Celebrate Mardi Gras a little late with State Street Traditional Jazz Band - Press Herald

State Street Traditional Jazz Band Courtesy photo

DAMARISCOTTA — Mardi Gras comes to Damariscotta’s historic Lincoln Theater with a special live concert from The State Street Traditional Jazz Band at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 1.

The State Street Traditional Jazz Band performs music representing the origins of jazz, with roots set in the French Quarter of New Orleans.

Since 1989, the State Street Traditional Jazz Band of Portland has been playing and preserving the music of New Orleans Jazz. The band performs familiar early jazz songs, blues numbers and old New Orleans spirituals. Favorites from this era played by the band include: “When the Saints Go Marching In,” “Has anybody Seen My Gal,” “Saint Louis Blues” and over 150 other songs in their musical repertoire from that time period.

On Post-World War I, jazz moved north out of New Orleans. In the course of that move, the music evolved. Still, at this time in history many musical greats kept this music alive such as Louis Armstrong, “Kid” Thomas Valentine, Sweet Emma Barrette, the Humphrey Brothers, and other notable musicians of that era. In more recent years, the original Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and a few traditional New Orleans jazz groups played this captivating music in its authentic form. Sadly, today those original legendary musicians with deep roots to the origins of jazz have passed, but the State Street Traditional Jazz Band is dedicated to playing, preserving and keeping this music alive.

By capturing the original Preservation Hall Jazz Band era of music, John Page, founder and leader of the State Street Traditional Jazz Band, has been bringing his love of traditional New Orleans Jazz to the forefront of the music scene for decades, spending the majority of his musical pursuit studying and playing the most influential New Orleans musicians of his generation.

Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for Lincoln Theater members, and free to those under 18. Tickets will be available for purchase at the door. There will be no advance sales for this event. More information is available by calling the theater office, located at 2 Theater St., at (207) 563-3424 during office hours, Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. or by visiting our website at lcct.org

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