Preservation Hall Jazz Band was founded in 1961 to promote traditional New Orleans jazz in all its authenticity. Legendary players like George Lewis, Sweet Emma Barrett and Kid Thomas Valentine, all rooted in the formative years jazz, were its original stars. That generation is long gone now, yet the hall is still in business and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band continues to tour the world.
Therein lies a paradox: how does an institution based on an early 20th century musical culture prosper in the 21st? When asked that question on the occasion of the Hall's 50thanniversary, Creative Director Ben Jaffe had a ready answer: "This anniversary is about the next fifty years."
It is in this spirit that
Preservation Hall Jazz Band is delighted to announce the release of their new album That's It! on July 9th via Legacy Recordings the band's first album of original music in its entire fifty year history.
That's It! was produced by My Morning Jacket's
Jim James and Ben Jaffe and recorded at
The Preservation Hall. As these are all brand-new compositions, band members Ben Jaffe, Charlie Gabriel, Rickie Monie and Clint Maedgen wrote for the album and collaborated with Paul Williams,
Dan Wilson and Chris Stapleton on several songs. And record fans should make note: The LP version of That's It! will be pressed on 180 gram vinyl and includes a full size poster.
That's It! is an eclectic album that draws on the collective experience of players nurtured in the New Orleans tradition but determined to build something fresh and exciting on that foundation. For his part, producer
Jim James is convinced that the PHJB has a future as vibrant as its past: "The music will speak forever," James says. "Will people stop listening to Beethoven? Will people stop listening to Bob Dylan? Will people stop listening to thePreservation Hall Jazz Band?"
Not if Ben Jaffe can help it. "My parents were never preservationists in any strict sense," he says. "They simply presented the music the way the old jazzmen wanted to play it. This is the music we want to play today. We'll continue to do the old standards, along with new material that allows us to be creative and relevant. With this album, I wanted to do something that would challenge us and make us proud."
Another exciting new challenge for PHJB is the making of the music video for their first original title track, "That's It!" In a partnership with Genero.tv, fan filmmakers now have the opportunity to create a music video for the song. Submissions close June 12th, and all the details are available at Genero.tv/preservationhall.
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