Preservation Hall Jazz Band comes to Vilar Performing Arts Center as part of world tour

On Friday, March 10, Preservation Hall Jazz Band Presents “Pass It On” at the Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek, a 60th-anniversary musical celebration for the humble, much-loved touring band dedicated to keeping the past and future of jazz alive. As one of the first bands to take the stage at the Vilar Performing Arts Center, which opened its doors 25 years ago this winter, the return of Preservation Hall Jazz Band is part of a nationwide tour by the band that gets its name from Preservation Hall in the French Quarter of New Orleans.

People from around the globe make pilgrimages to Preservation Hall in New Orleans, a well-worn, well-loved space that’s physically small but spiritually huge. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band has embarked on a pilgrimage of its own: a nationwide tour to celebrate the Hall’s 60th anniversary.

The band’s mission remains focused on initiating audiences into the ineffable, almost religious experience of channeling their ancestors through the music and culture they’ve inherited from them.

“Touring is part of our ritual,” says Ben Jaffe, creative director of Preservation Hall. “It’s our tradition. When my parents began touring with the band in the early ’60s, they were bringing something that most people didn’t even know existed to stages all over the world … People come to Preservation Hall and have transformative experiences, and that’s part of our mission: to go out in the world and make that experience available to people.”

Tickets to Preservation Hall Jazz Band Presents “Pass It On” start at $45. This show is also part of the venue’s Pick 3/5/8 winter ticket package. Visit VilarPAC.org/preservation-hall-jazz-band for more information.