Preservation Hall Jazz Band

Founded in 1961 by tuba player Allan Jaffe, the PHJB was formed to preserve the city’s priceless musical heritage and give their veteran musicians a place to play, and it instantly attracted players linked to the glory days of the 1920s. Now run by Jaffe’s son, tuba player Ben Jaffe, the group features a wealth of New Orleans talent, including versatile singer and instrumentalist Clint Maedgen, pianist Kyle Roussel, and trombonist Ronell Johnson, who joined the band in 2012.

Under the younger Jaffe’s direction, the band has remained timelessly relevant, recording and sharing the stage with the likes of Allen Toussaint, the Foo Fighters, Tom Waits, Yasiin Bey (Mos Def), Dr. John, My Morning Jacket, Beck, and others.

For their tireless work in performance, promotion, and preservation of New Orleans music and their commitment to education initiatives, we honored Preservation Hall with the Lifetime Achievement Award at SFJAZZ Gala 2018.

Univerally known as the "Soul Queen of New Orleans," Irma Thomas has been an R&B icon since the 1960s, working with the late Gulf Coast legend Allen Toussaint on a string of hits including "Wish Someone Would Care" and "Ruler of My Heart." Her 1964 cover of Jerry Ragovoy's "Time Is on My Side" inspired the version that became a signature song for the Rolling Stones, with whom Thomas performed at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in May of this year. She's a two-time Blues Music Award winner, a GRAMMY winner for her 2006 post-Katrina album After the Rain, and she received the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Honors & Awards.