For over 30 years WWOZ has put New Orleans music, past and present, on the airwaves. Now they are looking to the future by showcasing Nola’s newest crop of young musicians. Together with Coventry Health Care of Louisiana, WWOZ is thrilled to present Cuttin’ Class - a series of live in-studio performances by middle and high school age students from the Greater New Orleans area.
Each Cuttin’ Class presentation brings young Nola musicians to the studio to give them the chance to perform on live radio. The show hosts sits down with the band leaders to talk about the band, what it’s like to be young musician, and about the music education opportunities in New Orleans. The future is in our hands, and we want to give it all the encouragement and support we can. The schools and organizations bringing bands to Cuttin’ Class are doing just that: making sure that New Orleans music is a passed on down through the generations.
The Preservation Hall Junior Jazz Band is honored and thrilled to be a part of this music series. Tune into WWOZ 90.7 on Tuesday, April 2nd at 10:00am to catch our fine young talents perform Traditional New Orleans Jazz! Don’t live in New Orleans, no problem! You can also stream the performance live at http://www.wwoz.org!
The Arts Council of New Orleans, in partnership with AfricaNola and the Preservation Hall Foundation is presenting the 2nd annual Celebrate Africa Day Festival. This significant event takes place at the Arts Market of New Orleans Saturday, March 30th from 10:00am to 4:00pm in Palmer Park at the corner of S. Carrollton and S. Claiborne Avenues. Celebrate Africa Day at the Arts Market of New Orleans strives to promote, preserve, perpetuate and encourage the music, culture and heritage of African and African-American communities in Louisiana.
Celebrate Africa Day at the Arts Market of New Orleans Performance Schedule:
11:30am - African story time at the Kids Tent
12:00pm - Second Line thru the park led by: Preservation Hall Jr. Jazz Band
12:15 – 1:00pm - Performances by Preservation Hall Jr. Jazz Band
1:30 – 2:30pm - Performance by Africa Brass
2:30pm - African dance performances by Jamilah Peters Muhammad
2:30pm -African story time at the Kids Tent
3:00 – 4:00 pm - Drum circle and workshop with Luther Gray
Celebrate Africa Day at the Arts Market of New Orleans will focus on African music, culture and artistry as well as their connection to Louisiana. West African melodies and rhythms serve as the basis for much of New Orleans music and our market schedule will include musical performances that celebrate this aspect of our rich musical culture. The Preservation Hall Jr. Jazz Band consists of aspiring young musicians ages 10-17 and under the mentorship of AfricaNOLA they have developed a musical style that integrates West African music, New Orleans brass, and jazz. The Preservation Hall Jr. Jazz Band has played alongside their mentors at Preservation Hall as well as the New Orleans Superdome and the world-famous Carnegie Hall. They will lead a second line parade through Palmer Park to kick off our performances for the day. They will then do a spirited set of traditional and African jazz. Market attendee participation is highly encouraged!
Our second ensemble, Africa Brass represents the most innovative, globally-inspired marriage or brass and drums. To envision the sound of Africa Brass, close your eyes and imagine the sound of West African drumming connecting with American Jazz and ultimately falling in love with New Orleans brass. Africa Brass’ music has been described as powerful, moving and spiritual – bridging the cultures of two continents and eight centuries. The Louisiana Weekly recently described Africa Brass as “expressively modern” and “forward thinking.” Africa Brass has excited audiences with performances at major musical event, including Congo Square’s New World Rhythms Festival, French Quarter Festival and New Orleans Afrikan Film and Arts Festival.
Jamilah Peters Muhammad will honor us with a brief dance performance – demonstrating the power and grace that encapsulates African dance traditions. Ms. Muhammad, fondly known as “Mama Jamilah,” is a certified nurse practitioner and professional dancer who currently works as a community health consultant. She leads health-oriented programming throughout the community that encourages individuals to “dance their way to wellness.”
The final musical component of Celebrate Africa Day at the Arts Market will consist of a drum circle lead by Luther Gray. Mr. Gray is the founder of the Congo Square Foundation as well as the musical group Bamboola 2000. His musical style incorporates New Orleans, Caribbean and African roots. His hour-long workshop will include an open drum circle and a historical perspective of West-African drumming in a modern day context. All are invited to join in and bring their own drums, bells, shakers and music makers!
