Sunday evenings at Jazz Playhouse (inside the Royal Sonesta Hotel) is one of the best places to go for traditional New Orleans Jazz. Between 7 and 10:30 p.m. on Sundays you can catch the Twisty River Band (piano, bass, drums and trumpet) with great musicians in a comfortable atmosphere. It's one of the few places on Bourbon Street that is away from the chaos, doesn't have a cover charge, and is more of a listening room than a "joint." It's our "go to" when we're in NOLA. read more

The Jazz Playhouse - Jazz & Blues Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

This spot became my go-to for entertainment. I enjoyed the brass band on Thanksgiving night and the burlesque show on black Friday. They have great drinks and amazing jambalaya. read more

We had such a fun time, live jazz and lovely desserts! If you're wanting a stop on Bourbon St. without all the debauchery this is it. New year's weekend was a blast in New Orleans and this stop one evening was a great memory. Fair priced so you can spend your dollars tipping the singer & band! read more

The Jazz Playhouse - Bread pudding and crumb brûlée - Jazz & Blues Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Nice experience, classic jazz, good service, quite good to enjoy the classics. Not crowded and good food.

It was my first time in NOLA and my first burlesque show. The service was extremely slow (Gavin was our server and kept forgetting things we ordered). I got my food as the show was ending which was unfortunate but the drinks were great. The show is performed in an intimate setting, so no matter where you sit you can see the stage. The dancers walk around and engage with the audience. It was a fun night. read more

The Jazz Playhouse - Jazz & Blues Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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Awesome burlesque show! Don't be shy if you want to have a great time. The dancers were talented and each was unique. Rory K was the singer, and added a nice background for the dancers. Adriana, Cinnamon, and Pinkie were lots of fun. Sorry I can't recall the others names, all good! Service was good, a great time for all! read more

The Jazz Playhouse - Finale by Miss Cinnamon - Jazz & Blues Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Food is great . Entertainment top notch ! Service is attentive. Ambiance is perfect for a jazz night and cocktails in New Orleans !

The act was ok, but for a music venue to sell tickets and allow people to scream their conversations at the bar and have their phone alarms go off for extended periods of time and not address it with the patrons is rude to everyone they bought a ticket to hear the music and to the performers. It was very distracting and made me want to leave. read more

The Jazz Playhouse - Live show - Jazz & Blues Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

last night I went to see Nayo Jones at the Jazz Playbouse the show was excellent. I got the best service from Gavin. he was attentive, courteous, and engaging. I work in hospitality for 14 years and it was so nice to receive the service I have so many guest. thank you Gavin for making my retirement celebration from hospitality so memorable .Debbie Miller read more

The Jazz Playhouse - Jazz & Blues Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

On the latest trip to Nola i finally made it to a Jazz club. I made the reservations online with the ticket prices really reasonable. Located deep on Bourbon St the club us nesseled inside of a hotel. We took our seats in front of the stage and was warmly greeted by our server. We ordered crabcakes with a side of rice and a few drinks. The featured performer and her band was outstanding!! Since it was the last show of the evening we were treated to a wonderful encore. The scene was cozy, the staff great and the food/drinks delightful. read more

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The Brassaholics did their thing. The wait staff was very attentive. The venue is in the heart if the French Quarter ion Bourbon Street and the stream of people and music and libations is flowing. Good energy and a good time. Oh, and I enjoyed my Ella Fitzgerald martini. read more

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We sat at the bar and enjoyed a cocktail. We had a great conversation with the bartender. There's really nothing like connecting with someone in New Orleans. There's conversation is always kind, interesting and memorable. The way we've met so many new friends here. read more

Here to listen to music for the French Quarter Festival and listened to Chucky C and Friends. They are so good and talented! Such a great venue too, comfortable seating with high table seating. The service is great in that they are very attentive. Had the Spiced Pear Royal which was delicious! read more

