Heritage Hall Jazz Band

Biography

The Preservation Hall Jazz Band originated from Preservation Hall, a legendary music venue in New Orleans' French Quarter founded in 1961 by Allan and Sandra Jaffe. In the 1950s, art dealer Larry Borenstein ran the space as a gallery and invited local jazz musicians to perform, drawing visitors including the Jaffes during their 1961 honeymoon. Allan Jaffe, a tuba player from Pennsylvania with a Wharton School background, and his wife took over management, hiring elderly New Orleans jazz masters aged 60s to 90s who faced poverty and hardship. The venue offered unamplified, alcohol-free performances without advertising, reviving traditional New Orleans jazz amid the rise of rock and bebop.[1][3][5]

The band formed in 1963 as the touring arm of Preservation Hall's house band, spreading New Orleans jazz worldwide with leaders like Sweet Emma Barrett, Kid Thomas Valentine, Percy and Willie Humphrey, De De and Billie Pierce, and clarinetist George Lewis. Early members had connections to jazz pioneers such as Buddy Bolden, Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, and Bunk Johnson. After Allan Jaffe's death, his son Ben Jaffe assumed leadership as creative director, playing tuba and bass while maintaining the band's rotating lineup and global tours, even continuing post-Hurricane Katrina in 2005.[1][2][4][5]

The band's musical style embodies traditional New Orleans jazz—characterized by brass, collective improvisation, and joyful rhythms—while evolving with younger musicians. Its legacy lies in preserving this art form, nurturing generations of players, and influencing global audiences through performances at Carnegie Hall, for royalty, and via recordings, ensuring the music's timeless spirit endures.[1][3][6]

Fun Facts

• The building housing Preservation Hall served as a tavern during the War of 1812, later a photo studio and art gallery before becoming a music venue.
• French clarinetist Michel Sebastiani, a Preservation Hall performer, later became an Olympic fencing coach for the U.S. national team.
• Multiple bands toured under the Preservation Hall name in the early years, with charter members linking directly to jazz inventors like Buddy Bolden.
• Current clarinetist Charlie Gabriel played as a teen with Lionel Hampton's band alongside a young Charles Mingus and later toured with Aretha Franklin.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Sweet Emma Barrett - Band leader and pianist who taught younger musicians (Early tours and Preservation Hall performances) [1960s-1970s]
• Percy Humphrey - Trumpeter and band leader who mentored mid-1980s players (Preservation Hall sessions) [1970s-1980s]
• Waldren “Frog” Joseph - Trombonist who strongly influenced Freddie Lonzo (Preservation Hall performances) [mid-1980s]
• Buddy Bolden, Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, Bunk Johnson - Jazz pioneers with whom charter members performed, passing down early jazz traditions (Early 20th century performances) [early 1900s]

Key Collaborators

• Willie Humphrey - Brother of Percy, clarinetist and band leader (Preservation Hall tours) [1960s-1980s]
• De De Pierce and Billie Pierce - Husband-wife trumpeter and pianist duo, band leaders (Early international tours) [1960s]
• Ben Jaffe - Creative director, tuba/bass player, son of founders (Ongoing tours and recordings) [1990s-present]
• Clint Maedgen - Saxophonist/vocalist from New Orleans Bingo! Show (Preservation Hall Jazz Band performances) [pre-2005 onwards]
• Freddie Lonzo - Trombonist, current member (Preservation Hall lineup) [1980s-present]
• Harold Dejan - Leader of Olympia Brass Band, hired many touring members (Olympia Brass Band) [late 1960s-1970s]

Artists Influenced

• John Brunious - Trumpeter who followed as band leader after brother Wendell (Preservation Hall tours) [1980s-2000s]
• Wendell Brunious - Trumpeter who took leadership roles in Valentine's and touring bands (Preservation Hall performances) [1970s-1990s]
• Michael White - Played in Olympia Brass Band, influenced by Preservation Hall touring members (Olympia Brass Band) [late 1960s-1970s]
• Walter Payton - Tuba player in Olympia Brass Band (Olympia Brass Band) [late 1960s-1970s]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Silver Bells (A jazzy Christmas With The Heritage Hall Jazz Band)
2. Silver Bells (Jazz Festival Christmas)
3. How Come You Do Me Like You Do (Cookin!)
4. Go Tell It On A Mountain (A jazzy Christmas With The Heritage Hall Jazz Band)
5. O Christmas Tree (A jazzy Christmas With The Heritage Hall Jazz Band)
6. The Christmas Song (A jazzy Christmas With The Heritage Hall Jazz Band)
7. Chinatown, My Chinatown (Cookin!)
8. Down in Honky Tonky Town (Cookin!)
9. Spiritual Medley (Cookin!)
10. Doctor Jazz (Cookin!)

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia