announced

Free and open to all ages, Gallatin Street Fest invites locals and visitors alike to spend the day enjoying live music, great food, cold drinks, and a lively, laid-back festival atmosphere.

The festival was conceived as a way to champion artists associated with Gallatin Street Records, the museum’s in-house record label dedicated to preserving and promoting New Orleans music, art, and culture while supporting emerging talent through recording resources and performance opportunities.

This year’s lineup brings together an incredible mix of local talent across genres with DJ Archivist keeping the energy going all afternoon. Guests are encouraged to come early, stay late, and soak in a full day of music, food, and celebration in one of the city’s most iconic cultural spaces.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:

12:00 PM – James Andrews & The Crescent City All-Stars
1:00 PM – Joe Lastie
2:00 PM – Grayhawk Perkins
3:00 PM – Cha Wa
4:00 PM – George Brown Band
5:00 PM – Robin Barnes
6:00 PM – Bon Bon Vivant

Join us on April 22 at 2 PM at the New Orleans Jazz Museum for a special afternoon celebrating jazz history and artistry with Scott E. Brown, who will present and sign his acclaimed book Speakeasies to Symphonies: The Jazz Genius of James P. Johnson. Discover the legacy of James P. Johnson, the pioneering force behind Harlem stride piano, through Brown’s engaging insights drawn from rare archival research. The program will be brought to life with a live piano performance by renowned New Orleans pianist John Royen.

James P. Johnson (1894–1955) is one of the most important figures in twentieth-century American music. However, few people other than scholars and serious fans know of his life and work. Rare jazz aficionados know him as the Father of Harlem Stride piano, but his other monumental contributions to American music are seldom acknowledged. Speakeasies to Symphonies: The Jazz Genius of James P. Johnson seeks to rectify this.

Johnson, born in New Jersey, absorbed many musical elements in his youth, especially the African American culture of the Southeastern Seaboard, to create a new musical and rhythmic force for jazz, musical theater, and symphonic music. Johnson’s career stretched from the early 1910s to the early 1950s. His heyday was the 1920s—the decade known for the Jazz Age, the Harlem Renaissance, rent parties, classic blues singers, the first golden age of Broadway and the Great American Songbook, and, perhaps most notably, the worldwide music and dance phenomenon, the Charleston. Johnson not only composed the signature tune that has come to define the decade but was a critical part of the other seminal cornerstones of American music.

Speakeasies to Symphonies presents a detailed portrait of Johnson’s life, music, teachers, associates, protégés, and activity right up to his death. Scott E. Brown explores primary sources previously unavailable, including Johnson’s personal papers, to fill in many gaps and answer lingering questions in his biography, painting a complete picture of his essential legacy.

Scott E. Brown is an independent jazz researcher. He has written two books on James P. Johnson and has published several articles and lectured widely about jazz. He is a practicing physician and holds a master’s degree in jazz history and research.

John Royen is a pianist orn in Washington, D.C. in 1955, John has performed at Preservation Hall for over 35 years, originally taking over the piano chair with the band of "Kid" Thomas Valentine.
John was a protege of the Late Don Ewell and is an exponent of the "stride" piano style. His playing is an eclectic mix of "Jelly Roll" Morton, Fats Waller and Willie "The Lion" Smith among others.

A popular performer, John has worked with virtually every major traditional jazz group in New Orleans and filled the piano chair for internationally known clarinetist Pete Fountain for over 2 years.. In 2008, John was voted as All Star Jazz Pianist by New Orleans Magazine.

A superb soloist as well, John frequently performs and lectures on traditional jazz for the National Park Service, numerous private groups and festivals nationally and overseas.

John currently performed in various jazz clubs around New Orleans and has been in residence in the Polo Club Lounge at the prestigious Windsor Court Hotel for over 12 years.

On April 21, 2026, the New Orleans Jazz Museum will open the exhibition, Less is More: The Photography of Steve Rapport. In March 2022, Rapport planned a four-day trip to New Orleans from his home in California, where he had spent the last few decades teaching martial arts. Seven weeks later, the short trip became a permanent move after the city inspired Rapport to return to his true calling and pick up the camera again. Rapport cites New Orleans, particularly Preservation Hall, which he refers to as his spiritual home, as a fuel to his work as a documentarian in the birthplace of Black American Music. Less is More embodies Rapport's artistic philosophy of simplicity and minimalism. The exhibition features work from his notable earlier rock 'n' roll career alongside stark, emotional new portraits made since arriving in New Orleans—the first time both bodies of work will be shown together. To bring this vision to life and properly honor New Orleans, the show requires funding for printing, framing, installation, and programming. The exhibition marks his return home.

find out more here! : https://nolajazzmuseum.org/lessismore

Workshop #6 “Tiny Household Helpers” (Multiple Development Areas)

Does anyone need a toddler’s kind of help? Well, maybe caregivers don’t, but you won’t believe the benefits for the helper! Learn how to promote your child’s development by simply including them in your everyday duties during this week’s YALA Baby ArtsPlay!™ workshop, “Tiny Household Helpers.

