Jimmy’s, the legendary New Orleans music club, is finally officially set to re-open. The City Council gave its approval at a hearing this morning — “all yays and no nays,” reports a happy owner Jimmy Anselmo — and the venerable Willow Street club may be back open for business as soon as next month.

Jimmy and his defense/support team at New Orleans City Hall after their win on August 8, 2013.

Jimmy’s history goes back to April of 1978, when Professor Longhair and the Neville Brothers both played its opening weekend. Anselmo spent the better part of the past year vying to receive his music club and alcoholic beverage permits from the City of New Orleans to re-open. Though Jimmy’s Music Club was fully operational before Hurricane Katrina, he had been unable to re-claim the rights to serve liquor and book live music, as it was before, given the new city administration’s climate of live entertainment policies and other cultural regulations. Though Jimmy thought they were set to re-open in December of 2012, more political hurdles halted those plans: several neighbors voiced complaints about the club’s re-opening; there was a moratorium on alcoholic beverage licenses in the area, among others.

In early April of this year a dream team of musicians — Cyril Neville, Brian Stoltz, Paul Sanchez, the Bucktown Allstars and more — performed to raise the money for Jimmy’s to buy new permits. But In May, he ran into the moratorium on the granting of liquor licenses in the area. At that time, he promised to resolve the matter within 60 days—and given the rate at which the wheels of bureaucracy turn, he’s pretty much on time.

Jimmy Anselmo with supporting musicians Tommy Malone and Ivan Neville at a Jimmy's Music Club defense fund benefit show, August 3, 2013.

In order to get the alcohol beverage permit the club had to install new soundproofing, which was approved this week. “The president of the neighborhood association was there with some other members, and nobody voted against us,” Anselmo said today. The club plans further renovations — including moving its front door to the Dublin Street side, and installing a new interior door — before the re-opening. While Anselmo won’t be operating the club on a day-to-day basis, he says he’ll “be advising, and probably booking some of the entertainment.” The first show is likely to be a party for the club’s recent supporters. And no, Jimmy’s will not be changing its name.

Asked for further comment, Anselmo could only offer, “Happy days are here again!”

Jimmy says he would also like to thank and acknowledge his mother, who opened the club with Jimmy more than 35 years ago. Though she passed away on May 24, just two months ago, he is at peace knowing that she was able to see the great success of Jimmy’s Music Club in her lifetime, and more recently the outpouring of support from the local community for its re-opening.

“If not for her,” he recalls, “there would be no Jimmy’s. She put up the money, and she worked at the club every Thursday writing check for all the liquor and beer. In the early days of the club she would work the door. One night, for Asleep at the Wheel she worked the door and she had such a great time.” Indeed, the story of Jimmy’s Music Club is one of great New Orleans legend.

View a display of live music photos from Jimmy’s during the 1980s by photographer Johnny Brooks here.

Jimmy Anselmo and late mother - owners of the original Jimmy's Music Club.