[Dixielandjazz] Re: Preservation Hall

[Rob McCallum]

Jazz Jerry wrote:

> Unfortunately popularity does not necessarily equate with quality. I have
> visited the Preservation Hall website and indeed there are excellent
musicians
> listed but I found the whole site extremely depressing. It appeared to me
to be
> a calculated and rather cynical attempt to cash in on the great stars of
the
> past. I have only visited Preservation Hall once and that was back in
1987.
> Even then I was dissappointed at what I found. It simply seemed to be a
tourist
> trap rather than a place to hear high quality music. I also heard the
> 'Preservation Hall Jazz Band' when it toured in the 1970s with the
Humphrey Brothers,
> Cie Frasier etc. and it was a good band.
>

Having never had the opportunity to visit New Orleans I haven't experienced
Preservation Hall first hand, however, I have read that when the Jaffes
(sp?) opened it in the early 1960's the general opinion of the time was that
they were crazy.  Apparently no one thought that bringing the older
surviving, mostly African-American,  N.O. musicians out of retirement to
claim their due would succeed and that the Jaffes were naive.  Preservation
Hall didn't begin as an attempt to make a buck off the tourist trade,
rather, I've read, it was more a labor of love.  The fact that it was so
wildly successful that it became a tourist stop and spawned touring groups
shouldn't be confused with the idea that it was created just to cash in.  My
understanding is that, even today, it remains a rather humble place with
very low cover.

On another note, not long ago there was a concert from Preservation Hall
broadcast on public television.  The crowd seemed very focussed on the music
(though that might have been for the cameras - I've been told that some in
the tourist crowd are oblivious to the music and won't keep their mouths
shut).  The music was o.k.(if less than inspired) though there were some
glaring intonation problems that were distracting, but the crowd seemed to
really be enjoying it.

All for now,
Rob McCallum