As son of co-founders Allan and Sandra Jaffe. Ben has lived his whole life with the rhythm of the French Quarter pulsing through his veins. Raised in the company of New Orleans’ greatest musicians, Ben returned from his collegiate education at Oberlin College in Ohio to play with the group and assume his father’s duties as Director of Preservation Hall. Today he serves as Creative Director for both Preservation Hall Jazz Band and the Hall itself. Post Hurricane Katrina Ben established the Preservation Hall Foundation to protect, preserve, and perpetuate New Orleans traditional music and culture, through education, community engagement, legacy, and archive.
