PHJB Announces Live at Carnegie Hall Album: St. Peter and 57th (EXCLUSIVE DOWNLOAD)

Entitled St. Peter and 57th (September 25th, Rounder Records), the album will feature a number of special guests from an assortment of genres including,Features guests such as George Wein, Del McCoury Band, Allen Toussaint, Ed Helms, GIVERS, Steve Earle, Tao Seeger, My Morning Jacket, Trombone Shorty, Yasiin Bey (aka Mos Def), King Britt, Blind Boys of Alabama, and Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs

 

In commemoration and celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the iconic venue Preservation Hall, the prolific New Orleans jazz legends Preservation Hall Jazz Band are set to release a live recording of the band's acclaimed January 7th performance at Carnegie Hall.  

Rehearsal--Photo by Howard Lambert

The concert was orchestrated to benefit the Preservation Hall Music Outreach Program, directly supporting the passing of the musical and cultural traditions of New Orleans to the city's next generation of musicians. A portion of the proceeds from the album will also benefit the program.  

The band is also sharing "St. James Infirmary, Part 1" featuring My Morning Jacket's Jim James, which just premiered on Pitchfork. 

Jazz Fest Season 2012: TOP 10 MOMENTS

Everyone at the Hall is in ecstatic shock to the overwhelming love and support we've been receiving over the past couple of weeks. We are relieved that the chaos from the festival season is over, but we are on the edges of our seats to see the receding effects. In the mean time, the Hall family would love to share with you our top 10 moments during this Jazz Fest season, 2012.

1. Lionel Ferbos and Wendell Eugene perform with the Preservation Hall Junior Jazz Band at Jazz Fest

Sometimes the saying, 'history repeats itself' can be taken as a true gift of time and human potential. I witnessed this on the side of the Gentilly stage as 100 year old Lionel Ferbos (trumpet) and 89 year old Wendell Eugene (Trombone) joined the PHJB and the Preservation Hall Junior Jazz Band to help close out the show. Watching from the side of the stage, I was witnessing the true life cycle of traditional New Orleans' music. After the show, one of Ferbos' family members said that he has been playing music for over 83 years now. Lionel and Wendell's performing history only makes me think of the potential vitality that exists in all of the Junior Jazz Band players. The thought is overwhelming and comforting at the same time.

2. George Wein with the PHJB opening the Gentilly performance with Basin Street Blues

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival founder, George Wein helped open the PHJB's Gentilly performance. Although Preservation Hall is celebrating 50 years, our hats go off to George Wein, who has facilitated Jazz events for over 50 years nation wide. When jazz is in need of a spot light, George collectivizes and presents the art form like no other producer. Thank you Mr. Wein.

3. The Times Picayune-'Global Force'

The entire Pres Hall family was exhausted the day after the PHJB closed out Jazz Fest, until we saw this very flattering front page spread on Monday's issue of The Times-Picayune. This front page spread was revitalizing and goes to show that doing the right things for the right reasons, combined with hard work, always proves to be eternally triumphant.

4. Theresa Andersson's Midnight Preserves performance of 'Japanese Art'


We do not have footage of Theresa Andersson with the Hall Band, but I can tell you that her set was magical and complimenting. The Hall family was most impressed by her song, 'Japanese Art.'

5. Ivan Neville's performance of 'Down By the Riverside' at The Preservation Hall Crescent City Revue



Ivan Neville brought his energy and skills to the joy theater with his rendition of 'Down By the Riverside.'

6. Steve Earle's Midnight Preserves performance of 'This City'



Although we do not have any footage of Steve Earle's Midnight Preserves performance, one of the Hall Family's favorite highlights was witnessing Steve's version of 'This City' backed by the PHJB. 

7. Danny Clinch 'Silver and Brass Exhibit' at Preservation Hall

Our good friend, Danny Clinch, performed at the Hall twice with his band, the Tangiers Blues Band, during our Midnight Preserves showcase. Before the performance we displayed Danny's favorite New Orleans and Hall related photos in the Hall's Carriage way.