This workshop is FREE and presented by The Helis Foundation, and you must register for each workshop to participate.

This free 6-part workshop series is made possible by The Helis Foundation. Our workshops provide engaging arts-based activities designed to instruct caregivers on how to use the arts at home to promote early learning. Lessons are conducted by certified Louisiana Wolf Trap Teaching Artists, who have expertly crafted multi-sensory experiences that foster children’s natural curiosity for learning. After each workshop, children and their caregivers can download our digital Connection Cards for tips on how workshop activities can be continued at home. Watch all the videos in the series again by following us on YouTube (@youngaudiencesla).

February 22 - Workshop 1 - Oh, What A Feeling! (Emotional Development)

March 8 - Workshop 2 - Hello, Friend... (Social Skills)

March 15 - Workshop 3 - Express Yourself (Early Language)

March 22- Workshop 4 - Tiny Motor Scooters (Fine Motor Skills)

April 12- Workshop 5 - Baby Balancing Acts (Bilateral Integration)

April 19 - Workshop 6 - Tiny Household Helpers (Multiple Development Areas)

The New Orleans Jazz Museum presents The First Piano Professors and the Lost Music of Early New Orleans, a major exhibition presented by Anne Atkinson, revealing the unheard 19th-century world that preceded jazz.

Before recorded sound, New Orleans was a center for composition. This exhibition unveils forgotten piano music, written and published by composers, many African American and Creole, who fused African, Afro-Caribbean, Creole, and European traditions into a unique local sound.

Guest curated by pianist and archivist John Davis, the project is based on a 30-year search for keyboard works, primarily surviving as printed sheet music. Visitors will experience rare first-edition scores and historic instruments alongside thefirst-ever modern recordingsof this foundational music, positioning New Orleans as a city of composers whose written work circulated globally.The exhibition, curated by pianist and archivist John Davis from his three-decade private archive, in conjunction with renowned, global creative design studio 2x4, reunites rare first-edition scores with newly commissioned recordings. Visitors will hear music not recorded since its 19th-century inception, prefiguring America’s most influential art form.

The New Orleans Jazz Museum and Jazz Foundation of America presents a live performance on Wednesday, April 15th at 2:00 PM CDT inside the New Orleans Jazz Museum. 

This program takes place inside our third floor Performance Center, listening room. Admission is free and open to the public, seating is limited and offered first come, first serve.

Enjoy Jazz Music from home with the New Orleans Jazz Museum! Join the Jazz Museum online for our daily Live-Stream Concert Series, in which dynamic musicians perform live from the Jazz Museum! Tune in at 2pm on facebook.com/nolajazzmuseum/live to watch for free.

Workshop #5 “Baby Balancing Acts” (Bilateral Integration)

One of your child’s first executions of bilateral coordination is crawling, but they’ve only just begun! Learn how you can support your little one and promote healthy brain maturation through joyful learning. Join us this week during our YALA Baby ArtsPlay!™ workshop, “Baby Balancing Acts.”

This workshop is FREE and presented by The Helis Foundation, and you must register for each workshop to participate.

This free 6-part workshop series is made possible by The Helis Foundation. Our workshops provide engaging arts-based activities designed to instruct caregivers on how to use the arts at home to promote early learning. Lessons are conducted by certified Louisiana Wolf Trap Teaching Artists, who have expertly crafted multi-sensory experiences that foster children’s natural curiosity for learning. After each workshop, children and their caregivers can download our digital Connection Cards for tips on how workshop activities can be continued at home. Watch all the videos in the series again by following us on YouTube (@youngaudiencesla).

February 22 - Workshop 1 - Oh, What A Feeling! (Emotional Development)

March 8 - Workshop 2 - Hello, Friend... (Social Skills)

March 15 - Workshop 3 - Express Yourself (Early Language)

March 22- Workshop 4 - Tiny Motor Scooters (Fine Motor Skills)

April 12- Workshop 5 - Baby Balancing Acts (Bilateral Integration)

April 19 - Workshop 6 - Tiny Household Helpers (Multiple Development Areas)

From 11am to 4pm, the New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Old US Mint will feature five top-tier local ensembles, presenting music of the Ragtime Movement, and celebrating 10 years of the New Orleans Ragtime Showcase, back in its original venue!

Tom McDermott

David Boeddinghaus

The New John Robichaux Society Orchestra

Opera Creole

Louis Ford and his New Orleans Flairs

The event is FREE and open to the public!

