A band that is synonymous with New Orleans jazz is coming to Cincinnati.
The Preservation Hall Jazz Band was founded in the early 1960s in New Orleans by Allan Jaffe, a tuba player. The band is named after Preservation Hall, a historic venue that started as an art gallery.
A Milwaukee art dealer by the name of Larry Borenstein was managing the gallery when Jaffe and his wife visited New Orleans to hear jazz. Borenstein asked if they would like to manage the venue. They agreed.
Before the Jaffes came aboard, Borenstein had asked local jazz musicians to play for tips while their music attracted customers. Soon, people began paying more attention to the music than the art, and Preservation Hall official became a music venue.
Jaffe hired local musicians who ranged in age from their 60s to their 90s, many of whom were struggling. The Jaffes did not serve alcohol, use amplification, or advertise, but word spread. Jaffe toured the United States and internationally along with stars like clarinetist George Lewis, who brought his immense popularity with him back to the hall. Soon, people were coming from around the world to hear traditional New Orleans Jazz.
The Preservation Hall Jazz Band has released almost 20 albums and appeared on many others. They continue to play live nightly at the hall and will appear at Cincinnati’s Taft Theatre on December 11. When events like this are scheduled, organizers can advertise them using poster printing.
