Eight months after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans’ Preservation Hall will reopen in late April. The legendary venue, known as the epicenter of the Crescent City’s jazz community, will hold its grand re-opening celebration on April 27 and 28 during the first weekend of Jazz Fest. Doubling as the venue’s 45th anniversary celebration, the two-day event will feature performances by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, in addition to a handful of surprise guests. On April 30, JJ Grey, Robert Walter, Papa Mali and George Sluppick also will perform a special, mostly acoustic show at Preservation Hall, promising both original music and selections from the southern soul songbook.