Etherredge Center Brings New Orleans Jazz to the Aiken Stage

Aiken, SC (11/08/2022) — The Etherredge Center at the University of South Carolina Aiken presents its next Cultural Series event within its 2022-2023 Arts at the Etherredge Center season. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band will be performing on November 15th at 7:30 pm. This group contains the talents of Ben Jaffe, Charlie Gabriel, Clint Maedgen, Ronell Johnson, Walter Harris, Kyle Roussel, and Branden Lewis.

The Etherredge Center's annual Cultural Series has aimed to bring incredible talent from around the country to audiences in Aiken for over thirty years. In this event, the Etherredge Center is bringing New Orleans to Aiken. The Crescent City has been the point at which sounds and cultures from around the world converge, mingle, and resurface, transformed by New Orleans' inimitable spirit and joie de vivre. Preservation Hall Jazz Band has continued in their role of holding the torch of New Orleans music aloft for more than 50 years, preserving the vibrant living history that came before them.

Based out of the historic Preservation Hall venue, located on St. Peter's Street, in the heart of the French Quarter, the band has its origins in the 1950's at an art gallery called Associated Artists. Gallery owner, Larry Borenstein, began inviting local musicians to perform "rehearsal sessions" in the gallery. These jam sessions came to form the basis of the Hall, whose goal (like the name says) was to preserve the true New Orleans jazz sounds. Avid fans of New Orleans jazz, a young couple named Allan and Sandra Jaffe found themselves at "Mr. Larry's Gallery," and immediately found a home.

The Preservation Hall Jazz Band that we know now was organized in 1963 by Allan Jaffe to play a tour in the Midwest. The performances were a success, so naturally they allowed their talents to bring them around the country and the world, playing with the Grateful Dead and performing for the King of Thailand. When Allan Jaffe passed away in the late 80s, his son, Ben, took over leadership of the group. Ben Jaffe has pushed the band to combine their traditional New Orleans jazz with more vibrant Afro-Cuban rhythms and original compositions.

Tickets for Preservation Hall Jazz Band start at $25 for adults and are on sale now at the Etherredge Center box office. Tickets can be purchased by calling 803.641.3305, or by visiting www.etherredgecenter.universitytickets.com. On November 15th, doors open at 7:00 pm, with the performance beginning at 7:30 pm.

Media Attachments

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Members of the Preservation Band will be presenting at the USC Aiken Cultural Series on November 15.

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Members of the Preservation Band will be presenting at the USC Aiken Cultural Series on November 15.

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Members of the Preservation Band will be presenting at the USC Aiken Cultural Series on November 15.