Preservation Hall

Preservation Hall at 726 St. Peter Street in the French Quarter was founded in 1961 by Allan and Sandra Jaffe to protect and perpetuate traditional New Orleans jazz at a time when the music's aging practitioners had few places left to play. The building itself dates to 1750, having served as a private residence, tavern, inn, and art gallery before the Jaffes took over informal jam sessions that art dealer Larry Borenstein had been hosting to attract customers. The weathered, un-air-conditioned room holds roughly 100 people -- about 40 seated on benches and the floor, the rest standing -- creating an intimacy that strips the music down to its essentials. There are no drinks, no food, and no microphones, just a band of musicians carrying on a tradition that predates recorded sound. Nightly performances still draw lines around the block, making Preservation Hall both a living museum and one of the most revered music venues in the world.