View Danny Clinch Photo's HERE

“I could feel the spirit of all the music that passed through there,” photographer and musician Danny Clinch said of the first time he entered the Preservation Hall in New Orleans. "I immediately started taking photographs." And he hasn't stopped since 2005.

8. New Birth Brass Band's tribute to the great Olympia Brass Band


During Jazz Fest, New Birth Birth Brass Band paid tribute to the great Olympia Brass Band. The energy of New Birth bled through the ancient floors of the Hall and brought forth a spirit connecting the audience in a way that only a few a handful of brass bands can muster.


9. RONELL JOHNSON GOING NUTS at Jazz Fest!

Photo by John McCusker

I was helping out backstage on the Gentilly Stage during the PHJB's closing performance. Most of the viewing audience were blown away by the guest performers, but my sights were dead set on Ronell Johnson, a true tuba rock star. Not only does Ronell blast clear and defined bass lines through such a large brass instrument, but he also jumps up and down while playing, sways his left arm back and forth, and dance marches as if he were in a second line. Ronell played this way the entire show and proved to leave a devastating mark in the audience's spirits. Can somebody get this man a towel?

10. This David Lee Roth-esque photo of Ronnie Numbers from the New Orleans BINGO! Show

Photo by Dino Perrucci

Need I say more?

Danny Clinch Pres Hall Photos Featured on CNN.com

Capturing the spirit of a New Orleans jazz hall

– Robert Johnson, CNN

“I could feel the spirit of all the music that passed through there,” photographer and musician Danny Clinch said of the first time he entered the Preservation Hall in New Orleans. "I immediately started taking photographs." And he hasn't stopped since 2005.

“Everywhere I pointed the camera, there was a photograph waiting there,“ said Clinch of the celebrated jazz performance hall.

The Preservation Hall is a worn-in music venue on St. Peter Street in the heart of the New Orleans’ French Quarter. Allan and Sandra Jaffe started the Hall, a former art gallery, in 1961 simply as a place for musicians to gather.

Decades later, people spend hours in a line that snakes out onto the street for a seat or a spot on the floor in the 600-square-foot venue that holds about 65 people.

“There’s not really a bad seat. There’s definitely good seats where you’re sitting in the lap of these people,” Clinch said of the intimate venue. There is no alcohol or food; patrons come just to hear the music.

Dozens of musicians have rotated in and out of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band over the years.
“The band has traveled worldwide spreading their mission to nurture and perpetuate the art form of New Orleans Jazz. Whether performing at Carnegie Hall or Lincoln Center, for British Royalty or the King of Thailand, this music embodies a joyful, timeless spirit,” according to its website.

Clinch met Allan and Sandra’s son Ben Jaffe in 2005 at a Radio City Music Hall benefit for musicians displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

Clinch and Jaffe, the band’s creative director and tuba player, became close friends. Jaffe invited Clinch to show his work at the hall during the 2012 New Orleans Jazz Festival.

Much like the improvisations of the jazz that fills the Hall, Clinch captured the spirit of the hall using a variety of formats and film, ranging from Leica, Hasselblad and Polaroid to 8×10, Tintype and digital.

“I’m not sure there is another place in the world that you can see this music in such an amazing setting,” Clinch remembers telling a patron who was visiting from England.

“The whole thing is about the spirit of Preservation Hall. If you go there, the place has so much history and character. The vibe is so thick, even as an empty space, you can feel so much spirit.”
The Silver and Brass exhibit opens there at midnight May 4 and runs through May 11. Clinch’s group, The Tangiers Blues Band, will play at the opening.

