For the third year, the Preservation Hall Foundation has held an award ceremony inducting important New Orleans musicians into their Legacy Program and announcing their Sousafund beneficiaries. The Legacy Award offers a monthly honorarium to elder musicians. Started in 2015 it has already provided $150,000 in financial support. There are now over 50 inductees.
The Sousafund provides basses and Sousaphones to students in school music programs. It was started last year by Ben Jaffee, after he had his Sousaphone stolen and it was recovered with the help of the community.
The ceremony was held the afternoon of Tuesday, September 17th at Hotel Peter and Paul on Burgundy St. The Preservation Hall All-Star Band played a set to end the program.
This year's inductees were Tom Sancton, Clive Wilson, Laurence Cotten, and Rickie Monie.
Tom Sancton
Tommy is a former student of the late, great George Lewis – an apprenticeship he lovingly chronicles in his memoir Song for My Fathers. Yet Tom says his passion for the world of musicians was about more than his love for New Orleans jazz music: “It was Sweet Emma, not just her music but the whole package you got with her – you know, the beanie and the bells. I mean, they were larger-than-life characters. There was an element of almost theater about it, too. You know, it was like a stage with these characters acting, playing music, but
