The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, owner of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, has purchased Cosimo Matassa’s original J&M Recording Studios for $2.3 million. The building is located at 840 North Rampart Street, corner Dumaine, across the street from Armstrong Park. The building is a landmark in the city’s musical history and operated as Matassa’s studio from 1945 through spring 1956. The location is recognized as a birthplace of rock ’n’ roll and included recordings such as “Good Rocking Tonight” by Roy Brown in 1947; “The Fat Man” by Fats Domino in 1949; and “Tutti Frutti” by Little Richard in 1955. There were many other important hits from J&M, such as “Tipitina” by Professor Longhair in 1953 and “See You Later, Alligator” by Bobby Charles in 1955.
J&M Music Shop. Photo: A Closer Walk NOLA
The J&M studio was a small room, just 15-by-16 feet; it was the first iteration of several studios owned by Cosimo over the years, but the North Rampart Street property was Matassa’s very first studio converted from a business (J&M Music Shop) that Matassa’s father John Matassa started. Cosimo Matassa relocated his studio to two other locations, one in the French Quarter on Gov. Nicholls and later to Camp Street in the Warehouse District, where a music-themed restaurant recently opened.
The original J&M Studios on North Rampart St. Photo: Yelp.com
According to NOLA.com’s report on the acquisition of the building “Kia Robinson Hatfield, director of programs, marketing and communications for the foundation, said that the Foundation board ‘was excited to have acquired a building that has such “profound cultural importance” to New Orleans. This acquisition represents exciting opportunities for our arts community. We look forward to sharing how it will help advance our mission and continue to play a vital role in preserving our music culture for generations to come.’”
Reportedly, the property will eventually house the extensive archives maintained by the Jazz & Heritage Foundation that includes photos, artwork, music, videos and much more. Currently the archives are housed in small building in the French Quarter, and the North Rampart Street location (just a few blocks from the Foundation’s offices at 1205 North Rampart will provide the Foundation with significantly more space to improve and add to their collections, as well as to become a community space where their archival collections can be more accessible to the public and serve as a community cultural center dedicated to not only the Jazz Fest, but to the city’s deep musical culture.
[Reference “A Closer Walk NOLA“]
