To celebrate HM the King's birthday on Dec 5, the Central Chidlom presents a concert by the New Orleans-based Preservation Hall Jazz Band, one of his favourites, at its Morakot outdoor car park tomorrow and Saturday, starting at 7pm both days.

The King is known for his love for jazz music, which has its root in New Orleans, and for which he cultivated a taste at a young age while studying in Switzerland.

The Preservation Hall Jazz Band travelled to Thailand for the first time in 1988 for a tribute concert in honour of His Majesty marking his 60th birthday. Since then it has been here on many occasions to perform both on a formal and informal basis, including in 2007 to celebrate his 80th birthday when the band, in a mark of appreciation, named him its honorary leader. On Nov 6 the King granted the band an audience at Siriraj Hospital where leading it was Asst Prof Dr Pathorn Srikaranonda, who performed the King's compositions in tandem with HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn at a concert celebrating the 7th cycle of his birth last year.

The band derives its name from the Preservation Hall, a venerable music venue in the heart of New Orleans' French Quarter, founded in 1961 by Allan and Sandra Jaffe. The band has travelled worldwide on its mission to nurture and perpetuate New Orleans jazz.