A brief presentation on the history of New Orleans Ragtime, Ragtime performers up to our present day and a demonstration of the popular dances of the Ragtime era.

This fast-moving three-part presentation will briefly discuss the history of ragtime in New Orleans and ragtime performers through the present day, include brief recorded samples of the work of some contemporary musicians, and feature a demonstration of the popular dances of the ragtime era.

The history of New Orleans ragtime and the current state of ragtime in New Orleans will be addressed by Dr. Marc Gaspard Bolin and Patrick Mackey, a New Orleans-based ragtime musician. Some of the most popular dances of the ragtime era will be discussed and demonstrated by dance historian and historical dance instructor Walter Nelson, with the assistance of Angela Grimes.

The New Orleans Jazz Museum presents its weekly Balcony Courtyard concert series on Tuesday at 5pm CDT. Bring your blanket! Seats are not provided for outdoor programs. 

Enjoy Jazz Music from home with the New Orleans Jazz Museum! Join the Jazz Museum online for their weekly Courtyard Live-Stream Concert Series, in which dynamic musicians perform live from the Jazz Museum’s balcony! Tune in every Tuesday at 5pm on facebook.com/nolajazzmuseum/live to watch for free.

The New Orleans Jazz Museum presents. Join us as we celebrate the artists that make New Orleans a world destination for music. 

This program takes place inside our third-floor Performance Center, listening room. Admission is free and open to the public, seating is limited and offered first-come, first-serve.

Enjoy jazz music from home with the New Orleans Jazz Museum! Join the Jazz Museum online for our daily Live-Stream Concert Series, in which dynamic musicians perform live from the Jazz Museum! Tune in at 2 pm on facebook.com/nolajazzmuseum/live to watch for free.

The New Orleans Jazz Museum and Jazz Foundation of America presents a live performance on Wednesday, April 1st at 2:00 PM CDT inside the New Orleans Jazz Museum. 

This program takes place inside our third floor Performance Center, listening room. Admission is free and open to the public, seating is limited and offered first come, first serve.

Enjoy Jazz Music from home with the New Orleans Jazz Museum! Join the Jazz Museum online for our daily Live-Stream Concert Series, in which dynamic musicians perform live from the Jazz Museum! Tune in at 2pm on facebook.com/nolajazzmuseum/live to watch for free.

Doreen is a beloved local jazz clarinetist known for bringing the warm, swinging spirit of traditional jazz to audiences around Orleans and the surrounding community. Performing under the name Doreen’s Jazz, she blends classic New Orleans–inspired clarinet lines with a lively, expressive style that captures the heart of early jazz. Her performances celebrate the rich traditions of swing, Dixieland, and traditional jazz, creating an inviting atmosphere that connects listeners of all ages to the roots of the music. Whether playing at community events, intimate venues, or special gatherings, Doreen’s music is marked by joyful improvisation, soulful tone, and a deep love for the jazz tradition.

The New Orleans Jazz Museum presents its weekly Balcony Courtyard concert series on Tuesday at 5pm CDT. Bring your blanket! Seats are not provided for outdoor programs. 

Enjoy Jazz Music from home with the New Orleans Jazz Museum! Join the Jazz Museum online for their weekly Courtyard Live-Stream Concert Series, in which dynamic musicians perform live from the Jazz Museum’s balcony! Tune in every Tuesday at 5pm on facebook.com/nolajazzmuseum/live to watch for free.

it’s our pleasure to present the students of the JAS street Horn group! The JAS Street Horn Group is sponsored by Jazz Aspen snowmass and will feature a band of 25 students

The Danny Barker Banjo and Guitar Festival, held annually in New Orleans, commemorates the legacy of NEA Jazz Master Danny Barker. Barker, a renowned musician, educator, and author, had an indelible impact on the cultural fabric of New Orleans. The festival, which has been celebrated each year in March for over a decade, encapsulates the essence of New Orleans’ rich heritage, emphasizing the importance of the banjo and guitar in music history.

The festival’s operations involve collaboration with various local entities, including the New Orleans Jazz Museum, New Orleans Museum of Art, educational institutions, and music venues like Tipitina’s and Snug Harbor. Sponsors and partners play a vital role in funding and supporting the festival. Its diverse program schedule and accessible ticket pricing make it an inclusive event for a broad audience.

The Danny Barker Banjo and Guitar Festival not only celebrates the musical heritage of New Orleans but also actively contributes to its preservation and evolution. Its cultural and economic impact on the city is profound, making it a crucial event for sustaining the vibrant jazz culture for which New Orleans is renowned. The festival stands as a testament to Danny Barker’s enduring legacy and the unbreakable spirit of New Orleans’ musical community

please find more information here! : https://dannybarkerfestival.com/