Worshipping in the house of jazz
Across Lake Pontchartrain, on a tree-lined side street in the town of Mandeville, sits what looks like an old country church. In many ways it is. The spirits of jazz history are alive in its unpainted wood plank walls. Built in 1895, the Dew Drop is the oldest jazz hall in the United States.
A group of civic-minded African Americans created the Dew Drop Social and Benevolent Association to provide for the needy. They built the hall to be their headquarters, but it quickly evolved into a hub for jazz musicians. After playing more traditional music for whites-only audiences throughout the week, New Orleans jazz pioneers began rushing across the lake to cut loose for black audiences. The Dew Drop’s alumni represent a virtual who’s who of jazz greats, most notably, Louie Armstrong, who played there when he needed a break from the demands of his growing international celebrity.
Info
Address 430 Lamarque Street, Mandeville, LA 70470, www.dewdropjazzhall.com | Hours Check website for performance calendar| Tip Getting to Mandeville will have you crossing the Causeway Bridge, the world’s longest. It spans 24 miles from the south shore to the north shore. While that may sound exciting, after the first two miles, it’s just another twenty-two miles of water and asphalt.
By the 1940s, an emerging African-American middle class meant there was less need for a Benevolent Association. The Dew Drop sat vacant and silent for decades. It wasn’t until 2000, when Mandeville received the building as a donation, that restoration got under way.
Today, the Dew Drop hosts a couple performances a month in the spring and fall. If you go, be prepared: there’s no air-conditioning or heating, no running water, and no restrooms (you can use the building next door). The room itself can seat 100 people on backless wooden benches. The Dew Drop has no windows, only large wooden shutters that are thrown open during concerts for the many fans sitting outside on lawn chairs.
Admission is $10 and has to be paid in person, cash only. The beatitude you’ll experience is free. As said by Dew Drop performer Deacon John, “The best thing about playing at a historic venue like this is that you feel the spirits permeating the room. When I get in here, I feel like my ancestors are playing backup.”
Back
To the online map