There are many restaurants in the French Quarter that offer jazz brunches on the weekends but a few of the more popular venues feature live traditional music on a daily basis.
The Palm Court Jazz Café (1204 Decatur) celebrated its 30th anniversary this past January and it is absolutely one of my favorite destinations. In that month’s issue of Offbeat Magazine, owner Nina Buck reminisced about its origins. What began as a warehouse for the GHB (George H. Buck) Jazz Foundation and a little coffee shop is now a recording studio with ample storage for thousands of CDs, records, publications, and archived treasures. Other retail shops occupy the street level spaces and multiple living units are on the second floor—the Palm Court is a lively anchor for the international guests that gather to celebrate the six or seven piece band that occupies its stage five nights a week, Wednesday through Sunday.
Nina is a warm, delightful hostess that began her tenure in the kitchen, conjuring up the gumbos, soups, red beans & rice, and other sauces, etc. that emerged from the back room. Eventually she found her spot at the front door, greeting and welcoming all diners, drinkers,
Trumpeter James O’Donnell: The Motor City Jazz Maestro
Brian Sheridan