The Silver and Brass pieces are for sale. A portion of the proceeds will go to The Preservation Hall Music Outreach Program

Read ORIGINAL Post HERE

Just Announced: Photographer/Cinematographer Danny Clinch's "Silver & Brass" Exhibit @ Preservation Hall

Just announced - On Thursday, May 3rd at Midnight, Preservation Hall will be presenting "Silver & Brass," and Exhibit by Photographer/Cinematographer Danny Clinch. The exhibit will feature images from Danny's many visits to New Orleans and on the road with The Preservation Hall Jazz Band over the years. The opening will also feature Danny Clinch's Tangiers Blues Band alongside the Preservation Hall Horns.

"I have spent some more than memorable moments in New Orleans. These moments have been heightened after my acquaintance with Preservation Hall and those who embody its spirit. I will be presenting my photographs of these spirits at Preservation Hall on Thursday, May 3 at midnight.The Tangiers Blues Band will be joining up with the Preservation Hall horns to add a soundtrack to your viewing pleasure. Come celebrate"...Danny

 

Portraits will feature such artists as:

Dr. John

Ben Jaffe

Charlie Gabriel

Jim James

Bruce Springsteen

Tom Waits

and much more...

 

 PURCHASE TICKETS BY CLICKING HERE

Check out Danny's portfolio HERE

A Midnight Preserves Roundup: Tangiers Blues Band 5/3 and 5/5

Join the Pres Hall family Thursday, May 3rd at Midnight for a special Midnight Preserves performance by Tangiers Brass Band. Tangiers will also be opening for Lil' Band O' Gold Saturday, May 5th.

Not familiar with Tangiers Brass Band? Here ya go!

The Tangiers Blues Band was formed in 1998 after guitarist Chris Scianni (Dangerman, Echobrain with Jason Newsted) and drummer Dave Borla (Dangerman, Echobrain) met photographer/harmonica player Danny Clinch and discovered their mutual love for blues music. The first Tangiers Blues Band jam session took place on Thanksgiving night that year with other musicians and friends, including Huey from the Fun Lovin’ Criminals, King from Cooley High, Mick Jones from Foreigner and tennis palyer/guitarist John McEnroe. The original line-up was formed after that with Chris (guitar), Dave Borla (drums), Danny (harmonica), Huey (lap steel), King (vox and guitar) adding their long time friends Dave Sellar (bass) from Darla Hood and Peter Levin (keys) who had played in various bands in New York City and currently tours with The Blind Boys of Alabama.

The TBB line-up changes from show to show, with a deep rotation of musicians they have known and jammed with for many years, and in many different configurations. In addition, they have many “special guests” who will sit in with them for a night when they are around including G-Love, Phil Lesh, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Charlie Giordano (Bruce Springsteen) and Chris’ father, Joseph Scianni. The line-up on the TBB studio recordings consists of Chris, Danny, Pete, King and Dave Sellars with Jon Graboff (Ryan Adams and The Cardinals) on lap and pedal steel guitars and Mo Roberts (Shemeka Copeland) on drums. The recording was done in one day at Moon Palace Studios, mixed and produced by Tim Latham (Lou Reed, Tribe Called Quest) a long time friend of all the guys.

Here are some highlights from the 2011 Midnight Preserves performances featuring Tangiers Blues Band.

Join and SHARE the Facebook event for Tangiers Blues Band

Thursday, May 3

MIDNIGHT

TANGIERS BLUES BAND playing with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band

PURCHASE TICKETS for TANGIERS BLUES BAND

Saturday, May 5

8:00pm

Lil’ Band O’ Gold (CC Adcock, Steve Riley, Warren Storm, 'Dickie' Landry, David Egan, Tommy McLain, Lil' Buck Senegal, Pat Breaux, Richard Comeaux)

plus Tangiers Blues Band

PURCHASE TICKETS for MAY 5

New Orleans Film Festival to feature "Live at Preservation Hall: Louisiana Fairytale" by Danny Clinch at the Prytania Theater in New Orleans on Monday October 17th

Come on out New Orleans to this very special screening of "Live at Preservation Hall: Louisiana Fairytale."  The film is part of the 2011 New Orleans Film Festival and will be screened 7:30pm Monday October 17th at the Prytania Theatre (5339 Prytania Street) in New Orleans.  Directed by Danny Clinch and produced by Ben Jaffe, this 69 minute documentary follows every element leading up to and included the amazing performance at Preservation Hall with My Morning Jacket.

