New Orleans Preserved

Jerry Westall

Henry VIII may have had six wives but he missed out on the seventh wonder of the world! This occurred just down the road from Henry’s old pad at Hampton Court on Saturday 28^th August, 2010.

This was witnessed by a large crowd of enthusiasts who experienced the only performance of the New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band in this country this year. They appeared on stage after the Ronnie Scott All Stars and rhythm and blues singer Ruby Turner. She has recently been vocalist with the Jules Holland Big Band and had a good session.

As the evening arrived and the weather became cooler the music was anything but cool. Hot jazz from the beleaguered home of ‘a revolutionary way of making music’ as Alan Robinson put it so well in ‘Jazz News’ August 2010.

The Preservation Band was a fine ensemble playing the unique music of the Crescent City. They were led by Mark Braud, a powerful trumpeter with the outstanding Charlie Gabriel on clarinet, Freddie Lonzo on trombone and Clint Maedgen on alto sax. The rhythm section of Benjamin Jaffe on sousaphone (who also played string bass and shook a vibrant tambourine at times), Rickie Monie on piano and the brilliant drummer Joe Lastie completed the line up.

As well as a mastery of their instruments most of the band demonstrated capable vocals with my favourite being by Charlie Gabriel and Freddie Lonzo on Morton’s lovely tune ‘Sweet Substitute’.

Charlie Gabriel, a sprightly 78 year old, was the star of the show yet as always with New Orleans jazz the whole band are important. Charlie has a family inheritance to be proud of. His great grandfather played the bass in New Orleans in 1856, his grandfather’s instruments were accordion and cornet. His father played clarinet and drums. Charlie himself started his career at 16 playing with Lionel Hampton and was a member of Aretha Franklin’s orchestra in the 1970’s. But it is traditional jazz with the loves, having played with Jim Robinson and George Lewis among others.

Mark Braud is also from a jazz family, grandson of John ‘Picket’ Brunois, also known as Wendell Brunois – a trumpeter who arranged for Billy Eckstein and Cab Calloway. He also performed with Chris Barber. Mark, also the nephew of Ellington bassist Wellman Braud, has been with the Harry Connick Jnr Big Band and played for the Broadway production of ‘One Mo’ Time’.

Freddie Lonzo, Kid Ory style trombonist has recorded with Wynton Marsalis among many others. He is keen on Gospel music, Spirituals and military marches.

The youngest member of the band, Clint Maedgen straddles the line between traditional jazz and rock and roll and has fronted punk style cabaret acts. His eclectic approach was absorbed into the new Orleans style without any problems.

Rickie Monie has known all styles of piano jazz. He is a long time member of the Band, being with them since 1982. He previously played with the legendary Olympia Brass Band.

Joe Lastie has been a drummer since he was eight years old. He played with Prof. Longhair and was a classmate of Wynton and Branford Marsalis. He has expressed the view that ‘playing in Preservation Hall is like playing in a Church – you are sharing a gift from God’. Joe was a sufferer from Katrina and lost nearly everything at the time, including two drum sets.

Ben Jaffe’s parents Alan and Sandra Jaffe founded the Preservation Hall and Ben now co-manages the band. He has declared: ‘We live for the music’. His agile and light sousaphone was a bedrock for the band.

Individually fine musicians, the Band had the type of unpretentious dedication so associated with New Orleans music. There is something almost religious about real New Orleans jazz. This is shown by those who visit the city regarding as something of a Mecca. The style is looser and more outward looking than some of the traditional jazz music we are used to hearing in this country.

The crowd must have been the youngest jazz audience seen in Britain since the 1950’s. With Jamie Cullum playing to a packed and fairly young audience at the Albert Hall in the Proms the same week (where he performed one number inspired by his visit to New Orleans) we have perhaps the beginning of a new jazz revival in this country. In future, let us hope, that genuine New Orleans jazz will be coming to Britain more than once a year!

A CD by almost the same band ‘New Orleans Preservation Vol 1’ (no 2 is promised), obtainable through www.preservationhall.com is available and captures much, but not all, of the band’s performance. My memory is that the live singing was more in tune than some of the singing on the CD and nothing quite meets the experience of a live performance.