Explore the world’s richest musical city, starting with Louis Armstrong Park and Congo Square, historic site of African slave gatherings, the only place in North American where pure West African religious ritual and musical traditions were performed.  Congo Square is considered the wellspring of all New Orleans music and, consequently, so much of worldwide popular song. It is also the site of the first New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 1970. From Armstrong Park, view the building which housed Cosimo Matassa’s groundbreaking J&M Studios which created the “New Orleans Sound” with such New Orleanians as Professor Longhair, Dave Bartholomew, Fats Domino, Guitar Slim, Shirley & Lee, Lloyd Price, Ernie K-Doe, Allen Toussaint, Clarence “Frogman” Henry & visitors including Little Richard, Ray Charles, & Jerry Lee Lewis.   J & M Studios is the true birthplace of rock ’n roll.