This Weekend: A Double-Dose of PHJB in Birmingham!

So you already know that Danny Clinch's lovely documentary "Louisiana Fairytale - Live At Preservation Hall" is going to be playing at the Carver Theatre as a part of the 13th Annual Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival at 1:10pm this Sunday in Birmingham, Alabama?

And you're already hip to the fact that the Preservation Hall Jazz Band will be playing, live and in-person, at Sidewalk Central on 18th Street between 3rd and 4th Avenue on Saturday at 6:45pm?

Kudos!  But, did you know that the performance documented in "Louisiana Fairytale" was the culmination of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band's exciting 2010 tour with My Morning Jacket that kicked off... in Birmingham!  Check out this review of the tour opening performance in Spin Magazine!

APRIL 20th - BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
My Morning Jacket Open Tour in Alabama
Concert Review by Kenn McCracken for Spin.com
"My Morning Jacket have a reputation as one of the best live bands around, and their tour kickoff Tuesday night at the Alabama Theater in Birmingham showed why.
After a strong opening set by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, which concluded with a surprise guest vocal by My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James on "Louisiana Fairytale and St. James Infirmary," MMJ took the stage and dove into "One Big Holiday..." FULL ARTICLE HERE

Charlie Gabriel and Clint Maedgen outside the Alabama Theater in 2010 
- Photo by Ben Jaffe -

"Live At Preservation Hall: Louisiana Fairytale" to screen at Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival in August

Just announced- Danny Clinch's documentary "Live at Preservation Hall: Louisiana Fairytale" featuring PHJB and My Morning Jacket will screen at the 2011 Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival in Birmingham, Alabama August 26-28.  Special appearance by The Preservation Hall Brass Band! Stay tuned for updates. Watch the trailer for film below


Danny Clinch : Louisiana Fairytale Trailer from Levine / Leavitt on Vimeo.

Trailer for "Live at Preservation Hall: Louisiana Fairytale" by Danny Clinch

This just in! The brand new trailer for Danny Clinch's documentary "Live at Preservation Hall: Louisiana Fairytale" featuring PHJB and My Morning Jacket.  Don't forget that  the first New Orleans screening of the film is on July 23rd at the Ogden Museum(as a conclusion to the "Art and Jazz: Preservation Hall at 50" exhibit) located on 925 Camp Street.

Danny Clinch : Louisiana Fairytale Trailer from Levine / Leavitt on Vimeo.

Preservation Hall's Midnight Preserves, 2011: A Video Recap

It's been nearly three weeks since we wrapped up our seventh annual Midnight Preserves late-night concert series.  Once again, Preservation Hall has been blessed with some amazing performances by some of our favorite performers.  We'd like to thank everybody who participated - we had a great time!

Midnight Preserves 2011 - Preservation Hall - JazzFest - Robert Plant from Adam McCullough on Vimeo.

For those of you who weren't able to join us, check out this great video compilation by music photographer and friend of Preservation Hall, Adam McCullough!  (And join us next year!)

Review: "Louisiana Fairytale: Live at Preservation Hall" at SXSW by Magnet Magazine

SXSW Report: "Live At Preservation Hall: Louisiana Fairytale," North Mississippi Allstars

March 18, 2011

MagnetMagazine.com

 

MAGNET's Mitch Myers files his sixth round of notes from SXSW

SXSW is reigning down with full force now. The crowds are massive, and the density of party action is almost beyond reason. So, what else is there to do in Texas but celebrate New Orleans-style? Director Danny Clinch ensured a little bit of the French Quarter was delivered to Austin on Thursday with the screening of his new documentary film Live At Preservation Hall: Louisiana Fairytale. Clinch’s movie focuses on New Orleans jazz traditions, specifically the guys in the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, who have been playing music at 726 St. Peter Street in the French Quarter since the early ’60s.

