Jazz Band Will Headline Town Hall Anniversary Celebration

Despite hardships endured after evacuation from the city of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, at once both iconic and contemporary, continues with previous fall tour plans, appearing at the Edmond Town Hall Theater on Thursday, October 6. Showtime is 8 pm.

The concert will coincide with the 75th anniversary of the town hall’s construction.

The band derives its name from Preservation Hall, the venerable music venue located in the heart of New Orleans’ French Quarter. Founded in 1961 by Allan and Sandra Jaffe, the band travels worldwide spreading their mission to nurture and perpetuate the art form of New Orleans jazz.

Whether performing at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center or the Playboy Jazz Festival for British Royalty or the King of Thailand, this music embodies a joyful, timeless spirit. Under the auspices of the current director, Ben Jaffe, the son of founders Allan and Sandra, Preservation Hall continues with a deep reverence and consciousness of its greatest attributes in the modern day as a venue, band and record label.

The building that houses Preservation Hall has housed many businesses over the years including a tavern during the war of 1812, a photo studio and an art gallery. It was during the years of the art gallery that the then current owner, Larry Bornstein, began holding informal jam sessions for his close friends. Out of these sessions grew the concept of Preservation Hall.

The intimate venue, whose weathered exterior has been untouched over its history, is a living embodiment of its original vision. To this day, Preservation Hall has no drinks, air conditioning, or other typical accoutrements, strictly welcoming people of all ages interested in having one of the last pure music experiences left on the earth.

The PHJB began touring in 1963 and for many years there were several bands successfully touring under the name Preservation Hall. Many of the band’s charter members performed with the pioneers who invented jazz in the early 20th Century including Buddy Bolden, Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, and Bunk Johnson.

Band leaders over the band’s history include the brothers Willie and Percy Humphrey, husband and wife Billie and De De Pierce, and famed pianist Sweet Emma Barrett. These founding artists and dozens of others passed on the lessons of their music to a younger generation who now follow in their footsteps like current band leader and trumpeter John Brunious.

Tickets for the Newtown concert at $30 and are on sale at the town hall’s box office and the Board of Managers office. They are also being sold at C.H. Booth Library and Newtown Savings Bank.

For additional information call the ETH Board of Manager’s office, 270-4285.