Sandra Jaffe
Sandra Jaffe | |
|---|---|
 Jaffe, from a 1962 newspaper | |
| Born | Sandra Smolen March 10, 1938 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | December 27, 2021 (aged 83) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Known for | Co-founded Preservation Hall |
| Spouse | Allan Jaffe |
| Children | Ben Jaffe |
Sandra Smolen Jaffe (March 10, 1938 – December 27, 2021) was an American businesswoman and arts figure. She co-owned and operated Preservation Hall, a popular jazz club in New Orleans, beginning in 1961.[1][2]
Early life and education
[edit]Jaffe was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Jacob "Jack" Smolen and Lena Kaplan Smolen.[1] Her family was Jewish; her father was born in Kyiv, then part of the Russian Empire.[3][4] She graduated from Harcum College in 1958.[5][6]
Career
[edit]Jaffe worked in advertising in Philadelphia for a few years before she married.[5][6] She owned and operated Preservation Hall with her husband Allan Jaffe, beginning in 1961.[7][8] She booked the "real, old-time New Orleans jazz performers"[9] including Billie Pierce, De De Pierce, Sweet Emma Barrett, Alcide Pavageau, and Percy Humphrey.[10][11] She also handled the bookkeeping, publicity, and press correspondence,[6][9] and collected admission at the entrance.[12][13] The Jaffes' policy of racial integration in the early 1960s meant that she was arrested at least once for violating local segregation laws.[3][14] In 1963 she traveled with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band to Hawaii and Japan.[15]
In 1987, the Jaffes donated a building in the French Quarter to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation, for a music school.[16] In 1993, she retired from running the jazz club, and left it to her son Ben Jaffe's management.[14] In 2006 Jaffe accepted a National Medal of Arts award on behalf of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.[17]
Personal life
[edit]She married Allan Jaffe in December 1960.[18] They had two sons, Russell and Ben.[1] Ben Jaffe is the band leader of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.[19] Her husband died in 1987,[14] and she died in 2021, at the age of 83, in New Orleans.[3] In February 2023, there was a tribute concert to the Jaffes at Preservation Hall.[20]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Pope, John (December 28, 2021). "Sandra Jaffe, whose Preservation Hall spread traditional jazz worldwide, dies at 83". NOLA.com. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
- ^ Allured, Janet; Martin, Michael S. (November 29, 2012). Louisiana Legacies: Readings in the History of the Pelican State. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-118-54188-3.
- ^ a b c "In Loving Memory of Sandra Jaffe". Preservation Hall. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ^ 1940 and 1950 United States censuses, via Ancestry.
- ^ a b "Sandra Jaffe, cofounder of Preservation Hall, passes away at age 83". OffBeat Magazine. December 28, 2021. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ^ a b c "The Quarter Epicure". The Courier. May 19, 1962. p. 3. Retrieved May 12, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Sandomir, Richard (December 31, 2021). "Sandra Jaffe, Who Helped Preserve Jazz at Preservation Hall, Dies at 83". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
- ^ McCay, Tara (December 29, 2021). "Sandra Jaffe, Cofounder of New Orleans Institution Preservation Hall, Dies at 83". Southern Living. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
- ^ a b Holschlag, Judith (July 23, 1963). "Outsiders Aid Revival of New Orleans Jazz". Star Tribune. p. 10. Retrieved May 13, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Rumley, Larry (March 11, 1962). "What's the Big Attraction? It's Le Jazz, Hot!". Morning Advocate. p. 60. Retrieved May 12, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Souther, J. Mark (October 7, 2013). New Orleans on Parade: Tourism and the Transformation of the Crescent City. LSU Press. pp. 113–116. ISBN 978-0-8071-5442-7.
- ^ Bebco, Joe (January 25, 2022). "Sandra Jaffe has died". The Syncopated Times. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ^ Moody, Sid (May 17, 1964). "Jazz: A Hall in Birthplace Preserves It". The Standard-Times. p. 15. Retrieved May 12, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Parati, Nan. "The Legacy of Sandra Jaffe". French Quarter Journal. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ^ "Early New Orleans Style Jazz". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. August 16, 1963. p. 22. Retrieved May 13, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "N. O. music school mulled". The Daily Star. March 20, 1988. p. 148. Retrieved May 12, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Preservation Hall Jazz Band". www.arts.gov. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
- ^ "Engaged Couple to Wed Dec. 25". Pottsville Republican. November 2, 1960. p. 18. Retrieved May 12, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "The Preservation Hall Jazz Band: A family business - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. March 9, 2014. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
- ^ "Preservation Hall to Celebrate the Legacy of Allan & Sandra Jaffe March 10 and 11". New Orleans. February 26, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2026.