Under the kids tent children of all ages will be invited to make their own African-inspired crafts and noise makers. Our children’s programming for the day will also include an African-themed story corner presented by the New Orleans Public Library.
Celebrate Africa Day at the Arts Market of New Orleans will be a unique opportunity for all ages, ethnicities and economic levels to come together in Palmer Park and experience African culture, music and dance. New Orleans would not be the city it is without the contributions of its African ancestors, this event will recognize and celebrate those contributions and continue to keep African heritage and culture alive.
Liga MAC strives to offer a “helping hand” to low income families of San Jose del Cabo to ensure that they are well-nourished, have access to medical care, and to provide children and adults with the opportunity to continue their education. Liga MAC has been a registered Mexican charity since 1997, and it is made up of Mexicans, Americans, and Canadians (MAC). Liga MAC’s JazzFest is their primary fundraiser which helps them raise a major part of their anual budget. In 2012, with the funds raised at their 8th Annual JazzFest, Liga MAC helped over 2000 low-income families in crisis in San Jose del Cabo.
The Preservation Hall Jazz Band was happy to perform as a part of their JazzFest in order to help raise funds for their Basic Needs Programs, Medical Assistance Program, and Educational Support Program. Check out pictures from their performance at the JazzFest, with special Guest Charmaine Neville.
We’ll be celebrating the holiday season with the Louisiana Children’s Museum by performing as a part of the premiere of their enchanted forest of decorated trees created by community partners that represent the arts, culture, food, literature, and businesses of our region! The trees will be on display from December 1-21.
We are very excited to be a party of the Festival of Trees for the second year in a row! Join us tomorrow night for all the fun!
Dessert First Premiere Party Friday, November 30th
6:00pm – 9:00pm Tickets $25 per person
Entertainment by Louis Ford & His New Orleans Flairs and The Preservation Hall Junior Brass Band
Savory delights provided by Criollo Restaurant
For more information about the Festival of Trees, please contact Rebecca Duckert, LCM Special Events Coordinator: (504) 266-2415 or rduckert@lcm.org
Last Saturday, November 3rd, the Preservation Hall Junior Jazz Band was invited to perform at Carnivale Du Vin, a gala hosted by the Emeril Lagasse Foundation. The event raised funds to support the Foundation with their innovative educational programming, in an effort to improve the quality of young people’s lives. From early childhood to young adults entering the workforce, the Emeril Lagasse Foundation has provided over $5 million dollars in funding to create an impact in the areas of nutrition, gardening, healthy food acces, school meals, culinary arts education, and life skills development.
This year, the foundation provided to the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA), Second Harvest Food Bank, Liberty’s Kitchen, Cafe Reconcile, and St. Michael’s Special School. The Preservation Hall Junior Jazz Band was honored to perform as a part of the event. Check out photos below from their performance!
The trip is a cultural exchange, providing New Orleans students the opportunity to share New Orleans music, perform for Japanese jazz fans at a variety of music venues and events, and collaborate with Japanese youth Jazz bands. New Orleans area students are additionally exploring the connection between two areas of the world that have experienced massive devastation, assisted each other in their rebuilding processes post-Katrina and post-Tsunami, and take an interest in preserving the culture of Jazz. Not only are these students gaining further education, but additionally are furthering their professional experience.
We are so proud of our members of the Preservation Hall Junior Jazz Band, and cannot wait to hear about their experiences and what they learned while they were in Japan.
Preservation Hall Jazz Band – Live at Carnegie Hall album: St. Peter & 57th St. (Released September 25th)
In commemoration and celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the iconic venue Preservation Hall, the prolific New Orleans jazz legends Preservation Hall Jazz Band has released a live recording of the band’s acclaimed January 7th performance at Carnegie Hall.
Entitled St. Peter and 57th St. (September 25th, Rounder Records), the album features a number of special guests from an assortment of genres including, 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.
