The SpottedCat

The Spotted Cat opened on Frenchmen Street in the mid-1990s and found its identity quickly: vintage jazz and swing, live music starting in the afternoon. That combination — quality music and an early start — made it immediately popular and gave it a character distinct from its neighbors on the strip.

The room is small and invariably packed. Candles on the tables, vintage jazz posters on the walls, a tiny stage at the far end. When a good band is playing, the place fills with dancers — the Spotted Cat has one of the most active dance floors on Frenchmen Street, drawing swing and lindy hop dancers who come as much to move as to listen.

The club books a mix of traditional jazz, swing, gypsy jazz, and hot club ensembles, maintaining a consistent aesthetic even as individual acts rotate through. It has been a launching pad for some of the city's best young jazz musicians and a reliable home for established players who appreciate the room's devotion to the music.

A cover charge helps support the musicians, and the intimate atmosphere of the room encourages the kind of close listening that makes the music come alive. It is one of the most beloved jazz bars in New Orleans, a model of what live music can be when the room is built around the sound.