Raymond Burke (clarinetist) - Burke and Preservation Hall

Burke and Preservation Hall

Preservation Hall was a concert space established in the 1960's, which quickly became the center of a revival in New Orleans Jazz. In 1961, Icon Record label executive Grayson Mills traveled to New Orleans in order to record veteran Jazz musicians. Because many of these players were elderly or unpracticed, Mills conceived of Preservation Hall as a sort of practice space, where the players could redevelop their talent in front of an audience. Unlike many contemporary New Orleans Jazz clubs, Preservation Hall was designed solely for listening to the musicians. The hall served no food or drinks, had only a few rows of benches for seating, and no dance floor. Originally, donation was the only source of revenue for the club as even admittance was free. Mills hoped that, if the musicians were not worried about appealing to tourists or needy club owners, they would be able to regain their creativity. This fit Burke's music-first approach, and he became a regular Preservation Hall musician for the remainder of his life. In the mid 1960's, Allan Jaffe assumed management of preservation hall and expanded its operations. In order to ensure the financial survival of the Hall during low tourist seasons, Jaffe began looking at alternative ways for Preservation Hall to maintain an income. Jaffe began managing numerous “Preservation Hall Bands” negotiating recording contracts and sending groups on international tours, even sending Burke to the Soviet Union in 1979.