AN UNPARALLED CONCERT EXPERIENCE

By Heather Turk

There’s nothing like experiencing live jazz in New Orleans, and there’s arguably no better place to attend a jazz concert in the music genre’s birthplace than Preservation Hall.

Founded in 1961, Preservation Hall supports the unique culture of traditional jazz in New Orleans, which developed in the local melting pot of African, Caribbean and European musical traditions at the turn of the 20th century. That rare space in the South where racially integrated bands and audiences shared music together during the Jim Crow era, the intimate French Quarter music hall continues to showcase acoustic New Orleans jazz performances more than 350 days a year. Multiple 45-minute concerts are held each evening featuring ensembles from a collection of 60 local master practitioners, with matinee performances added on Saturday and Sunday.

“New Orleans is a city of musical royalty,” said Ben Jaffe, Preservation Hall’s creative director and the son of its founders, Allan and Sandra Jaffe. “Many of the hall’s musicians performing today can trace their family history back to the birth of jazz. Preservation Hall was established to honor these important African American families and their gift to the world. These musicians not only represent New Orleans, they are the world’s guardians of the significant and precious tradition that is passed down from one generation to the next.”

During the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival each spring, the venue also hosts a Midnight Preserves fundraiser that benefits the Preservation Hall Foundation’s music education programs. Special guests join the Preservation Hall Jazz Band for an unforgettable night of music, with such notable names as Elvis Costello and Jimmy Buffett surprising audiences in the past. This year’s benefit concerts are scheduled for April 28 through 30 and May 4 through 7, so be sure to get your tickets before they sell out. preservationhall.com