The Preservation Hall Jazz Band will perform Saturday at the Musikfest Cafe.Though Ben Jaffe will only be making his second appearance at Bethlehem's
this weekend with the
, the creative director and tuba player is no stranger to eastern Pennsylvania.
The son of the band's co-founders Allan and Sandra Jaffe, he remembers frequent childhood trips up to Pottsville, Pa. from the band's New Orleans-home base to visit his father's family.
But no trip was complete, Jaffe says, without bringing a case of
back to the Crescent City.
The 41-year old Jaffe will lead his world-renowned jazz band to Bethlehem on Saturday for a performance at
. This year's RiverJazz festival, which will also feature
, kicked off Thursday and continues through May 25.
The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, named after the storied New Orleans venue in the heart of the city's French Quarter, was founded in the early 1960s and has been touring the globe since, playing along jazz greats such as Louis Armstrong and Jelly Roll Morton.
Last Sunday, the band celebrated its 50th anniversary with two concerts at
.
Though
is a long way from the streets of the French Quarter, Jaffe says one his greatest thrills is bringing the culture and music of his hometown to as many different places as possible. Following in the footsteps of his parents, Jaffe says it's the band's purpose to keep New Orleans' rich jazz heritage alive for future generations to experience.
Patrick Brogan, vice president for performing arts at ArtsQuest, says he was thrilled about this year's RiverJazz lineup and thinks that going into its second year, the festival will be around for years to come.
All that jazz
The second annual RiverJazz music festival continues tonight through May 25 at SteelStacks in Bethlehem.
The festival will feature a variety of local, regional and nationally touring jazz performers. Highlights include: Lynnie Godfrey on May 18; Bela Fleck and The Marcus Roberts Trio on May 23; and Kevin Eubanks, former bandleader on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," on May 25.
Preservation Hall Band performs 7:30 p.m. Saturday inside Musikfest Cafe. Tickets cost $49 for balcony seating and $39 for cabaret seating.
For ticket prices and more information, call 610-332-3378 or visit artsquest.org.