Preservation Hall Jazz Band is making an East Coast swing this weekend — Kent, Conn. on Saturday and Lancaster, Pa. on Sunday.
Just ahead of the band’s journey up here, I plan to interview Ben Jaffe, who took over the jazz institution his parents started in New Orleans and has balanced a reverence for tradition with an infusion of new ideas. Ben serves as creative director of Preservation Hall, in addition to performing with the band. (though he won’t be doing the gigs up north this weekend)
I have an interview scheduled with Ben for Tuesday evening. If you have any suggestions before then about what you’d like me to ask, let me know.
Even if you don’t have any suggestions, check back in a few days to see the results of that conversation.
Here’s Preservation Hall at Newport Jazz Fest in 1970:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqAbzOjvLPg]
And here’s the Edge playing with Preservation Hall on their first weekend of reopening after Katrina:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y4Z0WiRCE8]