WaPo: Preservation Hall Jazz Band on the road
Source: Washington Post
"Reverential is a word I use a lot to express how we all feel about New Orleans and our history."
The words are Ben Jaffe's, and he would know. Creative director of the city's landmark Preservation Hall, and tuba player for the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Jaffe is the son of founders Allan and Sandra Jaffe.
"Growing up in New Orleans, we kind of take the music for granted," he said in a phone interview. "I would wake up in the morning to my dad practicing his tuba, and I would go to sleep at night with the windows open, being able to hear the music coming from Preservation Hall."
Going into the family business was something that happened naturally, after a slight deviation. "For a long period in my life, I did think I was going to end up in New York playing modern jazz," Jaffe said. "When I got out of college, however, it was a no-brainer for me to move back to New Orleans and take over the post that my father once held. It was not only a calling, but a yearning and a piece of me that was filled when I returned to New Orleans."
The band is playing in the DC area next week.
