In honor of The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (aka JazzFest) I’d like to share a quote from the website of “The Institute for New Orleans History and Culture at Gwynedd-Mercy College“:
Storyville is often given credit with giving the name to jazz. It seems the women of the brothels, in an effort to counter the smells of the swampy city, would wear Jasmine perfume. When one left the company of the lady smelling of jasmine, one was said to be “jassed.” When musicians at the brothels would make their music sexy to inspire customers, they were said to have “jassed,” or sexed, up the music. Brothel owners would advertise their musicians with signs that would announce “Live Jass.”
New Orleans' ORIGINAL Red Light Walking Tour 