Benjamin Jaffe (born January 26, 1971) is the creative director of

Preservation Hall Preservation Hall is a jazz venue in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. The building is associated with a house band, a record label, and a non-profit foundation. History of the jazz hall In the 1950s, art dealer Larry Borenstein ...

and plays tuba and double bass with the

Preservation Hall Jazz Band The Preservation Hall Jazz Band is a New Orleans jazz band founded in New Orleans by tuba player Allan Jaffe in the early 1960s. The band derives its name from Preservation Hall in the French Quarter. In 2005, the Hall's doors were closed for a ...

Early life and education

He is the son of Preservation Hall's former managers,

Allan Jaffe Allan Phillip Jaffe (April 24, 1935, Pottsville, Pennsylvania - March 9, 1987, New Orleans) was an American jazz tubist and the entrepreneur who, along with his wife Sandra, developed Preservation Hall into a New Orleans jazz tradition. Jaffe's ...

and Sandra Jaffe. Jaffe grew up in New Orleans'

French Quarter The French Quarter, also known as the , is the oldest neighborhood in the city of New Orleans. After New Orleans (french: La Nouvelle-Orléans) was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the city developed around the ("Old S ...

, two blocks from Preservation Hall. His father, Allan, in addition to managing the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Preservation Hall, played tuba with the band as well. From birth, Ben was brought on tour with the band during their international tours. Ben’s early musical memories are marching alongside his father in

Mardi Gras Mardi Gras (, ) refers to events of the Carnival celebration, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday, which is known as Shrove Tuesday. is French for "F ...

Parades and

jazz funeral A jazz funeral is a funeral procession accompanied by a brass band, in the tradition of New Orleans, Louisiana. History The term "jazz funeral" was long in use by observers from elsewhere, but was generally disdained as inappropriate by most Ne ...

processions. He began playing in grammar school at McDonogh 15 School for the Creative Arts in the French Quarter. During high school at NOCCA, he studied upright bass under

Walter Payton Walter Jerry Payton (July 25, 1953Although most sources at the time of his death gave Payton's birth year as 1954, reliable sources subsequently state he was born in 1953. – November 1, 1999) was an American football running back who played ...

. After high school, Ben attended Oberlin College where he received a degree in bass performance in 1992.

Career

Following his graduation, Ben returned to New Orleans, resumed his father's position as manager of the Preservation Hall venue and joined the Preservation Hall Jazz Band on tour playing bass. Benjamin produced a number of albums for the Preservation Hall band, and most recently co-produced the band's first album of original compositions "That's It," alongside

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frontman

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. Benjamin serves as the Chairman of the Board of the Preservation Hall Foundation, the charitable non-profit that serves the mission to "protect, preserve and perpetuate New Orleans jazz music and culture." In episode 6 of " Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways,"

Dave Grohl David Eric Grohl (born January 14, 1969) is an American musician. He is the founder of the rock band Foo Fighters, in which he is the lead singer, guitarist, and principal songwriter. Prior to forming Foo Fighters, he was the drummer of gru ...

interviews Ben about his parents' role in preserving New Orleans jazz, the history of

and Jaffe's current role as director, operating the hall.

Discography

Preservation Hall Jazz Band

*''In The Sweet Bye and Bye'' (1986) *''Because of You'' (1988) *''Songs of New Orleans'' (1991) *''Shake That Thing'' (1994) *''The Hurricane Sessions'' (1997) *''New Orleans Preservation Volume 1'' (1999) *''St. Peter Street Serenade'' (2000) *''Preservation: An Album to Benefit Preservation Hall and The Preservation Hall Music Outreach Program'' (2001) *''St. Peter & 57th'' (2002) *''That's It'' (2003) *''So It Is'' (2007)

Collaborations

*''Our New Orleans'' (2005) *''Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino'' (2007) *''Death of a Street Singer'' by

Jeremy Lyons Jeremy Lyons (born March 24, 1970) is an American musician, currently based in Massachusetts. Musical career Jeremy Lyons began his professional music career playing blues guitar and singing on the streets of New Orleans, and went on to make a ...

and The Deltabilly Boys (2007) *''New Orleans Jazz'' by

Lars Edegran Lars Ivar Edegran (born 1944) is a Dixieland jazz musician and bandleader from Sweden. He most often plays piano, guitar, or banjo but has also played mandolin, clarinet, and saxophone. Edegran was born in Stockholm, Sweden and played in New O ...

(2008) *''New Orlean's Seventh Ward Griot'' by

Carl LeBlanc Carl LeBlanc (born May 26, 1955) is an American guitarist and four-string banjo player. LeBlanc is most striking for his work in both avant garde jazz and traditional jazz—being the only musician to work with famed afrofuturist keyboardist/ban ...

(2008) *''Down in New Orleans'' by

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(2008) *''Magnificent Beast'' by

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(2011) *''

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'' by

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(2011) *''

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'' by

Foo Fighters Foo Fighters are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Seattle in 1994. Foo Fighters was initially formed as a one-man project by former Nirvana (band), Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl. Following the success of the Foo Fighters (album), epony ...

(2014) *''Kokomo Kidd'' by Guy Davis (2015) *''Shadowbox'' by

Beats Antique Beats Antique is a U.S.-based experimental world fusion and electronic music group. Formed in 2007 in conjunction with producer Miles Copeland, the group has become noted for their mix of different genres as well as their live shows, which mix s ...

(2016)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jaffe, Ben 1971 births Oberlin College alumni Musicians from New Orleans American chairpersons of corporations Living people Preservation Hall Jazz Band members Oberlin Jazz Ensemble members