EXCLUSIVE SFJAZZ ‘FRIDAYS AT FIVE’ BROADCAST FEATURING ALLEN TOUSSAINT & PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND TO BENEFIT THE PRESERVATION HALL FOUNDATION & SFJAZZ ARTISTIC AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS 

Historic, Never-Before-Seen Concert Footage of Allen Toussaint and Preservation Hall Jazz Band to Air on One-Time Broadcast on SFJAZZ “Fridays at Five” Online Series 

(SAN FRANCISCO, CA, June 26, 2020) — SFJAZZ and Preservation Hall announced the exclusive broadcast of a historic concert featuring legendary New Orleans musician, songwriter, arranger and record producer Allen Toussaint alongside Preservation Hall Jazz Band to be aired on Friday, July 3 at 5-6PM PT. Originally filmed in 2014, the upcoming broadcast contains never-before-seen footage of Allen Toussaint, and the one-time broadcast is the first and only opportunity for new viewers to watch this concert. 

“The concert we played at SFJAZZ with Mr. Allen Toussaint was a special moment for us and in many ways was historic,” recalls Creative Director of Preservation Hall, Ben Jaffe. “We’d spent the better part of 2 months on a nationwide tour playing concert halls in major cities across America. We never knew how important this show would become as it was one of Mr. Toussaint’s last performances. I’m so happy that it was captured and excited that we now get to share it with others.” 

“Allen Toussaint is at the core of American popular music. He has written, produced, and performed a treasure chest of music that is indelibly ingrained in our culture,” says SFJAZZ Founder and Executive Artistic Director, Randall Kline. “The organic pairing of him with another New Orleans institution, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, produced some unforgettable music. We were fortunate to capture this magic here at SFJAZZ on November 22, 2014.” 

Preservation Hall Jazz Band is a true New Orleans institution that defines the tradition of Crescent City music. Founded in the early 1960s, the band features a multigenerational wealth of New Orleans talent, and was the recipient of the SFJAZZ Lifetime Achievement Award at SFJAZZ Gala 2018. 

For this performance, the late legendary pianist and songwriter Allen Toussaint, one of the most iconic figures in New Orleans music, joined the PHJB for a rare collaboration. Toussaint played an integral part in many of the greatest hits to emerge from New Orleans since the 1950s, and his contributions earned him a much-deserved induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. 

“FRIDAYS AT FIVE” is SFJAZZ’s new weekly online membership program launched in the face of the COVID-19 crisis to support SFJAZZ’s ongoing operations and artists in anticipation of reopening. The program is supported by a $5 monthly/$60 yearly membership. Direct support of artists is provided via an online “tip jar” that is available prior, during, and after the broadcast that is split 50/50 between SFJAZZ and the Preservation Hall Foundation. As a 501c3 non-profit centered around education and community engagement, the foundation serves the next generation of New Orleans musicians and listeners. Through its Emergency Legacy Musician Relief Fund, the Preservation Hall Foundation is providing continued support and financial assistance to the 60 members of the Preservation Hall Musical Collective as they weather the current economic crisis. The members of its Musical Collective serve in vital community roles: as mentors, teaching artists and tradition bearers. Providing for their well-being during this crisis will ensure a solid future for the generations of New Orleans musicians still to come. For more information on the Preservation Hall Foundation, please visit https://www.preshallfoundation.org/. 

BROADCAST INFORMATION Friday, July 3 | 5PM PT at https://www.sfjazz.org/watch/ 

ABOUT SFJAZZ ‘FRIDAYS AT FIVE’ ONLINE CONCERT SERIES Born out of the COVID-19 crisis as a way to support musicians in need and to keep SFJAZZ strong for the future, Fridays at Five is a new membership-based online series that brings people closer to the music through engaging hour-long broadcasts of exclusive SFJAZZ Center concerts that stream every Friday at 5 PM PT. Conceived to create a unique shared experience, each event features real-time chats with artists, jazz fans, and SFJAZZ Members. 

For $5 a month ($60 annually), you can become a Digital Member and tune in each Friday at 5 PM (PT) for the latest concert. 

For More Information Visit: https://www.sfjazz.org/fridaysatfive/ https://www.sfjazz.org/watch/ 

ABOUT SFJAZZ Founded in 1983, SFJAZZ presents the greatest names in jazz, Latin and global music and nurtures the art of improvisation through its year-round concert, commissioning and education programs. The West Coast’s biggest jazz presenter serves over 250,000 fans and students every year and has several award-winning resident jazz ensembles – the world renowned SFJAZZ Collective and the SFJAZZ High School All-Stars. SFJAZZ Center opened in 2013 in the vibrant performing arts district of San Francisco. The luminous SFJAZZ Center was designed by San Francisco architect Mark Cavagnero and the LEED-Gold certified center offers the superb acoustics of a great concert hall and the relaxed intimacy of a jazz club.