Part of the New Orleans jazz tradition is to collaborate while moving forward; in this case, it meant the Preservation Hall group joined forces with Jim James and his band, My Morning Jacket. This pairing isn’t as unlikely as it first sounds, and Clinch did an expert job capturing the meeting of the two ensembles and their exciting, intimate performance down on St Peter Street. We also learn the history of the Preservation Hall and its members, gain insights into their musical lifestyle and watch the visiting members of My Morning Jacket absorb some of their enchantment.

To set the tone just before the film’s screening, Clinch wisely summoned the spirit of New Orleans down in Austin as the Preservation Hall Jazz Band suddenly appeared and circled the street in front of the Paramount Theater, playing a moving, grooving second-line parade for the waiting moviegoers and passers-by. The parade then continued inside the theater, which led to a dynamic performance of “St James Infirmary,” with a suit-clad James singing and moaning and throwing himself up against the theater seats and along the front of the stage. It’s clear that the musicians from the two groups had a great deal of respect for one another, and this movie is more of a celebration of the summit than anything else. Photographer Clinch is certainly growing as a director—he’s made concert films showcasing bands like Pearl Jam and John Mayer—and this might be his best yet...

FULL ARTICLE HERE!

Ted Leo interviews Danny Clinch about 'Louisiana Fairytale' featuring PHJB and MMJ for IFC at SXSW

PREMIERE OF "LIVE AT PRESERVATION HALL: LOUISIANA FAIRYTALE" AT SXSW featuring PHJB and My Morning Jacket

If you find yourself in Austin this Thursday, we are screening Danny Clinch's latest film ''Louisiana Fairytale'' at SXSW!

And for those who can make it, you will be treated to a pre-screening set of music by The Preservation Hall Jazz Band!

Thursday, March 17th 2:30pm 

@ Paramount  Theater
713 Congress Ave.
Austin, TX 78701

For music, film or press guests of the festival, those credentials will get you right in!  Otherwise, tickets are $10 at the door.
 

From My Morning Jacket : 

"my morning jacket is thrilled to play alongside the one and only
preservation hall jazz band in this beautiful new film from danny
clinch. the film details a magically collaborative performance between
the pres hall jazz band and mmj- late one night down in the french
quarter at the legendary preservation hall itself, along with
documentary footage and interviews about the preservation hall and its
rich new orleans heritage. please come down and check it out!" 

Danny Clinch's Tangiers Blues Band with Preservation Hall Jazz Band - "Sweet Little Angel" (Video)

Tangiers Blues Band & Preservation Hall Jazz Band - Sweet Little Angel from Three on the Tree Productions on Vimeo.

Preservation Hall Documentary at SXSW 2011!

Preservation Hall is happy to announce that Danny Clinch's documentary "Live at Preservation Hall: Louisiana Fairytale" will be included in the SXSW 2011 Documentary Lineup.  Here's an article from NOLA.com:

Preservation Hall doc among South by Southwest 2011 lineup
 By Mike Scott, The Times-Picayune

 

The 2011 South by Southwest Film Festival has announced its lineup for its March 11-20 edition, and at least one locally connected film appears on the list.

Director Danny Clinch's documentary "Live at Preservation Hall: Louisiana Fairytale" will be making its world premiere at the Austin festival, screening as part of the its music-centric "24 Beats Per Second" showcase.

The synposis: "For fifty years the Preservation Hall Jazz Band has played to keep the traditions of New Orleans jazz alive, both at home and on tour around the world. Along the way, they have brought in collaborators of all musical stripes to play, honor, and reinterpret America's first true art form. 'Louisiana Fairytale' documents their collaboration with American rock band My Morning Jacket, showing a legendary group of New Orleans musicians passing on traditions and inspiring a new generation. The film features an intimate performance by both bands in the French Quarter's historic Preservation Hall."

"Live at Preservation Hall" is the latest film from Clinch, who has made a name for himself capturing music figures and events on film.

It is among the more than 100 films set to upspool at this year's event, including such headliners as "The Beaver," "Source Code" "Conan O'Brien Can't Stop," "The Greatest Movie Ever Sold" and "Page One: A Year Inside the New York Times."

Here's the full lineup for the 2011 SXSW Film Festival. For more info, visit the official SXSW site.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

My Morning Jacket and The Preservation Hall Jazz Band - We didn't say it...

As you probably are aware by now, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and My Morning Jacket have just completed a whirlwind affair; two weeks out on the road together with some amazing Jazz Fest performances in the middle! As one might expect, a genre-transcending monster mash of such prodigious proportions has caught the eye of some very astute journalists. Here's what a few of them had to say...

APRIL 20th - BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
My Morning Jacket Open Tour in Alabama
Concert Review by Kenn McCracken for Spin.com
"My Morning Jacket have a reputation as one of the best live bands around, and their tour kickoff Tuesday night at the Alabama Theater in Birmingham showed why.

After a strong opening set by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, which concluded with a surprise guest vocal by My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James on "Louisiana Fairytale and St. James Infirmary," MMJ took the stage and dove into "One Big Holiday..." FULL ARTICLE HERE

Concert Shots: My Morning Jacket / Preservation Hall Jazz Band, 4-20-10
by Brent Thompson for The Birmingham Weekly
"One of the more unlikely – and enjoyable – double-bill shows you’ll ever find: Louisville’s guitar-driven quintet My Morning Jacket headlining a show opened by Big Easy stalwarts Preservation Hall Jazz Band. On Tuesday, April 20, the bands played to a sold-out crowd at the Alabama Theatre in a show presented by Red Mountain Entertainment..."

FULL ARTICLE HERE

April 21st - NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
The Jacket Are Back at It
by Andrew William Smith for Interference.com
"...the Preservation Hall Jazz Band created a timeless, romantic, and clubby vibe, complete with clarinet solos and a soaring sousaphone. For two tunes, Yim Yames took the stage and sang lead through a red cheerleader’s megaphone. The collaborative spirit and mutual respect seen then would return for the encore, where the Preservation party would join the Jacket for a full-on, throw-down, soul-town, funkytronic dance party..."

FULL ARTICLE HERE

April 24th - PHJB joins MMJ at JAZZ FEST
Kayceman's Top Three (JazzFest, 04.24.10) for Jambase.com
#1 - My Morning Jacket I have seen Jim James bring rain to Bonnaroo when Tennessee needed it, and now I've seen him bring sun to Jazz Fest when New Orleans needed it. A powerful, moving performance by the Jacket, they touched on all facets of their catalog including Curtis Mayfield's "Move On Up" to close the set. But what made this show so special was the inclusion of New Orleans legends Al "Carnival Time" Johnson singing "Carnival Time" and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band (who is currently on tour with MMJ) on a wicked version of "Highly Suspicious" that had this writer wondering if we might be witnessing the start of a horn relationship for MMJ similar to what Widespread Panic has developed with NOLA's Dirty Dozen Brass Band.

FULL ARTICLE HERE

Another Day At Jazz Fest Ends On A High Note
by Jerry Shriver for USA Today
"...Louisville's My Morning Jacket capped their 90-minute set of dreamy, theatrical, 21st-century white country-soul songs by introducing New Orleans' venerable Preservation Hall Jazz Band. The ultra-traditional ensemble, whose recent benefit album features My Morning Jacket lead singer Jim James, backed him here on uproarious versions of Mother-in-Law, It's Carnival Time and the Curtis Mayfield classic Move On Up..."

