In February of 2013, I was invited to a Sunday afternoon crawfish boil on Dryades Street. Among those in attendance were a number of local musicians. Still being new in town, I found a quiet spot to nurse a Jockamo IPA. As I surveyed the scene, I became aware that Ben Jaffe from Preservation Hall was gesturing at my faded Yuengling T-shirt. “That’s where my Dad’s from,” he said—or something along those lines. Yuengling beer was founded in Pottsville, Pennsylvania and is a point of pride for natives of the anthracite coal region. The reference was not lost on me. I was born in Pottsville. Apparently, so was Allan Jaffe.
As it turns out, Pottsville was more than just a backdrop for Allan’s childhood. It is where he built his musical foundation. He learned valuable lessons working in his father’s store that would deeply influence how he managed Preservation Hall. Furthermore, Pottsville was home to many immigrants who came to work in the anthracite mines, resulting in an ethnically and culturally diverse population. At various picnics and community celebrations, Allan began to appreciate the functional role of music in everyday life. He later claimed this is what initially drew him to New Orleans music. Often distinguished by his independence, toughness, and hearty sense of humor, Allan displayed traits that are representative of those who grew up in the tough mining towns of the coal region.
Prior to Ben noticing my T-shirt, I had no idea Allan was from Pottsville. In retrospect, it is difficult to comprehend how this information had not been brought to my attention earlier in life. Growing up, I participated in local school, community, and honor bands much as Allan did. He was never mentioned, despite the fact that we performed on the same stages. Nor did the presence of Preservation Hall LPs in the record collections of my grandparents and their friends elicit conversations about a local connection. Prior to taking an interest in New Orleans music, I don’t recall ever hearing about the Jaffes.
Now I hear about them all the time. Having spent the past decade working for the New Orleans Jazz Museum, New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, WWOZ, and most recently the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, the Jaffes have directly or indirectly impacted all of these organizations. With the Jazz & Heritage Archive being fewer than three blocks from Preservation Hall, they are always around the corner figuratively and literally.
Joe Stolarick and “Allan Jaffe” at Jazz Fest. Photo: Courtesy Joe Stolarick
Recently, I decided to revisit Allan’s Pottsville connection in earnest. I soon had a copy of Preservation Hall: Songs from the Heart in my hands. In William Carter’s exhaustive history of the Hall, Allan describes his experiences growing up in Pennsylvania’s coal region. He also demonstrates a thorough knowledge of the area’s history. It was clear to me that he was proud of his roots—a sentiment Ben has since confirmed.
I also found information that struck a more personal tone. For over 50 years, Allan’s father owned a paint and wallpaper business along Pottsville’s main street, mere blocks from the bank where my father worked for my entire life until his passing in 2020. My aunt, a third-grade teacher, would accompany her colleagues to Harry Jaffe’s store to buy classroom art supplies. As a young woman, my school librarian babysat the Jaffe children when the family came to visit Allan’s parents and tour the east coast with the Preservation Hall band. After Allan died in 1987, the Schuylkill Symphony Orchestra commissioned a musical tribute. It was composed by local jazz musician Lawrence Koch. He was my piano teacher.
Earlier this year, I submitted an application to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) to have a historical marker erected in Pottsville honoring Allan. I am happy to announce that the application was recently approved. This marker dedicated to Allan Jaffe will be installed at the original location of his father’s store on Centre Street in Pottsville, PA sometime next year.
While still astonished that these connections evaded me so long, I appreciate the serendipitous nature of receiving this information later in life. I moved to New Orleans to be near the music. Now that I’m here, I enjoy reflecting on my coal region predecessor. Though I obviously never met Allan, I take a lot of pride in knowing that we come from the same place. Had it been possible for us to meet, I would like to think he might have appreciated it, too. If nothing else, I’m reminded of how our shared experiences, history, and communities can connect us, even across generations—a familiar sentiment to New Orleanians.
Joe Stolarick is The Helis Foundation Digital Systems Lead for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation. He has also worked as an audio engineer for WWOZ, the New Orleans Jazz Museum, and the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park.