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We came here on a Sunday night around 7:30 when the show started. The seating is a little weird (the reason for 4 stars and not 5). They jam everyone together in rows with no space in between your neighbor and I didn't like that. I don't like being that close to strangers, but was able to get an end seat. The drinks were good and moderately priced. The music was very nice to listen to. They had some desserts and other small plates that we didn't try, but they looked good. read more

The Jazz Playhouse - Jazz & Blues Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

I was not expecting such a good show! Extremely impressive. Highly recommend. I didn't try any food or drinks. I was happy with the show read more

The Jazz Playhouse - Jazz & Blues Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

My wife said what would you like to do on your birthday? I said I want to have a Sazerac in my hand and listen to Jazz. Enter The Jazz Playhouse. There is a sensory overload when you visit New Orleans, there's so much to do and see. I searched for Jazz clubs on Yelp as well as talking to the front desk at my hotel. The Jazz Playhouse checked all the boxes for us. Walking in, there was no cover charge as in other reviews. We sat down at a table and ordered drinks. Then, the band on stage brought the house down! We're so close to the band, The Jazz Playhouse is a great venue. It has a nice long bar and the tables can accommodate all party sizes. Our waitress & I start talking after the show. I told her, this was such a great time, thank you. She says, tomorrow night is another great band, the Brass-A-Holics. If you want to see a great show, come tomorrow night! Man... We got there the next night when the doors opened! I ordered the official drink of New Orleans again, The Jazz Playhouse makes a Mi-T-Fine Sazerac. The Brass-A-Holics come on stage and just slay. They were soooo good! The best part? All for free, no cover change for me & Mrs. Bill S. The Jazz Playhouse was the highlight of our vacation. read more

The Jazz Playhouse - Billy Salts is here! - Jazz & Blues Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Super great time here. Heard the Brassaholics n they are amazing. Stop in for dinner or just drinks. And remember to tip the musicians.

Just came from a Jazz show here featuring the Nayo Jones experience and it was one of the best experiences altogether I've had with Jazz. Brilliant, powerful vocalist with great crew and fun solos. If you get some food here, don't sleep on the alligator bites. That pepper jelly is amazing. Char-grilled oysters nice too! read more

The Jazz Playhouse - Jazz & Blues Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

We were visiting from NYC and planned ahead of time to see The Brass-A-Holics on a Thursday night. Buying a ticket ahead of time on Eventbrite was not necessary, but I think it did get us a better table/ more comfortable seating. The room was a nice size, not huge, but comfy. The waitress was super nice and super attentive. She would come back to our table just enough, but not too many times where it becomes overbearing. I stuck to water, but my partner got a hurricane and it was good. The music was LOUD, so I was glad I remembered to bring ear plugs. With plugs it was a pleasant volume. I already have the beginnings of tinnitus, so I didn't want to further damage my ears. If that's a concern of yours as well I'd suggest bringing ear plugs. Overall we had a fun night, and if I lived in NOLA, I would definitely come here for more shows. read more

OK, I'm not really a fan of jazz music but you can't come to New Orleans and not listen to live jazz! And I'm glad so did! The band was good and it was fun. The place is small/intimate and it was packed, chairs set up facing the stage. I enjoyed this place more than the spots I hit up on Frenchmen Street (which online research led me to believe has the best live jazz spots). I deducted 2 stars only because the the drink menu listed the drink I ordered as $13 but I was charged $15. I would have told the bartender but he wasn't very pleasant so I wanted to keep interaction with him minimal. Oh, not gonna lie, what really made me choose this place is that the signage outside said "jazz, absinthe, and burlesque". While there was plenty of the first two, apparantly burlesque is only on certain nights. Haha. There is a drink minimum of one per set. read more

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This place is amazing. One of the best places we went to in NOLA! We already ate half the oysters before taking this picture. They were wayyyyy better than you'd ever expect. We tried oysters at 3 places and jazz playhouse had the best ones. Music was fantastic and the place is very clean. Only a one drink minimum (does not have to be alcoholic) which is really nothing since there is no cover charge. read more

