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{{Short description|Jazz club in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, US}}
{{tone|date=September 2014}}

[[Image:PreservationHall 2008.jpg|upright|thumb|Front door of the Preservation Hall]]
[[Image:PreservationHall 2008.jpg|upright|thumb|Front door of the Preservation Hall]]
'''Preservation Hall''' was established in 1961 to preserve, perpetuate, and protect [[Dixieland|traditional New Orleans Jazz]].<ref>{{cite web| title=Preservation Hall|publisher=preservationhall.com|url=http://www.preservationhall.com/|accessdate=2015-06-01}}</ref> Operating as a music venue, a touring band (the [[Preservation Hall Jazz Band]]), a record label, and a non-profit organization, Preservation Hall continues their mission today as a cornerstone of New Orleans music and culture.
'''Preservation Hall''' is a jazz venue on St Peter Street in the [[French Quarter]] of [[New Orleans, Louisiana]]. The building is associated with [[Preservation Hall Jazz Band|a house band]], a record label, and a non-profit foundation.

Situated in the heart of the [[French Quarter]] at 726 St. Peter Street, Preservation Hall presents intimate, acoustic New Orleans jazz concerts nightly featuring some of New Orleans' finest performers, showcasing a musical legacy dating back to the origins of jazz itself. The touring Preservation Hall Jazz Band presents the music of New Orleans worldwide with over 100 tour dates annually, which have included performances at [[Carnegie Hall]], the [[John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts|Kennedy Center]], [[Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival]], the [[Hollywood Bowl]], the [[Headquarters of the United Nations|United Nations Headquarters]], and [[Austin City Limits]].

"Preservation Hall. Now that's where you'll find all of the greats." — [[Louis Armstrong]]

To this day, people from all around the world continue to visit New Orleans to share the intimacy and atmosphere of Preservation Hall. Preservation Hall presents concerts 7 nights a week, offering visitors and locals the best of Traditional New Orleans jazz. On any given night, one can witness this unique New Orleans musical legacy being passed down from generation to generation.


== History of the jazz hall ==
== History of the jazz hall ==
⚫
[[Image:PreservationHallClosed2.jpg|left|thumb]]
In the 1950s, art dealer [[Larry Borenstein]] from Milwaukee managed what would become Preservation Hall in the French Quarter as an art gallery, Associated Artists. To attract customers, he invited local jazz musicians to play for tips. After a time, the music started drawing more attention than the art.<ref name="Farbenbloom">{{cite web|last1=Farbenbloom|first1=Frank|title=Remembering Larry Borenstein and Preservation Hall|url=https://syncopatedtimes.com/remembering-larry-borenstein-and-preservation-hall/|website=The Syncopated Times|access-date=30 April 2020|language=en|date=30 April 2020}}</ref> In May 1961, Borenstein turned management over to Ken Grayson Mills and Barbara Reid, who turned it into a music venue and named it "Preservation Hall".<ref>{{Cite news|url= http://www.lacroixrecords.com/part11.html |title=Preservation Hall: The Rest of the Story |last=Ekins|first=Richard|newspaper= Just Jazz, No. 235, pp. 18-25 |access-date=2020-06-23}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url= http://www.lacroixrecords.com/reid%20pt7.html |title=On the Origin of Preservation Hall|last=Ekins|first=Richard|newspaper= Just Jazz, No. 255, pp. 20-29 |access-date=2020-06-23}}</ref>


