The art of being there

Before You Keep Walking.

The best way into a city's music may be to stop treating the pavement as the space between destinations.

Street Sessions2 min read

A different way to get to know a place.

Follow a rhythm down a side street. Look at the names on a record sleeve. Leave a little room for what you haven't heard.

From the journal

Long before jazz became something you could buy on a disc, it was something people made together.

New Orleans2 min read

Tuning, a sip of water, a glance at a passing bus: the pauses belong to the performance too.

Between the songs2 min read

A familiar track can mark the moment between planning a trip and actually beginning it.

Notes for the journey2 min read

Armstrong's New Orleans story begins with teachers, mentors, and the practical education of playing.

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA2 min read

An old price sticker, a handwritten name, a worn corner: the music begins before the needle drops.

The record shop2 min read

The Fisk Jubilee Singers offer a different starting point for Nashville's musical story.

Nashville2 min read

Notes for the journey

Build a train soundtrack with room for the landscape, the announcements, and a change of mind.

Five ways in

A place is more than its postcard. Sometimes the song playing around the corner is the part you remember.