We're planning a trip to Memphis and New Orleans this year----anyone got any ideas of places to go, record shops, juke joints, live music venues, etc?

We've got a few ideas about Memphis already---Stax museum, Sun records, Al Greens church, museum of civil rights, Beale Street, Mississippi boat trip and of course Gracelands! Just wondered if anyone has any suggestions of anything a bit different.

Same goes for New Orleans----the French Quarter, plantation tour, a visit to the swamps, steam boat etc but is there anything else we should see while we are there?

Any suggestions would be most welcome---thanks for your time!

Tony & Lisa

Also check out the Memphis Rock & Soul Museum which is just off Beale. Get in touch with Sherman Willmott & he will take you on a driven tour of all Memphis' music sights, great to have a local tell you what to look for. You can email him through the Shangri La Projects website here https://www.shangrilaprojects.com/

Shangri La & Goner are the two best record stores to go to in Memphis.

Try to get a hotel/motel in the city NOT out towards the airport, Memphis can get rough pretty quick.

Don't wait outside the Civil Rights Museum for too long either.

In NO, you want to go to Louisiana Music Factory & Jim Russell's for records, check out the Back Street Mardi Gras Cultural Museum. The National WWII Museum is cool. Catch live music at places like DBA (try to catch Walter Wolfman Washington for example), Bourbon St etc is a real tourist trap with cornball bands. If you're lucky you might catch Grandpa Elliott (60s/70s soul singer Elliott Small) busking around there though. You need to try the charbroiled oysters at Dragos, the best oysters you will eat anywhere ever, I don't even like oysters & ordered seconds, seriously. Hed out to Metairie or LaPlace or somewhere & take a Cajun Swamp Tour like this https://www.cajunprideswamptours.com/

Staying in the French Quarter is where you want to be.

Agree with Kris on all of the above.

Memphis:

Regular performers at the Blues City Cafe top of Beale Street are the Masqueraders. Put on an awesome show (even did an impromptu 'Do You Love Me Baby' for us!).

James Gadson also performs with his band at the bottom of Beale. Lots of Stax classics etc. Bloody great night!

Beale Street is what Memphis is all about for a Soul fan.

Record shops - Agree Shangri-La is a lovely little shop and Goner is becoming a cracking place for the obscure.

But they all know what to charge, so very few bargains to be had.

New Orleans

Jim Russells was great many moons ago and still has a massive stock. He is a Legend. Great tales to share. Last time I was there the Dixie Cups were in there with him chewing the fat, straight after a Cruise Ship tour.

Bourbon is awesome. And it's customary to go eat Cajun at Pat O'Briens while in the French Quarter.

You'll have a ball.

Sean

James Govan - Rum Boogie in Memphis

Masqueraders - Blues City Cafe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLxleXspABw Masqueraders - Blues City Cafe

A night to remember. Masqueraders with Chicken in a Basket and Budweiser!

Many thanks for the responses, much appreciated.

We'll certainly be following up these suggestions, looks like its gonna be a cool trip! Hope we can catch the Masqueraders in Memphis!