A rare original contact sheet still showing Allan Jaffe in "Live & Let Die"
Allan Phillip Jaffe was born on the 24th of April, 1935, in Pottsville, Pennsylvania.
He was an American jazz musician and businessman, best known for his instrumental work with Preservation Hall in New Orleans.
Born into a musical family with his father being proficient in the mandolin and his grandfather having played the french horn in the Imperial Russian Army, Allan first learned to play the piano and then the cornet, before finally choosing the tuba while in junior high school. He gained a scholarship to the Valley Forge Military Academy and then later graduated from the Wharton School of Business in Philadelphia. Jaffe went on to serve in the United States Army and was stationed at Fort Polk in Louisiana and being only a couple of hundred miles from New Orleans, it was at this time that he began to return to his love of jazz music. Following his discharge from the forces, Allan married his wife Sandra and the couple decided to take a trip around the United States for their honeymoon and to find somewhere to live, but after falling in love with New Orleans, they decided to cancel the rest of their trip and stay in the city for longer.
The opportunity of a lifetime came when art dealer Larry Borenstein, then owner of ‘Preservation Hall’, offered the couple the opportunity to manage the concert venue. They duly accepted and took over the management in September of 1961. A lifelong dedication to the world of jazz in New Orleans began here for Allan Jaffe, who immediately provided a home to many older musicians who were struggling with poverty, illnesses and racism. The gradual loss of interest in this music genre led to many session artists being out of work until the revitalisation put in place by Jaffe and his wife. He formed a partnership with a local dental clinic, helping many elderly musicians get free dentures so that they could perform their art once again, as well as assisting any who had been forced to sell their instruments in order to make ends meet. The hall was not only a performance venue but it was also home to numerous workshops and youth bands who could be taught by some of the greatest names in the industry. By 1963, Allan’s exhausting work to reinvigorate the New Orleans jazz scene was paying dividends, with popularity amongst the locals growing at a steady rate. As well as putting on regular concerts at Preservation Hall, he began to tour around the country with groups of musician like Kid Thomas Valentine, Sweet Emma Barrett, George Lewis and Willie Humphrey. The company not only travelled around the United States but also completed successful tours in other countries including Japan, Israel and Denmark.
Aside from his incredible work with Preservation Hall, Allan was also very much in-demand to perform with other bands like the coveted Olympia Brass Band, lead by Harold ‘Duke’ Dejan. The band also toured all over the world and were perhaps best remembered for their iconic appearance in the James Bond adventure “Live & Let Die” in 1973, where Allan can be seen as the tuba player in both funeral processions.
In the music scene of New Orleans, the name of Allan Jaffe is synonymous with the world of jazz music. He dedicated much of his life to his love of this music and gave a new lease of life to hundreds of artists. His legacy can still be viewed and heard today at Preservation Hall, where his son Ben has taken the helm and showcases artists from the city, much like his father did before him.
Sadly, Allan Jaffe passed away on the 9th of March, 1987, aged just 51, after a battle with cancer.
In "Live & Let Die", the iconic Olympia Brass Band were a real life band, who led funerals in the city of New Orleans.
Allan Jaffe can be seen clearly during both processions as the tuba player.
He is in the front row, directly behind the 2nd Grand Marshal, Anderson 'Ghoula' Minor. (Capture shown below RIGHT).
Also shown below (left) is an extremely rare contact sheet still, showing the Olympia Brass Band on Thursday the 26th of October, 1972. Due to inclement weather, shooting the scene had to be abandoned for the day and the sequence was rescheduled for the 9th of November.
Note: Saxophone player Emmanuel Paul who can be seen in this photo was unavailable for the second date and subsequently did not appear in the final version of the film. He was replaced by an as-of-yet unidentified saxophone player.
The autograph displayed below is from a programme from Preservation Hall during their U.K. Tour in 1980.
Unfortunately the contrast of the text behind the signature makes it a little tricky to analyse, but thankfully a number of examples have come onto the market in recent years, as Allan was a very approachable person who was always happy to sign for fans.
Unfortunately, no James Bond material has ever been seen.
The Bond Archives is the first source to showcase Allan in "Live & Let Die".
In the funeral procession seen in the film, there are two Grand Marshals, 2x Trombonists, a Tuba player, 2x Saxophonists, a bass drum, a snare drum and 3x Trumpeters. All but three of these have been positively identified by The Bond Archives.
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