Today, the funky New Orleans staple, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, made the sad announcement that the band’s iconic sousaphone had been stolen following their Saturday night performance at New Orleans Airlift. In a post on Preservation Hall’s Facebook page, Ben Jaffe, the creative director of Preservation Hall and tuba and double bass player for the band, explained that the sousaphone was first purchased after Hurricane Katrina to replace one that was lost during the storm.
If you have any information about the garbage human who stole this precious instrument from a staple of the New Orleans music scene, or the missing instrument’s whereabouts, please call 504-418-0367. Jaffe also noted in his post that the band is offering a reward for the return of Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s sousaphone.