On February 1, Preservation Hall received the SFJAZZ Lifetime Achievement Award. The celebratory gala (which included performances from Pres Hall Jazz Band, Ellis Marsalis, Terence Blanchard, Chucho Valdés, SFJAZZ Collective, Pedrito Martinez, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, Daymé Arocena, Saul Williams, Airto Moreira and other special guests) raised over $1.2 million to support SFJAZZ’s artistic and education programs.

During the evening’s program, a video about Pres Hall produced by SFJAZZ was shown. The short film closed out the gala and features interviews with Louis Armstrong, Allen Toussaint, Jon Batiste, Ani DiFranco, Elvis Costello, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, Corinne Bailey Rae, SFJAZZ Founder Randall Kline, Preservation Hall co-founder Sandra Jaffe, as well as Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s Ben Jaffe, Charlie Gabriel and Clint Maedgen. Edited by Ross Eustis, the five-minute video is a fantastic tribute encompassing the venue’s importance both in New Orleans and to the greater world of music abroad.

Check out the beautiful tribute below: