Preservation Hall Jazz Band has held the torch of New Orleans music aloft for more than 50 years, keeping the history they were founded to preserve alive and well. This ageless ensemble has toured the world displaying the unbreakable spirit of New Orleans and sharing the joy of its very special style of jazz. The band consists of Ben Jaffe (one of the original founders), Branden Lewis, Charlie Gabriel, Walter Harris, Kyle Roussel, Ronell Johnson, and Clint Maedgen. The PHJB‘s name and mission are directly tied to Preservation Hall, a venue in the French Quarter that serves as a hub for traditional New Orleans jazz. In 2006, The Band was awarded the National Medal of Arts, the nation’s highest honor for artistic excellence. (Above) they perform Bourbon Street Parade together with the Cincinatti Pops Orchestra in a PBS special “Take Me to the River.”
The video below is bit of a mystery. The group is called The Preservation Hall Jazz Quartet … although they perform at Preservation Hall, I cannot find any information affirming or denying a connection to the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. The quartet consists of Kevin Louis on trumpet, Lars Edegran at the piano, Haruka Kikuchi playing trombone, and Joe Lastie on drums. The tune is a mystery as well. I don’t recognize it, nor can I find reference to a name anywhere, but one thing is for certain … the sound is pure N’Orleans!
