Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 11, 2026

Sandra Jaffe

Sandra Smolen Jaffe was an American businesswoman and arts figure. She co-owned and operated Preservation Hall, a popular jazz club in New Orleans, beginning in 1961.

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Sandra Jaffe
Jaffe, from a 1962 newspaper
Born
Sandra Smolen

(1938-03-10)March 10, 1938
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedDecember 27, 2021(2021-12-27) (aged 83)
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Known forCo-founded Preservation Hall
SpouseAllan Jaffe
ChildrenBen 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 1961.12

Early life and education

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.34 She graduated from Harcum College in 1958.56

Career

Jaffe worked in advertising in Philadelphia for a few years before she married.56 She owned and operated Preservation Hall with her husband Allan Jaffe, beginning in 1961.78 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.1011 She also handled the bookkeeping, publicity, and press correspondence,69 and collected admission at the entrance.1213 The Jaffes' policy of racial integration in the early 1960s meant that she was arrested at least once for violating local segregation laws.314 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

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

References

  1. Pope, John (December 28, 2021). "Sandra Jaffe, whose Preservation Hall spread traditional jazz worldwide, dies at 83". NOLA.com. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
  2. 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.
  3. "In Loving Memory of Sandra Jaffe". Preservation Hall. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
  4. 1940 and 1950 United States censuses, via Ancestry.
  5. "Sandra Jaffe, cofounder of Preservation Hall, passes away at age 83". OffBeat Magazine. December 28, 2021. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
  6. "The Quarter Epicure". The Courier. May 19, 1962. p. 3. Retrieved May 12, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. 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.
  8. McCay, Tara (December 29, 2021). "Sandra Jaffe, Cofounder of New Orleans Institution Preservation Hall, Dies at 83". Southern Living. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  9. Holschlag, Judith (July 23, 1963). "Outsiders Aid Revival of New Orleans Jazz". Star Tribune. p. 10. Retrieved May 13, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. Bebco, Joe (January 25, 2022). "Sandra Jaffe has died". The Syncopated Times. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
  13. Moody, Sid (May 17, 1964). "Jazz: A Hall in Birthplace Preserves It". The Standard-Times. p. 15. Retrieved May 12, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. Parati, Nan. "The Legacy of Sandra Jaffe". French Quarter Journal. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
  15. "Early New Orleans Style Jazz". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. August 16, 1963. p. 22. Retrieved May 13, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. "N. O. music school mulled". The Daily Star. March 20, 1988. p. 148. Retrieved May 12, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. "Preservation Hall Jazz Band". www.arts.gov. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
  18. "Engaged Couple to Wed Dec. 25". Pottsville Republican. November 2, 1960. p. 18. Retrieved May 12, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. "The Preservation Hall Jazz Band: A family business - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. March 9, 2014. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
  20. "Preservation Hall to Celebrate the Legacy of Allan & Sandra Jaffe March 10 and 11". New Orleans. February 26, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2026.