PRESS RELEASE
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS
COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS AND COMMUNICATION
CONTACT: Jerry Biebesheimer, (501) 450-3682; jerryb@uca.edu
September 11, 2012
PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND,
DEL MCCOURY BAND TO VISIT REYNOLDS SEPT. 30
By Carissa Gan
College of Fine Arts and Communication Media Office
CONWAY — The Preservation Hall Jazz Band (PHJB) and The Del McCoury Band will perform in the Donald W. Reynolds Performance Hall as part of the UCA Public Appearances season on Sunday, Sept. 30 at 3 p.m.
Jerry Biebesheimer, director of Public Appearances, said the amazing thing about both bands is how good each member is.
“They are all phenomenal musicians,” he said. “I believe both jazz and bluegrass fans will enjoy this collaboration.”
The PHJB was named after the Preservation Hall in New Orleans, a sanctuary constructed to honor the roots of traditional New Orleans jazz. The hall was founded in 1961 by Allan and Sandra Jaffe. Today, it is directed by their son, Ben Jaffe, and serves as a venue, band and record label. The PHJB consists of multi-generational musicians who have studied with previous members of the band in hopes of sustaining the authenticity of New Orleans jazz (also referred to as Dixieland music or early jazz). This form of jazz incorporates trumpets, trombones and clarinets, among other instruments.
For years, the band has traveled internationally to promote and preserve its cultural roots in New Orleans jazz. It has performed for royalties in Great Britain and Thailand.
“Most of the band’s songs are songs you have heard, such as ‘When The Saints Go Marching In’ and ‘Basin Street Blues,’” Biebesheimer said.
Joining the PHJB will be the men from The Del McCoury Band, a leading bluegrass ensemble from Kentucky. This Grammy-winning group has had decades of bluegrass hits, with the band’s tight harmony accompanied by the rhythmic blend of banjo, mandolin, fiddle and guitar.
Bluegrass, also known as hillbilly music, is a form of American roots music. Its roots feature Scottish, English and Irish traditional music with a hint of African-American influence while involving jazz elements.
“The roots of jazz and bluegrass are alike,” Biebesheimer said. “Traditional jazz and bluegrass music function similarly. They have eight-bar breaks, structural musical similarities and they work well together.”
Tickets, available at the UCA Ticket Central Box Office, are $30-$40 for adults, $27-$37 for senior citizens, $25-35 for UCA alumni, $28-$33 for UCA faculty and staff, free for UCA students with current I.D. and $10 for all other students. For tickets, call (501) 450-3265 or toll free from anywhere in Arkansas at 1-866-810-0012, Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., or visit www.uca.edu/reynolds.
For more information, contact Biebesheimer at (501) 450-3682 or jerryb@uca.edu.
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