After their honeymoon in 1961, [[Allan Jaffe]] and his wife Sandra visited to hear some traditional New Orleans jazz. The Jaffes were from Pennsylvania. Allan Jaffe was a tuba player who had graduated from the [[Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania|Wharton School of Business]] in Philadelphia, while his wife had been employed at an advertising agency. They attended concerts, grew to love the French Quarter, and stayed longer than they had intended. Borenstein asked if they wanted to manage Preservation Hall, and they agreed, taking over in September 1961.<ref name="Sancton">{{cite web|last1=Sancton|first1=Tom|title=The Venerable, Musical History of Preservation Hall in New Orleans|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2012/01/preservation-hall-201201|website=Vanity Fair|access-date=18 November 2017|language=en|date=9 December 2011}}</ref>
⚫
[[Image:PreservationHallClosed2.jpg|right|thumb|]]
The story of Preservation Hall dates back to the 1950s at Associated Artists, a small art gallery at 726 St. Peter Street in New Orleans' French Quarter. Upon opening the gallery the proprietor [[Larry Borenstein]] found that it curtailed his ability to attend the few remaining local jazz concerts, and began inviting these musicians to perform "rehearsal sessions" in the gallery itself. These sessions featured living legends of New Orleans Jazz – [[George Lewis (clarinetist)|George Lewis]], [[Punch Miller]], [[Sweet Emma Barrett]], [[Billie and De De Pierce]], [[The Humphrey Brothers]], and dozens more. During this period, traditional jazz had taken a backseat in popularity to rock 'n' roll and bebop, leaving many of these players to work odd jobs. Although concerted efforts by aficionados such as [[William "Bill" Russell]] succeeded in recording and documenting this fading art form during the "New Orleans Jazz Revival" of the 1940s, venues that offered live New Orleans jazz were few and far between. Before long, Borenstein's sessions took on a life of their own; enthusiasts of the music gravitated toward the gallery, including a young couple from Pennsylvania named Allan and Sandra Jaffe.


Allan Jaffe hired local musicians whose ages ranged from the 60s to the 90s. Many were struggling with poverty, racism, and illness. At first, the Jaffes served no alcohol, used no amplification, and refused to advertise. In 1963, Allan Jaffe began to tour with bands in the U.S. and in other countries. These tours included such musicians as pianist [[Sweet Emma Barrett]], trumpeter [[Kid Thomas Valentine]], brothers [[Percy Humphrey]] and [[Willie Humphrey]], pianist [[Billie Pierce]] and her husband, trumpeter [[De De Pierce]]. The most popular was clarinetist [[George Lewis (clarinetist)|George Lewis]], whose reputation preceded the Hall. Fans from all over the world came to New Orleans to hear traditional jazz.<ref name="Sancton" />
The Jaffes arrived in New Orleans in 1960, on an extended honeymoon from Mexico City. During their visit they conversed with a few jazz musicians in Jackson Square who were on their way to "Mr. Larry's Gallery". As avid fans of New Orleans jazz, the honeymooners followed the musicians and were introduced to Borenstein along with a number of living jazz greats that had gathered that evening for a jam session. They were enraptured by what they saw and heard. The music was pure and unaffected by the swaying of popular music. Most of these musicians were elderly, many of whom were contemporaries of [[Buddy Bolden]] and other early jazz practitioners. The Jaffes knew they happened upon something special and soon after moved to New Orleans permanently.


=== The foundation ===
The jam sessions at 726 St. Peter became much more frequent, so much so that Borenstein moved his gallery to the building next door. Performances were held nightly for donations and were organized by a short-lived not-for-profit organization, The New Orleans Society for The Preservation of [[Traditional Jazz]]. Shortly after the Jaffes return to New Orleans, Borenstein passed the nightly operations of the hall to [[Allan Jaffe]] on a profit-or-loss basis, for which Preservation Hall was born.
⚫
The Preservation Hall Foundation is a [[501(c)(3) organization]] primarily dedicated to Preservation Hall's educational initiatives, including but not limited to providing private lessons to youth taught by New Orleans jazz musicians, coordinating group lessons with the Preservation Hall Junior Jazz Band, presenting workshops during Preservation Hall Jazz Band tours, or maintenance of the ever-growing Preservation Hall archives. The Foundation also provides a free online learning resource for music educators and students called the Preservation Hall Foundation Brass Bandbook including the songs "Bourbon Street Parade", "Just a Closer Walk with Thee", "Lil' Liza Jane", "Down by the Riverside", "Didn't He Ramble", "Lord, Lord, Lord", "I'll Fly Away", "Joe Avery's Piece", "Paul Barbarin's Second Line", "Old Rugged Cross", "By and By", and "Do Whatcha Wanna".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brass Bandbook — New Orleans Sheet Music |url=https://www.preshallfoundation.org/brassbandbook |access-date=2024-02-25 |website=Preservation Hall Foundation |language=en-US}}</ref>

The nightly jazz concerts at Preservation Hall gathered a significant amount of press interest from its inception, first from local media, then a year later from national outlets, such as The [[New York Times]] and the [[Brinkley News Hour]]. As time went on, Allan believed the success of both the Hall and its mission of preservation would require these bands to tour, and in 1963, he organized the newly minted [[Preservation Hall Jazz Band]] for a string of performances in the Midwest. True to Jaffe’s estimation, the tour was a success and interest in the band and the rediscovery of New Orleans music stretched as far as Japan.