The Jazz Playhouse - Chargrilled oysters - Jazz & Blues Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

In town for my birthday and always go to the Jazz Playhouse to see the amazing Brass-A-Holics! A great jazz band!! They perform Thursday nights at the Royal Sonesta Hotel Bar from 7:30 until 10:30. We love Winston, the band leader and best trombonist in New Orleans!! We always sit at the bar. Demarcus, our bartender, took great care of us & made amazing drinks! We always have a great time here. It is a great jazz spot in NOLA. You can dress casual or dress up! read more

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Good music, very chill environment- away from the hectic bourbon street. Reservations are accepted if you like to seat closer to the stage. read more

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When most think of live music in New Orleans, usually it does not involve Bourbon Street. TJP is the exception. It's pretty good considering there's no cover charge. However, you are seated by the hostess and should plan to spend $10-20 on a drink or food item. Service has been hit or miss. During my first visit to hear Germaine Bazzle for two sets, I couldn't have asked for a better server. The second time, I stopped into hear Spellman Alum Nayo Jones and during the first set, the server was just as great. She helped me choose the sweeter cocktail option and circled back twice to ensure I liked it. Then the shift changed. The next server took the next order, dropped them off and never came back. After flagging her down as she passed the row behind, it should come as no surprise that the drink arrived 20 -25 minutes later -- moments before the set ended accompanied with the bill. The drink prices are what you'd expect on or near Bourbon. All things it's a good option if you're in the area but there are good if not better options throughout the city at a more competitive price point overall. read more

The Jazz Playhouse - Germaine Bazzle - Jazz & Blues Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

So I was visiting NOLA and I did some research on this place and I saw all of the wonderful reviews so I purchased tickets on Eventbrite. The place is beautiful and classy. I loved loved the ambiance. Chucky C and his band were amazing. My only reason for giving it three stars is that the only vegetarian option on the menu was fries. I ended up ordering fries and a drink and left halfway through the show because I was hungry. I was disappointed because I really wanted to watch the entire show but when hunger strikes it's time to go! read more

This is located in the Royal Sonesta hotel. We happened to be staying here so we popped in on a Thursday evening. Apparently there may be a ticket or reservation setup because we were asked when we entered if we had tickets. We didn't but were still let in so you may want to check that out if you're set on coming here on a specific day. We had so much fun. The band was amazing. Very engaging, great music. The acoustics are good too. We sat towards the door in the corner and everything sounded great. They have a bar menu with drinks and some small bites. We didn't see it open on any other night we were there. Just on Wednesday and Thursday. I don't know if the hours are limited because of Covid but it would be worth looking into if you're coming to specifically listen to music here. read more

We didn't try the food only because we had dinner plans before the show elsewhere but it smelled delicious. The service was incredible, our waitress was constantly glancing at our table to see if we needed anything. I loved the ambiance although I think the lights could have been a bit more dimmer but overall it was a great experience. read more

The Jazz Playhouse - Left: Espresso Martini Right: Trixie's burlesque ballroom - Jazz & Blues Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Great show! The location is inside the Royal Sonesta Hotel on Bourbon . I purchased my ticket through eventbrite . And to my surprise my seat was front row of the stage . Great drinks , bar service and band read more

The Jazz Playhouse - The band - Jazz & Blues Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

First time in New Orleans for our party of six to enjoy some Jazz by Big Joe Kennedy - He and his band convinced me that I've been missing out. His hands pulled magic out of those piano keys, and the clarinet - THE CLARINET - are you kidding me?? Their music filled the room like a beloved friend who you don't want to leave. This venue is a must-experience part of this beautiful city. The service is amazing, as well as the food & drinks, I double tipped, and you may too read more

