Rapp on Jazz: Preservation Hall

Published January 2, 2026 at 6:05 AM EST

Amos Lee, left, performs with Preservation Hall Jazz Band's Ronell Johnson and Kyle Roussel at Preservation Hall during the Midnight Preserves benefit on Saturday, May 3, 2025, at Preservation Hall in New Orleans. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)

TRANSCRIPT:

I’m Mark Rapp, and this is Rapp on Jazz.

Preservation Hall in New Orleans is a legendary beacon for jazz lovers worldwide. Since 1961, it has celebrated, protected, and kept the city’s iconic jazz tradition alive, especially when that heritage was at risk of fading away.

What makes Preservation Hall so special? Its devotion to authenticity: no bar, often no microphones, no distractions—just pure, timeless jazz in an intimate, historic space.

Generation after generation of master musicians have performed here, passing down rhythms, stories, and a legacy that has shaped America’s musical soul. Preservation Hall is a living archive and cultural treasure where the spirit of jazz is performed nightly, inspiring both audience and artist.

This has been Rapp on Jazz—a co-production of ColaJazz and SC Public Radio, made possible by The ETV Endowment of South Carolina.