The good times do roll, indeed. For a real Orleanian nightlife experience, head Uptown to this 24-hour dive bar at midnight on a Thursday to see the Soul Rebels, an eight-piece brass ensemble. The NOLA-famous band spans genres, incorporating not only jazz but soul, funk, hip-hop, rock, and pop.

Traditional jazz, as opposed to the more common Dixieland form, is alive and well at the aptly named Preservation Hall, a not-for-profit organization and performance space that has been hosting nightly acoustic jazz shows in an intimate setting since 1961. Expect classics like "When the Saints Go Marching in" and "Bourbon St. Parade." Buy tickets ahead of time and get there early; benches fill up fast, but the space is as small and dark as they come, meaning every seat is the best in the house.

Quite simply, New Orleans is a drinking town. And while there’s no shortage of options for to-go daiquiris and karaoke bars in the French Quarter, it’s the Bywater where you’ll want to spend the night for some more sophisticated debauchery. On the far end of town, right on the Mississippi, Bacchanal started as a sleepy little wineshop before emerging as a hub for open-air dining, backyard parties, and some of the city’s best live jazz, six days a week.

Under a canopy of papel picado (colorful Mexican paper cutouts), a crowd of mostly locals either chats over beers or dances until the floor shakes, depending on the music (and the hour). Despite its ramshackle, delightfully delapidated exterior, this iconic 9th ward neighborhood bar has been around since 1959, and it's not going anywhere soon. Every Thursday, the inimitable funk master Corey Henry brings the Treme Funktet to Vaughan's for "the funkiest time to be alive."

In New Orleans, a good time (and a cold Sazerac) are never more than a few steps away. Nowhere is this truer than on Frenchmen Street, Bourbon’s cooler cousin in the Marigny, where locals and newcomers alike spill out of music clubs and jazz bars. One of the Frenchmen mainstays is The Maison, a large club and restaurant which hosts a diverse roster of jazz musicians on three different stages. The music plays all day, every day (except Wednesday).

Another essential stop along Frenchmen Street, the Spotted Cat is open 7 days a week, from 2pm to 2am. You'll find everything here from traditional jazz to modern to blues to funk to klezmer. The crowd is always lively, though decidedly more laid back than nearby Bourbon Street in the French Quarter.

It's immediately apparent from the big Bob Marley mural in Cafe Negril that the club brings a tropical vibe to Frenchmen Street. Owned by Bill Byka, who also owns the neighboring Spotted Cat, this music venue has long hosted local Treme musicians, many of whom got their start on its stage. From reggae to rock and roll, this is NOLA music at its most classic.

Yet another spot on Frenchmen Street famous for its musical lineup. Each spring, Blue Nile hosts its Backbeat Jazzfest Series, with the Backbeat Foundation— a nonprofit dedicated to preserving New Orleans local culture.

As the most intimate music venue on Frenchmen Street, this craft beer haunt has been a local favorite since it opened its doors in 2000. Order from a menu of hundreds of beers and cocktails like "Who Dat Mule."

A jukebox, pool table, and poker machine are some of the only accoutrements you'll find in this divey corner bar in the Bywater. But with a diverse lineup of local acts playing blues and funk and domestic beers straight out the cooler, what more could you need? A wooden sign above the bar reads "BJs, your 9th Ward Living Room," and it's the cozy atmosphere that makes this one of NOLA's best music dives.

Let's be honest. No visit to New Orleans is complete without a visit to Bourbon Street. Down a daiquiri and make your way into Fritzel's, which has hosted nightly jazz performances since 1969. An upstairs speakeasy provides a whole different vibe— but you have to know the password.

This uptown bar is what many people think of when they think of New Orleans: tin ceilings, a breezy upper veranda, music 7 nights a week, and a dance floor that routinely spills onto the street. For almost 5 decades, Maple Leaf has hosted Grammy-winners and up-and-comers alike, with residencies from the likes of Tank and the Bangas, The Revivalists, and George Porter Jr., whose trio plays every Monday night. Drop-ins aren't uncommon; Bruce Springsteen and Bonnie Raitt have popped by to jam.

This fine dining institution in the French Quarter is a haven of elegance just half a block from Bourbon Street. But the real draw here is the jazz club, where they've been playing Dixieland jazz since 1918. Join the Sunday jazz brunch three-course prixe-fixe menu and order a French 75, Arnaud's signature.