Today 50 years later, Preservation Hall and The Preservation Hall Jazz Band continue their mission, now under the leadership of the Jaffe's second son, Benjamin. In addition to nightly jazz concerts at the Hall and over 100 tour dates worldwide, Preservation Hall continues to broaden awareness of New Orleans Jazz in a modern age through new and archival recording releases, multimedia projects and presentations, maintenance of an ever-growing archive of New Orleans music and artifacts, collaborations with performers from other genres and disciplines, and education.

=== The Preservation Hall Foundation ===

⚫
The Preservation Hall Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization primarily dedicated to Preservation Hall's educational initiatives. Including but not limited to providing private lessons to youth taught by New Orleans jazz masters, coordinating group lessons with the Preservation Hall Junior Jazz Band, presenting workshops during Preservation Hall Jazz Band tours, or maintenance of the ever-growing Preservation Hall archives, the Foundation aims to ensure the perpetuation of the New Orleans tradition into the future.

=== Historic building ===

Antoine Faisendieu bought the lot at the current location of Preservation Hall from Guillermo Gros in 1803 and built a tavern, selling it in 1809 to Pierre and Barthelemy Jourdain.

A subsequent 1812 sale advertises a "house lately belonging to M. Faisendieu, $4000 cash and two years of notes." In 1816, when the Orleans Ballroom burned, this building also burned, and according to an act of sale, the architects Gurlie and Guillot bought the lot and rubble for $5000 in 1816, selling the property to Agathe Fanchon, femme de couleur libre, for $13,500 in November 1817.

Madame Fanchon owned the property until 1866. The service wing and patio were home and office to the photographer "Pop" Whitesell in the first half of the twentieth century.

=== Venue operation ===
Preservation Hall is open for nightly concerts from 8 pm to 11 pm, seven nights a week, with the exception of certain holidays and special events. There are three individual 45-minute performances nightly at 8:00 pm, 9:00 pm, and 10:00 pm.

Preservation Hall offers limited advance ticketing at [http://www.ticketfly.com/search/?q=preservation+hall PreservationHall.com/Tickets]

==See also==
*[[List of jazz clubs]]
*[[List of music venues]]


== Further reading ==
== Further reading ==
* ''Preservation Hall'' by William Carter
* ''Preservation Hall'' by William Carter
* "Song for My Fathers" by [[Tom Sancton]]
* "Song for My Fathers" by [[Tom Sancton]]

⚫
*[http://www.wwltv.com/historicbuildings/stories/wwl021608tppreservation.caa3c6a2.html Historic Architecture of Preservation Hall]
*[http://www.wwltv.com/video/news-index.html?nvid=219005&shu=1 Historic Architecture of Preservation Hall TV Interview]
==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}
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== External links ==
== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.preservationhall.com/ Preservation Hall.com]
* [http://www.preservationhall.com/ Official site]
* [http://www.preservationhall.com/hall/contact/index.aspx Preservation Hall FAQ]
* [http://www.lacroixrecords.com/grayson_menu.html The Ken Grayson Mills Project]
* [http://www.artplusradio.org/podcasts/shows/Preservation_Hall_06272007.mp3 ART+ Interview with Ben Jaffe about Preservation Hall's new CD, Made in New Orleans (July, 2007)]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927024952/http://www.artplusradio.org/podcasts/shows/Preservation_Hall_06272007.mp3 ART+ Interview with Ben Jaffe (July 2007)]
⚫
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080226215107/http://www.wwltv.com/historicbuildings/stories/wwl021608tppreservation.caa3c6a2.html Historic Architecture of Preservation Hall]

