Uncle Lionel Batiste, Treme Brass Band bass drummer, has passed (1931-2012).

Our dear friend and bass drummer for the Treme Brass Band, Uncle Lionel Batiste, has passed away this past weekend. The Preservation Hall family misses Uncle Lionel and we send our condolences to his family and fellow Treme Brass Band members.

By Keith Spera of The Times-Picayune

"Uncle" Lionel Batiste, the Treme Brass Band’s longtime bass drummer and a beloved, dapper character who reveled in charming women of all ages on the dance floor, died early Sunday at Ochsner Baptist Medical Center after a brief battle with cancer. He was 80.

Mr. Batiste was an iconic figure in the brass band community and the larger world of New Orleans music. With his omnipresent sunglasses, a wristwatch worn across his hand, and his kazoo, he literally moved to the beat of his own drum.

In the traditional brass band cap, white shirt and black tie, Mr. Batiste appeared in numerous commercials and TV shows, including HBO's "Treme." He was also featured on the 2010 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival presented by Shell's souvenir Congo Square poster by artist Terrance Osborne.

Many local musicians cite him as a role model. Trumpeter Kermit Ruffins has referred to Mr. Batiste as “my total influence,” who taught Ruffins “how to act, how to dress and how to feel about life."

“Inside Uncle Lionel’s bass drum," said fellow drummer Herman LeBeaux, "is the pulse of the city."

READ THE FULL NOLA.com ARTICLE HERE

Preservation Hall's Midnight Preserves, 2011: A Video Recap

It's been nearly three weeks since we wrapped up our seventh annual Midnight Preserves late-night concert series.  Once again, Preservation Hall has been blessed with some amazing performances by some of our favorite performers.  We'd like to thank everybody who participated - we had a great time!

Midnight Preserves 2011 - Preservation Hall - JazzFest - Robert Plant from Adam McCullough on Vimeo.

For those of you who weren't able to join us, check out this great video compilation by music photographer and friend of Preservation Hall, Adam McCullough!  (And join us next year!)

Preservation Hall Announces Midnight Preserves 2011!

NEW ORLEANS’ PRESERVATION HALL

CELEBRATES JAZZ FEST 2011 WITH

SEVENTH ANNUAL MIDNIGHT PRESERVES SERIES

Featuring intimate performances by

The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Charlie Musselwhite,

Buddy Miller, Patty Griffin, Tao Seeger, Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet, Tangiers Blues Band, Shannon McNally, Paul Sanchez & The Rolling Road Show, Treme Brass Band

and one more special guest to be announced next week

New Orleans, LA: Preservation Hall is proud to once again celebrate The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (Jazzfest) with the return of Midnight Preserves, the popular music series hosted by the world-renowned home of Traditional New Orleans Jazz.  Now in its seventh year, Midnight Preserves offers Jazzfest-goers the opportunity to experience some of their favorite artists in the famously intimate setting of Preservation Hall.  This year’s lineup includes Buddy Miller and Patty Griffin (of Band of Joy), Charlie Musselwhite, Tao Seeger, Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet, Paul Sanchez & The Rolling Road Show, Treme Brass Band, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band and more.  An additional special guest will be announced next week.   Tickets are limited and available now at www.preservationhall.com/tickets.   Proceeds from the series will benefit The Preservation Hall Music Outreach Program.

Friday, April 29

8:00pm / The Preservation Hall Jazz Masters featuring Leroy Jones
PURCHASE TICKETS

10:00pm / The Preservation Hall Jazz Band with special guests Buddy Miller & Patty Griffin (of Band of Joy)

 PURCHASE TICKETS

Saturday, April 30

8:00pm / The Preservation Hall Jazz Band

PURCHASE TICKETS

10:00pm / The Preservation Hall Jazz Band with special guest Tao Seeger

PURCHASE TICKETS

MIDNIGHT / Paul Sanchez & The Rolling Road Show

PURCHASE TICKETS

Sunday, May 1

8:00-11:00pm / “Song For My Fathers” Preview Show, featuring Tommy Sancton’s New Orleans Legacy Band

PURCHASE TICKETS

Monday, May 2 – Thursday, May 5

New Orleans Jazz Concerts from 8pm-11pm

PURCHASE TICKETS

Friday, May 6

7:30pm / Charlie Musselwhite + Tangiers Blues Band + Shannon McNally

PURCHASE TICKETS

MIDNIGHT / The Preservation Hall Jazz Band with special guest (To Be Announced)