Great ambiance, music and small bites! I really enjoyed BrassAHolics! They were amazing read more

The Jazz Playhouse - a group of people sitting in chairs - Jazz & Blues Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

I love the jazz music! Away from the hustle and bustle of Bourbon street, and tucked inside Royal Sonesta, JazzPlayhouse is truly a hidden gem! The one drink minimum with no cover is a stellar deal! The jazz club is upscale and the musicians are much more talented than the local ones performing at the tourist bars on Bourbon street or even Frenchmen Street. It's a big difference! I went on Sat night and there was a quartet and an amazing female singer, Nayo Jones. She sang a wonderful rendition and tribute to Aretha Franklin with "Feel like a Natural Woman". All of the musicians were also really good especially the piano and saxophone players, who had solos. I really enjoyed the cocktails, the Jelly Roll Morton was fruity and delicious! The bold flavors of passionfruit and grapefruit perfectly masked the bourbon and the mint was a great garnish. I liked it so much that I had 3 rounds of it! My husband enjoyed the Sazerac rye whiskey on the rocks. My only compliant is the food, I wish there were more vegetarian finger food options. The spinach and artichoke dip was good, but I wasn't a fan of the stale brittle chips. I ran out of chips and asked for a side of bread, which was okay. A warm baguette would have been perfect to mop up the delicious dip! We would have stayed much longer and ended up leaving during the intermission to grab dinner. I would love to see fries, deviled eggs, veggie creole, and pasta added to the menu! Great place to grab drinks and escape the debauchery of Bourbon street with wonderful jazz music. I heard there's a burlesque show on Fridays, which seems interesting and will check out next time! I think there's a show every night, and highly recommend the Sat night show. As the show starts at 8, I highly recommend getting here early as the best seats fill up fast! The views from the back aren't as good. read more

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The Jazz Playhouse is a Jazz club within the Royal Sonesta New Orleans hotel. This is a good place to sit, listen to music for the price of a drink. If you don't like the music, you can pay for your drink and leave. Dress code: recommendation is dressy on their website. But it depends on the night you are there and the patrons. Many of the patrons there were casual to semi-casual. The jazz band playing that day was good. The music was soothing. One of the band members played a flute like an harmonica and he played bagpipes while his band mates played piano and bass. I think the ambience of the playhouse also depends on the patrons and the band. The band made the music fun, and played some old tunes we would be familiar with. It was a great time! read more

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Hidden gem in NOLA inside the lobby of the Royal Sonesta. Outside you will find your normal beaded drunk crown on Bourbon but step inside and you can see the people have no concern with drunken craziness. They come here specifically to hear this amazing music. Last year we were able to hear an amazing man on mi rumba and this year we caught a lovely jazz quartet who later featured a singer unlike any other. She really captivated her audience simple by putting her finger on her lips and saying shhhhh! She blew us away with her performance! So this place can find talent. Drink menu was a play on the regular NOLA features like a hurricane but every drink was a little more upscale. We had their version of an old fashion and even a dirty martini. The bar tender knew his way around the bar. The ambiance is wonderful: dark, cool, jazzy clubhouse! read more

The Burlesque show, well the music was good. The picture on the website is not of this venue. very touristy. I suggest the variety show version of Trixies show. It's much more entertaining. read more

We were staying in the Royal Sonesta on Bourbon Street and saw they had a jazz club with nightly entertainment. We thought that would be a fun thing to do and paid the $20 for a VIP ticket so we could get reserved seating. Well worth the price! The experience was so much better having a good seat waiting for you. It's free otherwise (with 2 drink minimum), but you could be standing if you don't plan ahead. We got to see Nayo Jones, and she was incredible! I don't know if she is a monthly regular or not, but her show is awesome! We did decide to eat dinner here. Food is limited - just some bites really - but it was all pretty good. The kitchen that provides the food is from the Desire Oyster Bar, another restaurant inside Royal Sonesta. We had the Crab Cake with green goddess aioli and corn. Lots of crab in this and great flavor. The chargrilled oysters also had tons of flavor - but how can it not with all that butter, garlic, onion and parmesan? An explosion of goodness, even for this non-expert. And the crab mac n cheese was great as well. Not overly cheesy where it clings to the inside of your mouth. Topped with crab and seasoned breadcrumbs. Excellent. Drinks were great as well. This was such a fun night. The show lasted for maybe not quite 90 minutes and there was a second show as well. Definitely worth the visit. Make it a true experience with the VIP seats and nibbles! You'll enjoy it, trust me. read more

