Preservation Hall Jazz Band has announced the release of their new
album A Tuba To Cuba, the
soundtrack to the critically acclaimed documentary directed by T.G. Herrington and Danny Clinch, out June 28, 2019 via Sub Pop. Today,
they have released the track “Keep Your
Head Up” from the album. Listen and share “Keep Your Head Up” here and
pre-order A Tuba to Cubahere.
“We are so proud and honored to share a project
we’ve poured so much of ourselves into,” says Ben
Jaffe. “The impact visiting Cuba had on us will live with us both
individually and as a band forever. We’re still absorbing everything we
experienced.”
“We went to Cuba in prayer position,” says Preservation Hall band
leader and bass player Ben Jaffe when he speaks of the pilgrimage he and the
group took to Cuba in December 2015. “We went to receive an offer at the same
time. We had never experienced a moment like this, it felt as though all roads
were intersecting at once.” The critically acclaimed 2019 documentary ATuba
to Cuba documented the band’s journey as they explored the links that
connect New Orleans and Cuba so indelibly – their shared, tragic history as
destinations where enslaved Africans struggled to simply survive, and their
current status as places where the cultural inheritance from those ancestors is
kept alive in both song and deed – but that was only half the story. This
collection of songs, a musical account of a
generations-in-the-making reunion of musical
families separated by time, politics, and distance, tells the other
half.
When
asked to describe the collection of songs assembled on Tuba to Cuba, Jaffe sums it up by saying,
“It’s like listening to the radio.” And yes, ATuba to Cuba actually feels less like
an ordinary soundtrack and more like a living document, a recording of a
broadcast that’s been waiting to exist, a modern version of the static-y radio
signals that were broadcast between America to the Caribbean in the early and
mid-20th century, sending the sounds of jazz and mambo and R&B and more
back and forth across the vast divides of water and culture and politics. It’s
a story, this album, and the tale being told mirrors the band’s experience.
The resulting
collection of songs is what Jaffe describes
as “a beautiful conversation.” The music of ATuba to Cuba is an ecstatic expression of that ongoing conversation, a
restless and lush trip up and down strange FM wavelengths bridging thousands of
miles and hundreds of years, where all involved are
talking with each other and over each other in excitement, charged with the
thrill of recognition of the evidence of their shared familial roots, an
undeniable kinship rooted in bloodlines, rhythm, and melody.
A Tuba To Cuba Tracklisting:
1. Yesteryear 2. Tumba 3. I Am 4. Descarga del Son 5. Keep Your Head Up 6. Corazon 7. Elegguà 8. Kreyol 9. El Manicero 10. Solitude 11. Las Palomas 12. Malecón
[Photo credit: Josh Goleman]
Preservation Hall Jazz Band Tour Dates:
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
Oct 22 - Ridgefield, CT - The Ridgefield
Playhouse
Oct 23 - Red Bank, NJ - Count Basie Theatre
Oct 24 - New York, NY - Town Hall Theatre
Oct 25 - Boston, MA - Berklee Performance Center
Oct 26 - Portsmouth, NH - The Music Hall
Oct 28 - Montreal, QC - Place des Arts - Theatre
Oct 29 - Toronto, ON - Roy Thomson Hall
Oct 30 - Pittsburgh, PA - Byham Theatre
Nov 01 - Kent, OH - The Kent Stage
Nov 02 - Goshen, IN - Goshen College Music
Center
Nov 04 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall
Nov 05 - Saint Paul, MN - Fitzgerald Theatre
Nov 07 - Denver, CO - Paramount Theatre
Nov 09 - Phoenix, AZ - Music Theater at the
Musical Instrument Museum
Nov 11 - Livermore, CA - Livermore Valley
Performing Arts Center
Nov 13 - Chico, CA - California State University
Chico - Laxson Auditorium
Nov 15 - Santa Rosa, CA - Luther Burbank Center
for the Arts
Nov 16 - Arcata, CA - John Van Duzer Theatre
Nov 17 - Portland, OR - Revolution Hall
Nov 18 - Seattle, WA - Benaroya Hall – Taper
Auditorium
Nov 20 - Santa Cruz, CA - Rio Theatre
Nov 21 - Santa Barbara, CA - UCSB Campbell Hall
Nov 22 - San Diego, CA - Wonderfront Music
Festival
Nov 23 - Cerritos, CA - Cerritos Center for the
Performing Arts
Nov. 29 - Baltimore, MD - Joseph Meyerhoff
Symphony Hall
Nov. 30 - Baltimore, MD - Joseph Meyerhoff
Symphony Hall
Dec. 01 - Baltimore, MD - Joseph Meyerhoff
Symphony Hall
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. Listen and share “Kreyol” here.
[photo credit: Josh Goleman]
Preservation Hall Jazz Band has announced their A Tuba To Cuba tour today. The dates add to previously announced performances including Newport Folk Festival, SF Jazz, three-nights in Baltimore at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall and more. A special pre-sale will begin on Wednesday, June 12th at 10am local and will end on Thursday, June 13th at 10pm local. All remaining tickets will go on sale Friday, June 14th at 10am local. For complete details on tickets and VIP packages please visit http://www.atubatocubatour.com. See below for full dates.
