On Tuesday evening, Preservation Hall Jazz Band and friends celebrated the 87th birthday of longtime Pres Hall saxophonist/clarinetist Charlie Gabriel with an event appropriately dubbed “Charlie Gras” (Gabriel’s official birthday is tomorrow, July 11).

In a press release for the show, Pres Hall’s Ben Jaffe says, “Charlie Gabriel embodies everything that we are about at Preservation Hall. His family has been creating and performing New Orleans music for over 150 years. Not only has he carried that torch, but he has been passionate about passing on what he knows to the next generation of musicians.”

Gabriel himself adds: “I’ve been around the world time and again, but New Orleans is my hometown, and Preservation Hall is my home. Between playing at Preservation Hall, traveling with the band, and working with the Preservation Hall Foundation, every day is full. That keeps things fun, like the music we play at Preservation Hall that brings people so much joy.”

Dino Perrucci shared some photos from the celebration and performance: