The annual tribute to the city's favorite sounds features some musicians who stick to the recipe and others still experimenting with ingredients, ensuring a spicy gumbo never short on nuance. It's twilight on Royal Street, and as the art galleries close, revelers stroll the sidewalks. A man and woman strum guitar and ukulele, lazily crooning George Gershwin's Summertime. Near Jackson Square, by the water, a clarinet squeals out the opening of Rhapsody in Blue.
Little kids are tap dancing for change.
A small brass band parades by, blasting out Dixieland tunes. America's signature art form, our greatest contribution to music, began in this city filled with spooky graveyards, ghost stories, voodoo legends and folks always ready to have a good time. You can enjoy yourself down on Rampart Street. . . . The venues are legendary. The Funky Butt.