“When we travel to a place like Cuba, not only do we get to share our music, but we also get to experience other music, other traditions, and other’s rituals. It’s a door that we get to walk through and every now and then we get a glimpse behind the curtain. The people we meet become our friends and family. The imprint they leave becomes a part of us and our music, it’s a rare and beautiful thing. Now we get to share that experience with you.” - Ben Jaffe
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 Cubacelebrates 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.”
Preservation Hall Jazz Band Tour Dates:
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 Oct 22 - Ridgefield, CT - The Ridgefield Playhouse^ Oct 23 - Red Bank, NJ - Count Basie Center for the Arts^ Oct 24 - New York, NY – The Town Hall^ Oct 25 - Boston, MA - Berklee Performance Center^ Oct 26 - Portsmouth, NH - The Music Hall^ Oct 28 - Montreal, QC - Place des Arts – Theatre Maisoneuve^ Oct 29 - Toronto, ON - Roy Thomson Hall^ Oct 30 - Pittsburgh, PA - Byham Theater^ Nov 01 - Kent, OH - The Kent Stage^ Nov 02 - Goshen, IN - Goshen College Music Center^ Nov 04 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall^ Nov 05 - Saint Paul, MN - Fitzgerald Theater^ Nov 07 - Denver, CO - Paramount Theatre^ Nov 08 - Los Angeles, CA - ACE Hotel Nov 09 - Phoenix, AZ - Music Theater at MIM^ Nov 11 - Livermore, CA - Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center^ Nov 13 - Chico, CA - CSU Chico - Laxson Auditorium^ Nov 15 - Santa Rosa, CA - Luther Burbank Center for the Arts^ Nov 16 - Arcata, CA - John Van Duzer Theatre ^ Nov 17 - Portland, OR - Revolution Hall^ Nov 18 - Seattle, WA - Benaroya Hall – Taper Auditorium^ Nov 20 - Santa Cruz, CA - Rio Theatre^ Nov 21 - Santa Barbara, CA - UCSB Campbell Hall^ Nov 22 - San Diego, CA - Wonderfront 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
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.
So It Is Tracklisting
1. So It Is 2. Santiago 3. Innocence 4. La Malanga 5. Convergence 6. One Hundred Fires 7. Mad
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?”
That’s It! Tracklisting
1. That’s It! 2. Dear Lord (Give Me The Strength) 3. Come With Me 4. Sugar Plum 5. Rattlin’ Bones 6. I Think I Love You 7. August Nights 8. Halfway Right 9. Halfway Wrong 10. Yellow Moon 11. The Darker It Gets 12. Emmalena’s Lullaby
Preservation Hall Jazz Band Tour Dates
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.
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.”
2019 touring schedule April 12th through September 22nd.
The legendary Preservation Hall Jazz Band have just released “Kreyol,” a spirited new 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 today on all DSPs worldwide from Sub Pop and also YouTube - Spotify - Apple Music.
“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. Beginning today, the film will also be 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.”
Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s Ben Jaffe says of “Kreyol,” “Every evening in Havana people gather along the waterfront to socialize. I’ve always been taken by the tempo at which people stroll, like New Orleans, there’s a very particular rhythm to their walk. That rhythm was the inspiration for “Kreyol”. In fact, “Kreyol” is the Cuban spelling of “Creole”. You can feel that same Creole influence in New Orleans, it’s one of our many shared connections with Cuba.”
Preservation Hall Jazz Band Tour Dates
Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s touring schedule for 2019 currently spans April 12th through September 22nd. Headlining and festival highlights include: Cape May, NJ’s Exit Zero Jazz Festival (April 12th); Charleston, NC’s High Water Festival (April 14th); New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (April 27th); Happy Valley, OR’s Pickathon (August 3rd- 4th); SFJAZZ in San Francisco (August 8th-12th); Arrington, VA’s Lockn’ Music Festival (August 24th); Louisville, KY’s Bourbon & Beyond (September 20th); and Franklin, TN’s Pilgrimage Music Festival (September 21st-22nd).
Additionally, Preservation Hall Jazz Band will support Foo Fighters at The Fillmore in New Orleans (May 16th) and Dave Matthews Band at Elkhorn, WI’s Alpine Valley Music Theatre (July 5th-6th). Tickets for these shows are on sale now.
Apr. 12 - Cape May, NJ - Exit Zero Jazz Festival Apr. 14 - Charleston, SC - High Water Festival - Riverfront Park Apr. 27 - New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival May 16 - New Orleans, LA - The Fillmore ^ Jul. 05 - Elkhorn, WI - Alpine Valley Music Theatre* Jul. 06 - Elkhorn, WI - Alpine Valley Music Theatre* Aug. 03- Happy Valley, OR - Pickathon Aug. 04 - Happy Valley, OR - Pickathon 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. 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 *with Dave Matthews Band ^with Foo Fighters