Saturday, May 7

8:00pm / The Preservation Hall Jazz Band

PURCHASE TICKETS

10:00pm / Beausoleil Avec Michael Doucet

PURCHASE TICKETS

MIDNIGHT / Treme Brass Band

PURCHASE TICKETS

Sunday, May 8

8:00-11:00pm / Bob Greene with The Preservation Hall Jazz Band

PURCHASE TICKETS

Midnight Preserves 2010 in Pictures

Just received some great pictures of this year's Midnight Preserves series from our good friend Adam McCullough. Please enjoy, and make sure to check him out online at www.rhythmicphotography.com!

04.30.10 / TREME BRASS BAND
05.01.10 / TOMMY SANCTON'S NEW ORLEANS JAZZ BAND

05.01.10 / JOHN BOUTTE AND PAUL SANCHEZ

Preservation Hall presents MIDNIGHT PRESERVES 2010!

PRESERVATION HALL CELEBRATES

JAZZ FEST 2010 WITH

SIXTH ANNUAL MIDNIGHT PRESERVES SERIES

April 23 - May 1, 2010, New Orleans: Preservation Hall is proud to announce the return of Midnight Preserves, the popular late-night Jazz Fest music series hosted by the world-renowned home of Traditional New Orleans Jazz. Now in its sixth year, Midnight Preserves offers music fans the opportunity to experience performances from emerging and legendary New Orleans artists in an intimate, small-venue setting. Tickets are now on sale via ticketweb.com. Performers include Luke Winslow-King, The Loose Marbles, Treme Brass Band, John Boutte, Paul Sanchez, and a very special performance by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band featuring the members of stadium-filling American rock band My Morning Jacket. Ticket sales will be limited for these intimate performances, so order in advance!

Friday, April 23, 11:30pm:

Luke Winslow-King (12:45am) plus Loose Marbles (11:45pm) /
$15 advance - $20 at door

Originally hailing from Cadillac Michigan, Luke Winslow-King is an emerging New Orleans singer, songsmith, and composer inspired by traditional jazz, rock, ragtime, impressionism, delta and country blues, folk, and classical music whose most recent album, “Old/New Baby” was recorded in the Hall!

Loose Marbles is a young, emerging, traditional New Orleans Jazz Band led by clarinetist Michael Magro. Described by the New Yorker as “ a sort of Amalgamated Jazz Corporation that creates subsidiaries around the city, to maximize tips and minimize boredom. The fifteen musicians play clarinet, trumpet, banjo, washboard, accordion, trombone, guitars, sousaphone, standup bass, and guitars, but you’re likely to see only seven or eight performers at any given gig. And since you rarely see the same configuration of instruments twice in a row, you rarely hear the same kind of jazz.” ~www.newyorker.com

Saturday, April 24, 11:30pm:

Preservation Hall Jazz Band with special guests My Morning Jacket /
$100 (very limited ticket sales)

Inspired by MMJ front-man Jim James’ collaboration with PHJB on their recently released PRESERVATION benefit album, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and My Morning Jacket will be touring together from April 20 through May 2. Please join these two amazing bands for a collaborative acoustic performance in the room where it all started. Portion of the proceeds will benefit The Preservation Hall Music Outreach Program.

Friday, April 30, 11:30pm

Treme Brass Band featuring Benny Jones & Uncle Lionel Batiste

$15 advance - $20 at door

The Treme Brass Band is a marching brass band from New Orleans, Louisiana led by snare drummer Benny Jones, Sr. and featuring the face of the official 2010 Jazz Fest Congo Square poster, Lionel Batiste on bass drum. The band takes its name from New Orleans’ Treme neighborhood on the outskirts of the French Quarter, birthplace and home of many generations of New Orleans’ finest jazz musicians, and will soon be featured in the upcoming HBO series of the same name.

Saturday, May 1, 11:30pm

John Boutte and Paul Sanchez / $15 advance - $20 at door

Born in New Orleans on the same day in the same year, Boutte and Sanchez both have a deep love of the city, its people and traditions. Be it John Boutte’s vocal explorations of New Orleans jazz, soul, blues and gospel, or Paul Sanchez’s singer-songwriter explorations through such projects as his former band Cowboy Mouth, both artists’ songwriting has been deeply informed by the culture and traditions of their home town.