Rickie Monie invited to autograph the piano at The Majestic Theatre in Gettysburg, PA

Last night, the folks at The Majestic Theatre in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania told Rickie that he "burned on the keys" that night and asked him to sign their 9 foot Steinway piano.  He obliged.  Check out who he signed next to.

Interview with Ben Jaffe and Del McCoury on "Hidden Track" music blog

Here's an interview from with Ben and Del from the Hidden Track music blog:

HT Interview: Del McCoury and Ben Jaffe, Ambassadors of American Music
by Ryan Dembinsky

When The Del McCoury Band teamed up with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band to record the album American Legacies, the merging of the two bands represented more then just a simple musical collaboration. The union brought together two groups who serve as the ambassadors of their respective genres, stewards of American music heritage. Over the years, beyond being of the foremost musicians in their fields, both The Del McCoury Band and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band under the direction of Ben Jaffe have taken on roles tasked with spreading the legacies of bluegrass and New Orleans Jazz music.
Del McCoury has not only spread bluegrass to the younger generation (quite literally) through teaching and playing with his own sons, but he has participated in countless collaborations throughout the festival circuit and embraced the various derivations of traditional bluegrass such as newgrass and the jambands. Similarly, Ben Jaffe and Preservation Hall have reached new audiences by incorporating New Orleans Jazz into collaborations with My Morning Jacket, Ani Difranco and Tom Waits, among others.
In what was undeniably one of the greatest honors I’ve ever had as a writer, I sat down with both Del McCoury and Ben Jaffe at the Ameritania Hotel just around the corner from the Ed Sullivan Theater right before the bands took the stage to tape their performance for the David Letterman show later that night. In speaking with Del and Ben, it takes all of about five seconds to see why everybody wants to play music with them. They radiate charisma and come across instantly as truly genuine people who are happy to be doing what they do. What follows is an intimate conversation that touches on the cross-fertilization of the two genres of music, the surprising similarities between New Orleans Jazz and bluegrass, the importance of family, and honoring one’s heritage.

Hidden Track: I was going to ask this to both you, but before Ben gets here, Del, when you were first starting out in music and learning your chops what led you to your style, to bluegrass, and to your instrument?

Del McCoury: I learned to play the guitar when I was about nine. My brother taught me to play. When I was about 11, he bought a record of Earl Scruggs and when I heard him play that three finger style banjo, it turned a light on. I thought, “That is what I want to do!” I learned it, and I played it until I went to work for Bill Monroe.
He needed a guitar player and a lead singer, which I thought, “I don’t know if I can do this?” I had played with him here in New York City, my first time in this town. Later, I went down to Nashville, because he offered me a job, and when I got there he still didn’t have a lead singer and guitar player. All along I think he was thinking that of me, because a lot of his musicians through the years could play different instruments and sing.
Anyway, he put me on that path instead of the path I wanted to go on, which was playing banjo and singing harmony. I could sing all the harmony parts. I was kind of a natural tenor singer and I sang baritone in a lot of bands, but when he got me to play guitar, it was a pretty big challenge, because I had to learn to play all the songs he had recorded and wanted to play at the shows. He told me, “You know, if you can make the grade doing this, you’ll like it better.” I remember thinking, “I believe he’s wrong there,” but he was right. So that’s what got me here on this path. It was actually Bill Monroe.

READ THE REST OF THE INTERVIEW HERE

PHJB & Del McCoury Band to perform at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass!

Just Announced!  Preservation Hall Jazz Band & The Del McCoury Band will be joining the lineup for this year's Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.  Other acts announced include Dr. John, Gillian Welch, Chris Isaak, Earl Scruggs, Robert Plant & Band of Joy, Old Crow Medicine Show, and dozens more.   The festival dates are Sept. 30-Oct 2 and the best part about it - It's Free!

"Live At Preservation Hall: Louisiana Fairytale" to screen at Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival in August

Just announced- Danny Clinch's documentary "Live at Preservation Hall: Louisiana Fairytale" featuring PHJB and My Morning Jacket will screen at the 2011 Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival in Birmingham, Alabama August 26-28.  Special appearance by The Preservation Hall Brass Band! Stay tuned for updates. Watch the trailer for film below


Danny Clinch : Louisiana Fairytale Trailer from Levine / Leavitt on Vimeo.

Photos from the Preservation Hall Junior Jazz and Heritage Brass Band

Each Saturday afternoon at Preservation Hall, The Preservation Hall Junior Jazz and Heritage Brass Band gets together to learn the traditional brass band music. Emphasizing the repertoire and traditions associated with the New Orleans style of brass band playing, Banjoist/Guitarist for Preservation Hall, Carl LeBlanc, teaches this fine group of young musicians. Here are some photos from last week's class, compliments of Barry Kaiser.

Preservation Hall Jazz Band & Del McCoury Band at Soundcheck in The Greene Space

Here is the video of our performance with the Del McCoury Band from Soundcheck in The Green Space (NewYork, NY) on July 20th.  This video also features informative Q & A with Ben Jaffe and Del McCoury for an added glimpse into this magical musical collaboration.  The performance features  the classic song "Jambalaya", and a Ben Jaffe composition, "The Band is in Town."

Full version here...

Enjoy!

 

Loc Trancos Hills Marching Band parade in Palo Alto

This is a link to pictures of the Los Trancos Hills Marching Band parade in Palo Alto on July 4th, 2011.  Throughout the 70's and into the 80's, the Los Trancos would march into Frost Amphitheater on July 4th to open the annual Preservation Hall show.  Earlier that day, I would go with my dad to the July 4th parade in Palo Alto and march with the Los Trancos Band.  They were great times.  It was amazing to go back with my pal David Silverman and march with the Los Trancos Band again.  I got to reunite with some of the old timers who knew my dad and remembered me when I was little. - Ben Jaffe

http://ltwcmb.com/html/fourth-2011.html