Everything I expected it to be and more! I went when Nayo Jones was playing and just wow!!! She is a star!!! I have a video of her and it's just amazing! I can't believe this place is free, with purchase of 2 drinks that is. So worth it! Nayo Jones and her band were absolutely amazing and I'm so lucky this was part of my experience in New Orleans! This Jazz club was in the Royal Sonesta Hotel located along busy Bourbon street but was somewhat difficult to find. When we got there, we were seated relatively quickly and not that far from the stage. What a hidden gem! You can see what shows are playing on their website online and can purchase advance tickets to guarantee a seat or just show up as a walk-in and just take care of your 2 drinks. Drinks were very light so I'd recommend to not get a mixed drink here. They have different show times and breaks--so plan accordingly! read more

The Jazz Playhouse - Jazz & Blues Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

August 2022: Great Place with food, outdoor seating, live music. I would of gave five stars, but the bartender was unfriendly, rude, mean. His whole demeanor speaks I HATE TOURISTS. Bartender would not let anyone sit at the bar plus he kept seats as far away from him as possible and would bark at them if you moved the chairs that no one was sitting in. read more

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Great burlesque show! Highly recommend. Get there early to snag your seat (get tickets in advance) and grab one of the comfy couches or arm chairs. Posh, clean establishment. read more

What a lovely time! We enjoyed the Nayo Jones experience. Beautiful voice and beautiful songs. We even got to dance and had a really good time. We sat at the bar and ordered a ham sampler plate, glass of moscato and my hubby got a coke because he was driving. I always wanted to visit this place because it seems so classy and fun.... it did not disappoint. The staff was friendly and accommodating. So accommodating that during Ms. Jones set two ladies in the bar kept talking sooo loud, yelling really, and it became very difficult to enjoy the set but a fantastic employee went up to them and told them that others around them were trying to listen and to please lower the voices. I was so happy because they did and finally left. I don't mind talking during a music set because I am Dominican and I am a loud talker but I try not to yell or be a distraction when people who are in a jazz bar are there specifically listen to music. Overall it was a great experience and we will definitely come back. read more

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This place is classy. With Covid you are strongly encouraged to buy tickets ahead of time, which we did. We popped by on Wednesday night to check it out, liked what we saw from the door and bought tickets for Thursday. At $25 a head (really more like $31 after taxes and fees), it's one of the pricier things we did while in NOLA. The hostess told us there wasn't a dress code, but everyone we saw was dressed nicer than what you typically see on Bourbon street- think button up or better for men. No one in my party drinks alcohol, but the soda and Shirley Temples we got were good. I wasn't interested in any of the bites they offered, but one of my table mates had the oysters and enjoyed them. All the servers were wearing masks, the tables were somewhat spread out for social distancing. So as a venue, definitely 5 stars. As to the group who was there? The Brassaholics were fine. They had a great singer who joined in for half the songs. The trumpet did a fun demonstration of circular breathing that was quite impressive. It seemed like each of the musicians were proficient but it just didn't work as a whole. Often times we couldn't even hear the vocals over the blasting guitars. They did two and a half sets, about 50% original pieces and 50% covers. If I had paid the entry fee just to see them I would have been disappointed. But with the nice seats, great service and classy atmosphere it was overall worth it. read more