MSY Hits High Notes
Satchmo Summerfest on August 2 and 3 is a major draw for New Orleans as it celebrates the career and legacy of its prodigal son—Louis Armstrong. It's not the only way, though.
Perhaps one of the most important figures of both jazz and American music as a whole, Armstrong has left his mark on popular culture—so much so that New Orleans will take any chance it can to honor him.
One of the biggest music venues in New Orleans, which also shares Armstrong's name, has three stages, and all the entertainment is always free.
The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) has a long tradition of live music, serving as a cultural ambassador to visitors upon their arrival and providing steady work to local musicians. Currently, the entertainment is scheduled for Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays, and Mondays—the most highly traveled days.
The Jazz Garden Stage sits just below the Transportation Security Administration checkpoint, viewable by everyone entering the terminal and providing a show for anyone seeing someone off, as well as passengers and staff. The other two stages, the Jazz and Heritage School and Music Stage and the Where Traveler Stage, which sits in the like-named specialty retail gift shop operated by Hudson Abolta, are located past security. The stages vary in size and the entertainment is programmed accordingly. The act must fit the venue. For the Jazz Garden Stage, high-energy performances are in order. The Where Traveler Stage, meanwhile, is better suited for a solo saxophonist or guitarist because of the smaller space.
Entertainment coordinator Renata Robertson schedules the performances. "The biggest challenge has just been juggling everyone's schedules," she shared. "Some artists are full-time musicians who can shift things around once selected, while others have day jobs and are only available evenings and weekends. It can sometimes feel like a game of musical chairs, but, somehow, the rhythm always finds its groove."
Music performances, which were mostly brass bands, occurred fairly regularly at the old terminal, organized by prime food and beverage concessionaire Delaware North and staged on Concourse C to great popularity; however, the construction of the new terminal, which opened in 2019, created an opportunity for an upgrade, with the performance areas introduced in the planning stage. The administration "wanted a more robust program, one that was more intentional," according to Communications Director Erin Burns, and the planners looked at other airports that were known for having live music, such as those in Nashville and Austin.
The result was the Music @ MSY Residency Program, administered in partnership with the Mayor's Office of Cultural Economy, which offers musical artists three-month stints playing at the airport.
After a Call for Musicians is issued, the Entertainment Evaluation Committee, made up of representatives from the New Orleans Aviation Board staff, the Mayor's Office of Cultural Economy, airport concessions, and the local music community, reviews the submissions received and recommends acts for the next performance period from among bands and solo acts with primary residence in the Greater New Orleans area: Orleans, Jefferson, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, and Washington parishes.
Performance samples are judged by appearance, stage presence, sound quality, content quality, and representation of New Orleans culture, with jazz the preferred genre but blues, zydeco, funk, R&B/soul, and classical are also given a shot. "Acts with upbeat, welcoming, and engaging performance styles are preferred for this venue," Burns said. The final entertainment selections for each performance period are made by the New Orleans Aviation Board staff leadership using the committee's input.
The more formal organization of the music performances was a way to give more opportunities, "to cast a wider net," according to Director of Aviation Kevin Dolliole. Noting that the program is becoming more and more popular, he added, "There's no shortage of talented musicians in our city."
"I've been a big advocate for New Orleans music," said EJ Bradley, a former general manager of the Fillmore New Orleans who served as a representative of the local music community on the Evaluation Committee in spring 2024 and providing insightful evaluations for five acts who went on to be featured in the residency lineup: Khiry Bey (Kirsten Theodore), guitarist Or Shovaly, Mathilde & Les Amis, Maxwell Arceneaux, and Mykia Jovan. "During the pandemic, I was working at House of Blues. Musicians' livelihoods and love were ripped away with the world shutting down."
If history is any indication, a gig at the airport is on the path to success. Kermit Ruffins, Robin Barnes, and Charmaine Neville are just a few of the acts to go on to bigger things after playing at MSY in years past.
Asked if there were any artists she'd like to see play at MSY, Burns was hesitant to name them but eventually conceded, "It would be nice to have John Batiste or Wynton Marsalis or Trombone Shorty." Her eyes visibly brightened at the thought of it.
The music isn't limited to the regularly scheduled entertainment. It's also used to commemorate special occasions, such as the first flights of new services. For Spirit Airline's first flight to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, there was traditional Honduran music and dance featuring La Rumba.
There was a second line for the last flight out of the old terminal and there were numerous performances to mark the opening of the new one, including one by the Batiste Brothers, James Andrews at the ribbon cutting, and a 4 a.m. performance by Choppa at the gate for the first flight out of the new MSY.
"Music is essential to New Orleans culture," Bradley said. "It's in the schools as kids, on the streets, at the clubs, and in our hearts. We are unique in a way no other city compares. For me, it's a way of life. We even speak in rhythmic tones."
The fall of 2025 will see the next call for performers for music residencies in 2026.
