Preservation Hall Jazz Band – July 24th – Denver Botanic Gardens

Photo by Tim Dwenger

So . . . some nights things fall into place, and some nights things just blow up in your face. This wasn’t either one of those, this was a night of adventure, waiting, and joy. It was the night that Preservation Hall Jazz Band played Harold’s 100th Birthday Party at Denver Botanic Gardens!

It started with a search for an extra ticket that culminated in a five for one deal thanks to an incredibly generous soul on Cash or Trade (shout out to babystep25 on CoT!) and ended in a sing-along where my wife and 10 year old daughter had their arms around each other singing along with Preservation Hall to “You Are My Sunshine” (a song my wife sang to my daughter from the time she was about 2 weeks old). The best part was when my daughter sang my wife’s altered lyrics like they were the original lyrics of the song. Ladies and gentlemen, the Folk tradition at work! It was magical.

In between there were some ups and downs. I got in early and did a walk around the beautiful confines of the gardens before getting our space secured only moments ahead of a monstrous storm that rolled through Denver and forced the staff of the Gardens to evacuate the amphitheater. I took shelter in the main building before the rest of my group arrived and waited out the storm in safety.

Once the storm had cleared, we all returned to the grass and the party kicked off. With only one act on the bill, we didn’t lose any music and everyone was ready to party, especially Howard! Did I not introduce Howard yet??? Well I crossed paths with Howard while we were all stuck inside. Howard is a World War II Veteran who had chosen to celebrate his 100th birthday with Preservation Hall at the Gardens, and boy did he get a party!

The band got things going by summoning the spirit of Mardi Gras with a lengthy cover of Professor Longhair’s “Go to the Mardi Gras” as they tried to inject some life into the Garden’s crowd. It didn’t take long before the New Orleans vibe took hold and people where up and dancing to the likes of “St. Louis Blues” and “Big Chief” – including the 100 year old guest of honor. The band took notice and sang Harold “Happy Birthday” and proceeded to preside over one of the best birthday parties I’ve been at in a long time (no offense Todd).

While Harold took a load off, the boys in Preservation Hall blazed their way through “Tootie Ma Is a Big Fine Thing,” “The Dummy Song,” “Dinah,” and a rocking take on “Liza Jane.” They proved that the name Preservation Hall is worthy of it’s reputation as they gave Denver a lesson in New Orleans Jazz. It was a memorable evening and one that I hope Harold holds close to his heart for many more years!