From the Big Apple to the Big Easy The Concert for New Orleans
November 2006 Reviewed by: Joseph Taylor Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

The wreckage left behind by Hurricane Katrina was widespread and affected much of the Gulf region in the US, but New Orleans has been the focus of most news stories that followed the disaster. NPR, for example, seems to have a story every day about the city’s problems. While there might be some social implications worth examining about the ways all levels of government failed New Orleans, the biggest reason for its prominence in news coverage is its cultural significance. Much American music is unimaginable without the names of great artists from New Orleans, whether it’s Louis Armstrong and King Oliver, or Dr. John and the Neville Brothers.

From the Big Apple to the Big Easy: The Concert for New Orleans documents a benefit held on September 20, 2005, at Madison Square Garden to raise money for a number of organizations that have been pitching in to help rebuild the city. One hundred percent of net proceeds from the sale of the DVD will be distributed to the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund, Habitat for Humanity, the MusiCares Hurricane Relief Fund, the Children’s Health Fund, and others. A number of New Orleans greats -- Allen Toussaint, Irma Thomas, Clarence "Frogman" Henry, and a lot of folks named Neville -- take the stage alongside musicians they’ve influenced over the years, including Elvis Costello, Jimmy Buffett, and Bette Midler.

Rebirth Brass Band opens the concert with "Dirge/Celebrate," the traditional New Orleans funeral music, which opens mournfully and closes with spirited optimism. Ed Bradley follows them onstage, introduces them, and announces, "Tonight this is about the burial of Katrina and the rebirth of New Orleans." Bradley’s classy presence sets the tone for the show, but his urbanity is matched by Allen Toussaint’s, who at age 68 takes the stage looking dapper and relaxed. Toussaint’s band backs most of the musicians on From the Big Apple to the Big Easy, and they almost manage to make Lenny Kravitz sound funky. Cyril Neville, on the other hand, sings "Big Chief" and proves he could probably hit a groove with a polka band.

There’s a lot of Jimmy Buffett on the second DVD and, speaking as one who is not a fan, his unpretentious fun fits well with the New Orleans spirit. Even with Simon and Garfunkel, Elton John, and John Fogerty on the marquee, the musical high points belong to the New Orleans musicians, especially Irma Thomas, the Neville Brothers, and the Meters. Another highlight is four blues tunes at the end of the first DVD, with Irma Thomas, Ry Cooder, Buckwheat Zydeco, and Lenny Kravitz.

The 5.1 surround mix captures the acoustical characteristics of Madison Square Garden, which led me to vastly prefer the two-channel mix. It’s one thing to hear Ed Bradley’s voice bouncing around the arena, another to hear the faint echo of drums or other instruments. At over 3 1/2 hours, From the Big Apple to the Big Easy: The Concert for New Orleans is overlong, but most people will want to skip over big chunks of it anyway. Still, where else can you pay $25 to see Allen Toussaint, Ry Cooder, Irma Thomas, and a host of other greats, while chipping in for a good cause too?

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