FULL ARTICLE HERE

Jazz Fest April, 24 - Full Morning Jacket
by Will Coviello for The Gambit
"The most amazing harmony at the fest was struck between My Morning Jacket and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, which have been performing together recently. The Pres Hall band joined Jim James et al for a funk romp through “Highly Suspicious.” Then they tackled “Mother-In-Law.” Then Bonerama’s Craig Klein and Mark Mullins came on stage with Al “Carnival Time” Johnson and they all did “Carnival Time.” To close the set, Clint Maedgen arrived and the ensemble covered Curtis Mayfield’s “Move On Up.” It was a fun and quirky progression but an absolutely inspired set..."

FULL ARTICLE HERE

Preservation Hall Jazz Band, My Morning Jacket, and Amy Lavere Photos - Preservation Hall, 04/24/10
photos by Mark C. Austin for Paste Magazine
On Saturday night, Preservation Hall Jazz Band took to the building from which they’re named after, playing for an intimate crowd of 120 with help from My Morning Jacket and Amy Lavelle. Paste’s Mark C. Austin was there.


My Morning Jacket with Preservation Hall Jazz Band / 04.24.10 / Preservation Hall
Words by Kayceman
Photos by Erika Goldring

"After performing part of their set with Preservation Hall Jazz Band earlier in the day at their Saturday headlining Jazz Fest slot (read about it here), My Morning Jacket teamed up with the local New Orleans legends later that night on their home turf at the tiny New Orleans institution, Preservation Hall. It was an intense, intimate evening that had the 100 or so attendees completely enthralled with every note and word. The show featured the Preservation Hall Jazz Band starting the night off solo then welcoming singer Amy LaVere and MMJ's Jim James, both of whom appear on Preservation Hall Jazz Band's new benefit album Preservation. Following the Prez Hall portion, MMJ took the stage for an incredible acoustic set that concluded with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band parading through the French Quarter with My Morning Jacket."MORE PHOTOS HERE

April 25th - MMJ joins PHJB at JAZZ FEST 2010
Jazz Fest lets the sun and fun shine in after wet weekend
by Jerry Shriver for USA Today
"With thousands watching under brilliant blue skies, Preservation Hall ran through a lively repertoire of standards and offered proof that the music pioneered in New Orleans a century ago was the clear progenitor of today's jam-band phenomenon. Toward the end, the band brought out My Morning Jacket vocalist Jim James, who wielded a Rudy Vallee-style megaphone to croon Louisiana Fairytale while twirling giddily during the instrumental breaks. The show ended with a delightful bit of musicology: contemporary trumpeter Terence Blanchard came on stage to back James and the band on an early version of the jazz standard St. James Infirmary, punctuating the mournful lyrics with rough-hewn cries and wails. Then James left the stage and Preservation Hall vocalist Clint Maedgens took over to sing the now-standard version of the song, tracing its evolution. The lesson may have been lost on the crowd, but the song's enduring power was not..."

FULL ARTICLE HERE

Jazz Fest Week One: Quick Thoughts
by Alex Rawls for Offbeat Magazine
"The Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s set Sunday was a reminder that there are no corny songs, just corny versions. It opened with a dynamic, joyful “Bourbon Street Parade” and closed with not one but two back-to-back versions of “St. James Infirmary.” The idea of repeating a song seems like a recipe for disaster, but the first was sung by My Morning Jacket’s Jim James and it had a haunting air, with James contributing ghostly moans while Terence Blanchard’s solo escalated the melancholy with grace. Blanchard remained onstage and took a different, livelier tack on the rollicking version sung by Clint Maedgen but whipped to the finish line by drummer Joe Lastie."FULL ARTICLE HERE

Preservation Hall Jazz Band: No Added Preservatives by Josh Jackson for NPR Jazz
"...Trombonist Freddie Lonzo and trumpeter Mark Braud provided the low-down brass blues, clarinetist Charlie Gabriel added a soaring clarinet response and singer Clint Maedgen was hip without pretense. Their version of "I Believe Like Moses Did" never broke down, even when they were goofing...

