During the winter break, I took a road trip in the southern states from New Orleans, Louisiana, to Nashville, Tennessee. I learned about how music is a central part of the culture and history of these southern states. Multiple genres have been born from the South such as country, blues, soul, gospel and rock ‘n’ roll. I decided to document my trip by photographing it. For the full experience, listen to this playlist while reading!

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New Orleans - Jazz

New Orleans is known as the birthplace of jazz, but it’s not clear the exact year—some say it was a little before the Civil War or the late 1800s. Jazz is defined by improvisation, horn instruments, and individualism. It derives from traditional African and European music. Blues is a form of jazz, which also has influences from other genres and is slower and less upbeat than jazz. Some known artists from New Orleans include Louis Armstrong, Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Jelly Roll Morton. 

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Jazz and blues can be found all over the streets of New Orleans. You’ll find people doing drum percussion and playing jazz on street corners in the French Quarter Historic District. The French Quarter is characterized by its French and Spanish colonial architecture. 

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These photos are taken on Bourbon Street which is known for its loud music, bars, and neon signs. A Poboy is a sandwich eaten in the southern states with fried or roasted seafood paired with vegetables and many sauces. I think they are delicious and would highly recommend them.

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Highway 61 - Blues

Highway 61, or the Delta Blues Highway, runs from the jazz of New Orleans, the blues of the Delta Mississippi, to the rock ‘n’ roll of Memphis. It is known as the birthplace of the blues because it was the main travel route for musicians, specifically African-Americans, from New Orleans going north. 

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Memphis - Rock ‘n’ Roll & Soul

Memphis is known as the home of the king of rock ‘n’ roll, Elvis Presley. Its main music scene is Beale Street with many blues and rock ‘n’ roll bars. Soul music derives from African-American gospel music, which is where many artists first started. Sun Studios and Stax Records are also located in Memphis which discovered many successful musicians such as Elvis Presley, Tina Turner, Johnny Cash, Sam and Dave, and many more. Memphis is also where the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, was born. Stax Records was especially revolutionary because it was a company of both Black and white musicians which was not socially acceptable in 1950s America. 

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You can also visit the Graceland house, where Elvis lived, which is a 12 minute drive from downtown Memphis.

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Nashville - Country

Nashville is the place to go for hot fried chicken, line dancing, and country music 24/7. Music is on from 10am to 2am on the Honky Tonk Highway which spans several blocks of bars and restaurants with live music.

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