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. The Preservation Hall Foundation was able to bring five of our senior members of the Preservation Hall Junior Jazz Band to perform for the 50th Anniversary Concert at Carnegie Hall. These students included John Michael Bradford (trumpet), William Hightower (Clarinet), Jasmine Batiste (Tenor Sax), Jose Bessleman (Drums), and Jeffery Miller (trombone). Our students with the Preservation Hall Junior Jazz Band are additionally featured on the album, and a portion of the proceeds from the album will benefit the program, insuring that our classes continue to remain free for all local area New Orleans students.
St. Peter and 57th St. is on sale now! Pick up your copy today!
This past Saturday, September 15th, we were joined by AfricaNOLA to provide our students with the Africa Brass Master Class Series. In this class, our students learned the West African melodies and rhythms that serve as the basis for much of New Orleans music. Check out these great photos of our students during the Master Class.
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We still have more Master Classes coming up! Our schedule is as follows:
PresHall Foundation and AfricaNOLA Master Class Series:
Saturday, September 15th – 10am to 12pm at Preservation Hall
Saturday, October 13th – 10am to 12pm at Preservation Hall
Saturday, November 10th – 10am to 12pm at Preservation Hall
Saturday, December 8th – 10am to 12pm at Preservation Hall
Saturday, January 12th – 10am to 12pm at Preservation Hall
Saturday, February 16th – 10am to 12pm at Preservation Hall
Saturday, March 9th – 10am to 12pm at Preservation Hall
Saturday, March 30th – 10am to 4pm, Performance TBD at Palmer Park for Africa Day
If you know an interested student who’d like to learn more about West African Music or Traditional New Orleans Jazz, have them send an email to Ashley Shabankareh, Outreach Coordinator, at ashley@preshallfoundation.org.
Preserving and Sharing West African Music, Jazz and Dance in New Orleans
The Preservation Hall Foundation is proud to partner with AfricaNOLA in integrating its Africa Brass Master Class Series into our established educational classes on traditional New Orleans jazz. Students in our program, aged 10 to 17, learn traditional jazz styles and forms in free, weekly Saturday classes. The Africa Brass workshops will teach students the traditional West African roots of this music, and students will also learn a new musical style that integrates West African music, New Orleans brass, and jazz. While the Africa Brass workshops will take place once a month, Preservation Hall instructors have committed to working with students on the new repertoire and techniques on a weekly basis.
AfricaNOLA has proposed an exciting curriculum in which students learn the West African melodies and rhythms that serve as the basis for much of New Orleans music. For example, they will learn Macru, which forms the rhythmic basis of the New Orleans standard, “Lil’ Liza Jane.”
Students will also learn about West African culture, which is the basis of our culture here in New Orleans, and they will also learn to play West African drums.
Brass bands and traditional jazz have a long and rich history in New Orleans, and students who grow up here should be exposed to the West African roots of this tradition. Many students at Preservation Hall plan to pursue careers as professional musicians, and we believe that participation in the Africa Brass master classes will be crucial in developing students’ unique modes of creative expression, which is absolutely vital for success in the competitive entertainment industry.
Classes begin on Saturday, Sept.15th, 2012 at 10AM at Preservation Hall in the French Quarter. Classes will be held once per month, in addition to our already establish weekly traditional brass band classes. Our schedule for classes is as follows:
PresHall Foundation and AfricaNOLA Master Class Series:
Saturday, September 15th – 10am to 12pm at Preservation Hall
Saturday, October 13th – 10am to 12pm at Preservation Hall
Saturday, November 10th – 10am to 12pm at Preservation Hall
Saturday, December 8th – 10am to 12pm at Preservation Hall
Saturday, January 12th – 10am to 12pm at Preservation Hall
Saturday, February 16th – 10am to 12pm at Preservation Hall
Saturday, March 9th – 10am to 12pm at Preservation Hall
Saturday, March 30th – 10am to 4pm, Performance TBD at Palmer Park for Africa Day
For more information about Preservation Hall, please visit:
Last Saturday, August 25th, the Preservation Hall Junior Jazz Band performed at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art’s Family Fair. Check out some great photos of our students as they performed for the event!
