One of the most transformative moments of live music performance I have experienced was a tuba solo performed by Allan Jaffe, the late great founder of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, who passed away 20 years ago. The band Jaffe founded in 1961 continues going strong, with his son Ben filling his shoes as musical director and playing bass. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band tours incessantly—150 days out of the year—carrying New Orleans jazz to all corners of the earth. (In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, when the venue from which the band takes its name was shut down, the band simply stayed on the road.) They bring their rags, marches and blues to Buffalo tonight (December 6), along with a selection of holiday tunes delivered through their traditional jazz filter. Proceeds will be used to buy instruments to donate to the Buffalo and Niagara Falls public school systems. The concert is part of the Big Easy in Buffalo series (bigeasybuffalo.com), which, like all of us at Artvoice, is counting down the days to Mardi Gras. The series culminates in a Mardi Gras Jam at the Town Ballroom, featuring the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Papa Grows Funk, Big Chief Bo Dollis & the Wild Magnolias, Joe Krown Organ Combo and Buffalo’s own Great Train Robbery.

Thursday, December 6 at 7:30pm. UB Center for the Arts, UB North Campus (645-ARTS). $20 (box office, Ticketmaster.com)