Preservation Hall Jazz Band perform live in The Current studio
by Mary Lucia, Leah Garaas and Preservation Hall Jazz Band
March 27, 2015
Ahead of a performance at Minneapolis' Orchestra Hall, Preservation Hall Jazz Band stopped by The Current studio to chat with host Mary Lucia and to perform tracks off their latest album That's It!.
Preservation Hall Jazz Band has been around since 1963 and has more than 40 former members. Today creative director and tuba player Ben Jaffe was joined in The Current studio by Professor Rickie Monie (piano), Clint Maedgen (saxophone and vocals), Charlie Gabriel (saxophone, clarinet and vocals), Little Joe Lastie Jr. (drums), Ronell Johnson (trombone) and Mark Braud (trumpet).
The first track the band performed, "I Think I Love You", was co-written by Minnesota's own, Dan Wilson. "It was my first time writing new material for the band," says Ben Jaffe. "Dan came to New Orleans and we sat and wrote some songs together. This [collaborating with Wilson] was one of the ideas that had been floating around in my universe for about a year."
Preservation Hall Jazz Band has other local ties, too. Their 1964 debut album Sweet Emma and Her Preservation Hall Jazz Band was recorded live at the original Guthrie Theater. This was the band's first performance outside of New Orleans. The first was also in Minneapolis in 1963, but it wasn't recorded.
"They [the Guthrie Theater staff and Dr. Henry Blackburn, who first booked the band] kicked themselves for not recording that concert," explains Jaffe. "So when [Preservation Hall Jazz Band] came back in '64, they arranged to have an engineer there." Good move, team. Just this week it was announced that the album would be inducted to the Library of Congress alongside Radiohead's Kid A, Lauryn Hill's The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and other influential releases.
Listen to the full in-studio to hear Mary Lucia chat with Ben Jaffe about Sweet Emma, their collaboration with Jim James of My Morning Jacket, and Charlie Gabriel's story behind "Come with Me."
Songs Performed
"I Think I Love You"
"That's It!"
"Come with Me"
All songs off Preservation Hall Jazz Band's latest album, That's It, out now via Sony Records.
Hosted by Mary Lucia
Produced by Derrick Stevens
Engineered by Mike DeMark
Web feature by Leah Garaas
