The legendary Preservation Hall Jazz Band will re-release So It Is and That’s It! on CD / LP worldwide June 28th through Sub Pop. You can preorder both albums now through Sub Pop Mega Mart and select independent retailers in North America, UK and Europe. Both albums are also available digitally now from Sub Pop.
So It Is was originally released in 2017, and finds the classic Preservation Hall Jazz Band sound invigorated by a number of fresh influences, not least among them the band’s 2015 life-changing trip to Cuba. A visit to the island, so integral to the evolution of jazz and New Orleans culture in general, had long been in the works when President Obama’s diplomatic opening suddenly allowed for a more extensive journey than had originally seemed possible. Producer David Sitek, a founder of art rock innovators TV on the Radio who has helmed projects by Kelis, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Santigold among others, offered both a keen modern perspective and a profound respect for the band’s storied history.
Released in 2013, That’s It! is an eclectic album that draws on the collective experience of players nurtured in the New Orleans tradition but determined to build something fresh and exciting on that foundation. It marks an important milestone in PHJB Creative Director Ben Jaffe’s crusade to carry forward the Hall’s original mission while making it relevant to today’s audiences. For his part, co-producer Jim James is convinced that the PHJB has a future as vibrant as its past: “The music will speak forever,” he says. “Will people stop listening to Beethoven? Will people stop listening to Bob Dylan? Will people stop listening to the Preservation Hall Jazz Band?”
Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s touring schedule for 2019 resumes May 16th in New Orleans at the Fillmore and currently ends with a three-night stand November 29th-December 1st in Baltimore at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall.
Tour Dates
May 16 – New Orleans, LA – The Fillmore ^
Jul. 05 – Elkhorn, WI – Alpine Valley Music Theatre*
Jul. 06 – Elkhorn, WI – Alpine Valley Music Theatre*
Jul. 28 – Newport, RI – Newport Folk Festival
Aug. 02 – Happy Valley, OR – Pickathon
Aug. 03 – Happy Valley, OR – Pickathon
Aug. 05 – Folsom, CA – Harris Center For The Arts
Aug. 06 – Folsom, CA – Harris Center For The Arts
Aug. 08 – San Francisco, CA – SFJAZZ
Aug. 09 – San Francisco, CA – SFJAZZ
Aug. 10 – San Francisco, CA – SFJAZZ (7:00PM)
Aug. 10 – San Francisco, CA – SFJAZZ (9:30PM)
Aug. 11 -San Francisco, CA – SF Jazz Center – Miner Auditorium
Aug. 15 – Philadelphia, PA – Old Pool Farm
Aug. 16 – Philadelphia, PA – Old Pool Farm
Aug. 17 – Philadelphia, PA – Old Pool Farm
Aug. 18 – Philadelphia, PA – Old Pool Farm
Aug. 24 – Arrington, VA – Lockn’ Music Festival
Sep. 20 – Louisville, KY – Bourbon & Beyond Festival
Sep. 21 – Franklin, TN – Pilgrimage Music Festival
Sep. 22 – Franklin, TN – Pilgrimage Music Festival
Nov. 29 – Baltimore, MD – Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
Nov. 30 – Baltimore, MD – Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
Dec. 01 – Baltimore, MD – Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
*with Dave Matthews Band
^with Foo Fighters
Recently, Preservation Hall Jazz Band released “Kreyol,” a spirited tune from “A Tuba To Cuba,” the forthcoming soundtrack to the critically acclaimed documentary directed by T.G. Herrington and Danny Clinch. The song is available now worldwide on all DSPs from Sub Pop.
“A Tuba To Cuba” follows Ben Jaffe of New Orleans’ famed Preservation Hall Jazz Band as he seeks to fulfill his late father’s dream of retracing their musical roots to the shores of Cuba in search of the indigenous music that gave birth to New Orleans jazz. “A Tuba To Cuba” celebrates the triumph of the human spirit expressed through the universal language of music and challenges us to resolve to build bridges, not walls. The film is available through Amazon Video, iTunes, DirecTV, Google Play, YouTube Movies and more. Check your local service provider for additional listings.
The New York Times says of the film, “This joyous, wide-ranging account of a New Orleans jazz band’s 2015 visit to Cuba is crammed with fascinating facts and toe-tickling tunes.” And the LA Times offers this, “Jaunty, at times poetic chats and drop-ins with many Big Easy and Cuban jazz artists, discussion of their music’s African lineage (the Atlantic slave trade factored in), stirring examples of native instrumentation, and pulsating performances combine with colorful, travelogue-type shots (love those old Cuban theaters) and vivid archival footage to create a vibrant and joyous portrait.”
