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.
Artist Bio:
Sunny Side is a New Orleans-based jazz band inspired by the timeless sounds of Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole, and other early jazz legends. Blending rich 3-part harmonies, a tight rhythm section, and an electrifying vocalist/dancer, Sunny Side delivers an authentic and energetic New Orleans-style jazz experience.
In August of 2025, Sunny Side completed their fifth national tour, with over 20 performances in 16 cities across states including Tennessee, Ohio, and New York—appearing in a variety of venues from listening rooms to swing dance halls.
Since 2020, Sunny Side has been a sought-after choice for private events and weddings. Recognized for their professionalism and crowd-pleasing performances, they’ve earned The Knot’s “Best of Weddings” award in 2021, 2023, 2024, and 2025—an honor reserved for the top 5% of wedding bands nationwide.
The Marigny Sessions - About the Album
Sunny Side began as the passion project of drummer and bandleader Rob Montgomery, who left his engineering job in 2017 to pursue music full-time. He joined a group of street musicians under the name “Sidewalk Swing,” focusing on traditional New Orleans jazz from the 1920s–40s, inspired by legends like Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, and Jelly Roll Morton. As the band progressed from street corners to clubs on Frenchmen Street, most members eventually moved on—except Rob. Determined to keep the spirit alive, he reformed the group with new musicians, emphasizing each musician to showcase their unique voice while allowing the music to evolve organically. In 2020, he renamed the band Sunny Side and self-recorded a live album just before the pandemic. By 2023, they expanded their repertoire to include artists like Nat King Cole, and released their first studio album, The Felicity Sessions, recorded at Felicity Church in New Orleans. Despite lineup changes, Rob kept the band’s core vision intact.
Their new album, The Marigny Sessions, continues on the theme from the previous album, expanding the influence into artists like Ray Charles, Benny Goodman, and Dr. John. It features an original composition, “The Fly” by guitarist Coyote Anderson, inspired by a William Blake poem. Recorded at Marigny Studios following a 24-day tour in 2024, the project captures the tight chemistry of a road-tested group, enhanced by the spontaneity of guest pianist Andrew Huot. This album highlights each musician’s unique voice through a variety of jazz, swing, and soulful tunes the group hand selected.