From The Big Apple To The Big Easy: The Concert For
New Orleans (Rhino 2-DVD Set)
Picture: C+ Sound: B- Extras: D Concert: B-
There
have been so many charity concerts and necessary ones at that, it is easy to
loose track. In the 1980s, every one
seemed like a big event, though it sometimes seemed like a distraction from
uglier things in the long run. These
events may have eroded Rock in particular and the hype where everyone thought
they could change the world for the better by participating went into reverse
and things got uglier. One of the
ugliest of the man-made events was Hurricane Katrina and its continuously
nightmarish aftermath. From The Big Apple To The Big Easy: The
Concert For New Orleans is a concert trying to raise funds in what is one
of the most ironic of all.
It was a
good, if not great, event that had less Rock and more of the traditional music
forms that put the great city on the map.
The two DVDs offer the following introductions and performances:
Disc
1
JAZZ FUNERAL - DIRGE/CELEBRATE -
The Rebirth Brass Band Allen Toussaint Band
Introduction by Ed Bradley
Southern Nights - Allen Toussaint
All These Things - Art Neville
Hercules - Lenny Kravitz
On Your Way Down/Yes We Can Can -
Elvis Costello
Ain't Got No Home - Clarence
"Frogman" Henry
Fortune Teller - Jimmy Buffett
A Change Is Gonna Come - Aaron
Neville
Big Chief - Cyril Neville
Ladies Of
The Big Easy Introduction by Jessica Lange
Time Is On My Side - Irma Thomas
Last Train/I Know (You Don't Want
Me No More) - Cyndi Lauper & Allen Toussaint
Brother Jake/Iko Iko - Irma Thomas,
The Dixie Cups & Cyndi Lauper
I Think It's Going To Rain Today -
Bette Midler
Elton John Introduction by Scarlett
Johansson
Levon - Elton John
Blues Introduction by Ed Bradley
My Girl Josephine - Ry Cooder
Rock Me Baby - Buckwheat Zydeco
When The
Levee Breaks - Lenny Kravitz
Backwater Blues - Irma Thomas
Disc
2
Jimmy Buffett Introduction by Ed
Bradley
Pascagoula Run - Jimmy Buffett
Heart Of
Gold - Jimmy Buffett & Dave Matthews
Son Of A
Son Of A Sailor - Jimmy Buffett & Dave Matthews
Fins - Jimmy Buffett
Margaritaville - Jimmy Buffett
Sea Cruise Jimmy Buffett & Paul
Simon
President Bill Clinton Introduction by Ed Bradley
John Fogerty Introduction by
President Bill Clinton
Born On The
Bayou - John Fogerty
Proud Mary - John Fogerty
Jazz Introduction by Ed Bradley
The Monkey - Dave Bartholomew &
Elvis Costello
I'm Walkin' - Diana Krall with Troy
Andrews
St. James Infirmiry - Kermit
Ruffins
Simon & Garfunkel Introduction
by Paul Newman
Mrs. Robinson - Simon &
Garfunkel
Homeward Bound - Simon &
Garfunkel
Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon
& Garfunkel with Aaron Neville
The Neville Brothers Introduction
by Ed Bradley
Carry The
Torch - The Neville Brothers
The Meters Introduction by Ed
Bradley
Hey Pocky Way - The Neville
Brothers & The Meters
Amazing Grace - The Neville
Brothers & The Meters
When The
Saints Go Marching In - The Neville Brothers, The Meters & Guests
When The Saints Go Marching In
(Brass Band Reprise) - The Rebirth Brass Band & The
Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Only
Elvis Costello gets political enough and though it is a fine evening of diverse
music and entertainment, it misses the mark for being the event and response
beyond money-raising it needed to be to put the subject of what happened down
there back on the front page of the news.
Jimmy Buffett has his moments, while Simon & Garfunkel’s
latest reunion is odder than expected.
Costello and Elton John do not get enough time and this might be too
much Neville Brothers for some.
Overall, this is a good concert for a great
cause worth a look, but not a great event overall.
The 1.33
X 1 image is maybe one of the last of its kind we will see in professional NTSC
analog video, while the sound options of decent PCM 2.0 16bit/48kHz and Dolby
Digital 5.1 are not bad, but DTS could have fit here and might have made a
difference where the picture was lacking in definition and a slightly dated
look. There are no extras, but 100% of
the proceeds go to help Katrina victims in New Orleans, so let’s hope it helps.
- Nicholas Sheffo
