Cleveland: The Other Birthplace of Jazz?

By Erich Burnett on Thu, Oct 5, 2006 at 11:57 am

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The Preservation Hall Jazz Band -- the touring arm of New Orleans' legendary concert club -- visits Playhouse Square on October 27. Band director Ben Jaffe's ties to Cleveland are second only to the French Quarter streets on which he was raised: A 1993 graduate of Oberlin, Jaffe honed his craft at the Bop Stop, the Boarding House, and other Cleveland clubs as bassist in No Evidence.

The sound of New Orleans heads north.

"The music scene in New Orleans and Cleveland is so different," he says. "The Cleveland scene is more cosmopolitan, whereas the New Orleans scene is this cultural-based tradition, and that's really why Preservation Hall is so important and New Orleans culture is so important." It's also why the band's State Theatre performance is one not to miss. Watch for a preview in the October 25 issue of Scene. -- Erich Burnett