{{coord|29.9583|-90.0654|type:landmark_region:US-LA|display=title}}
{{Coord|29.9583|-90.0654|type:landmark_region:US-LA|display=title}}


{{Music venues of Louisiana}}
{{Music venues of Louisiana}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:French Quarter]]
[[Category:French Quarter]]
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[[Category:Jazz clubs in the United States]]
[[Category:Jazz clubs in the United States]]
[[Category:Music venues completed in 1961]]
[[Category:Music venues completed in 1961]]
[[Category:Jazz in Louisiana]]
[[Category:1961 establishments in Louisiana]]
[[Category:Historically African-American theaters and music venues]]

Latest revision as of 22:55, 17 September 2024

Front door of the Preservation Hall

Preservation Hall is a jazz venue on St Peter Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. The building is associated with a house band, a record label, and a non-profit foundation.

History of the jazz hall

[edit]

In the 1950s, art dealer Larry Borenstein from Milwaukee managed what would become Preservation Hall in the French Quarter as an art gallery, Associated Artists. To attract customers, he invited local jazz musicians to play for tips. After a time, the music started drawing more attention than the art.[1] In May 1961, Borenstein turned management over to Ken Grayson Mills and Barbara Reid, who turned it into a music venue and named it "Preservation Hall".[2][3]

After their honeymoon in 1961, Allan Jaffe and his wife Sandra visited to hear some traditional New Orleans jazz. The Jaffes were from Pennsylvania. Allan Jaffe was a tuba player who had graduated from the Wharton School of Business in Philadelphia, while his wife had been employed at an advertising agency. They attended concerts, grew to love the French Quarter, and stayed longer than they had intended. Borenstein asked if they wanted to manage Preservation Hall, and they agreed, taking over in September 1961.[4]

Allan Jaffe hired local musicians whose ages ranged from the 60s to the 90s. Many were struggling with poverty, racism, and illness. At first, the Jaffes served no alcohol, used no amplification, and refused to advertise. In 1963, Allan Jaffe began to tour with bands in the U.S. and in other countries. These tours included such musicians as pianist Sweet Emma Barrett, trumpeter Kid Thomas Valentine, brothers Percy Humphrey and Willie Humphrey, pianist Billie Pierce and her husband, trumpeter De De Pierce. The most popular was clarinetist George Lewis, whose reputation preceded the Hall. Fans from all over the world came to New Orleans to hear traditional jazz.[4]

The foundation

[edit]

The Preservation Hall Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization primarily dedicated to Preservation Hall's educational initiatives, including but not limited to providing private lessons to youth taught by New Orleans jazz musicians, coordinating group lessons with the Preservation Hall Junior Jazz Band, presenting workshops during Preservation Hall Jazz Band tours, or maintenance of the ever-growing Preservation Hall archives. The Foundation also provides a free online learning resource for music educators and students called the Preservation Hall Foundation Brass Bandbook including the songs "Bourbon Street Parade", "Just a Closer Walk with Thee", "Lil' Liza Jane", "Down by the Riverside", "Didn't He Ramble", "Lord, Lord, Lord", "I'll Fly Away", "Joe Avery's Piece", "Paul Barbarin's Second Line", "Old Rugged Cross", "By and By", and "Do Whatcha Wanna".[5]

Further reading

[edit]
  • Preservation Hall by William Carter
  • "Song for My Fathers" by Tom Sancton

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Farbenbloom, Frank (30 April 2020). "Remembering Larry Borenstein and Preservation Hall". The Syncopated Times. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  2. ^ Ekins, Richard. "Preservation Hall: The Rest of the Story". Just Jazz, No. 235, pp. 18-25. Retrieved 2020-06-23.
  3. ^ Ekins, Richard. "On the Origin of Preservation Hall". Just Jazz, No. 255, pp. 20-29. Retrieved 2020-06-23.
  4. ^ a b Sancton, Tom (9 December 2011). "The Venerable, Musical History of Preservation Hall in New Orleans". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  5. ^ "Brass Bandbook — New Orleans Sheet Music". Preservation Hall Foundation. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Preservation Hall.

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