Allan P. Jaffe (1935 - 1987)
Pottsville, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
He and his wife Sandra managed and developed Preservation Hall, a jazz venue in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. He founded the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, playing sousaphone and touring music halls and cultural events worldwide. Born in Pottsville.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Pottsville native Allan Jaffe left Pennsylvania for New Orleans, where he and his wife Sandra took over a struggling French Quarter art gallery and turned it into Preservation Hall, a shrine to traditional New Orleans jazz. Playing sousaphone himself, Jaffe founded the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and carried the music of the city's aging masters to concert halls and festivals around the world. His stewardship helped ensure that an older generation of New Orleans musicians found new audiences and lasting recognition.
Why it matters
By championing the elder musicians who created New Orleans jazz, Jaffe helped preserve one of America's original art forms at a moment when it might otherwise have faded.
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Related people
- · Allan P. Jaffe
- · Sandra Jaffe
Themes & tags
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