Amy LaVere was there to sing the enticing "Baby Won't You Please Come Home" into a vintage-style ribbon microphone, albeit one that was wreaking havoc for the sound technicians. Her auburn-accented hair sailed into the breeze, and she handled an equally flowing delivery.

Jim James showed up in the band's suit-and-tie dress code, with a bullhorn resembling a stolen traffic cone. There was little caution to his sweetness on "Louisiana Fairytale," a song about smelling magnolias and being in love — "The world is at our feet, the picture is complete, like a Lou'siana fairytale." Really, Yim Yames?"

FULL ARTICLE HERE

Preservation Hall Gets A Little Help From Their Friends
by Keith Spera for the New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Pres Hall joined My Morning Jacket for the conclusion of the latter's Jazz Fest set on Saturday. Later that night, members of My Morning Jacket sat in with Preservation Hall at the Hall itself for the toughest ticket of this Jazz Fest season. Prominent rock photographer Danny Clinch is on hand to shoot a documentary of the collaboration.

And, at Jazz Fest on Sunday, My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James joined Preservation Hall at the Gentilly Stage for two songs. He even donned the band's traditional white shirt, black tie and black vest, accessorized with a pair of rock star sunglasses.

Even before James's appearance, the Pres Hall set demonstrated the benefits of cross-generational collaboration. Thirty-something, pencil-mustachioed saxophonist and singer Clint Maedgen, recruited from the avant-garde performance troupe the New Orleans Bingo! Show, presided over a leering "Complicated Life," a Kinks cover that the Hall has adapted.

On "I Believe Like Moses Did," trombonist Freddie Lonzo, trumpeter Mark Braud and Maedgen, on one microphone, swapped call-and-response lines with clarinetist Charlie Gabriel on another. The playing was invigorated, the attitude mischievous..."

FULL ARTICLE HERE

Preservation Party: On The Ground at New Orleans Jazz Fest
by David Fricke for RollingStone.com
A little before 3 a.m. on April 25th, the past and promise of American music collided, with funk and ecstasy, at Preservation Hall in New Orleans. In that venerable French Quarter storefront, with its bare-walls decor and resident spirits of past jazz masters, the house combo — the Preservation Hall Jazz Band — and Southern-rock futurists My Morning Jacket played Curtis Mayfield's "Move On Up" as a 12-piece unplugged supergroup. MMJ singer Jim James, decked out like a riverboat card shark, let his falsetto fly in the reverb-free room, through a lusty thicket of brass and frantic acoustic picking. Then the Preservation Hall cats, with MMJ drummer Patrick Hallahan, filed out of the club and took the music into St. Peter Street, leading the audience on a second-line parade and pulling surprised drinkers out of nearby bars into the wake.

April 27 - ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA
Concert Review: My Morning Jacket at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre (with setlist)
by Deborah Ramos for CreativeLoafing.com
"When the band returned to the stage, they brought the Preservation Hall Jazz Band back with them. The St. Augustine show came just after both bands had played two shows in the Jazz Band’s native New Orleans, and they brought the energy of those performances into this evening. The Jazz Band proved themselves the perfect backing band for “Highly Suspicious,” a song I enjoy more and more every time I see it live, with the funk elements really emphasizing Prince’s influence in James’ vocals..."

FULL ARTICLE HERE

May 2 - COLUMBUS, OHIO
[Concert Review] My Morning Jacket at the Lifestyle Communities Pavillion
by Casual Clay Cunningham for Everyview.com
"While the rain, which beat down rather heavily prior to the show, never fully subsided, it at least began to slow down by the time opening act, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, took the stage. While I am not a connoisseur of jazz music, I was quite taken with their great on stage chemistry, and the sheer joy they seemed to feel playing for an audience they likely don’t generally play for. And if you can close you set by getting a pavilion full of jaded hipsters to join you in a rendition of “You Are My Sunshine,” you must be doing something right (though having MMJ members perform three songs with them likely aided in getting the crowd on their side)..."

FULL ARTICLE HERE