"Music Rising" Documents the Struggle to Help the New Orleans Music Scene Dust Itself Off and Ascend from the Ashes

Lately, much of my reading, writing and listening has revolved around the "Big Easy," touching on various aspects of New Orleans. Along these lines, "Music Rising" is a phenomenal documentary about the effort to bring vital musicians back to New Orleans in the -- literal -- wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Music Rising itself is a charity organized by producer Bob Ezrin and the CEO of Gibson, Henry Juszkiewicz. The organization works to purchase new instruments for displaced musicians, using a variety of ways of raising money, ranging from auctioning off beautiful guitars to holding charity concerts in Louisiana.

Produced by Frantic Films of Winnipeg, "Music Rising" was Canada's highest-rated documentary in 2006, leading me to wonder: why the hell did it take Canadians to make this film? Director Don Young included such notable and disparate stars as Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Dr. John, Willie Nelson, Dave Matthews, Arlo Guthrie, Wolfman Washington and Breeze Cayolle. Much of the flick follows Breeze as he leaves his shattered home and life in New Orleans for Nashville. Six months later, after he returns to find his already-destroyed home broken into and learns that absolutely nothing has been done in his area in all that time, he vows never to return.

Breeze is held up as a symbol of the emotional loss of the musical influence that provides the very foundation of New Orleans. He's among the underground local artists who have helped define and create the musical scene of the Crescent City, putting his heart and soul into his craft while living paycheck to paycheck. His departure robs just a little bit of the essence of the soul of the Big Easy, and the void created by musicians of his ilk in New Orleans is one of the reasons that Music Rising felt the need to step in and stem the tide.


U2's The Edge is featured prominently as one of the pillars of the Music Rising movement, and he was moved as all were in attendance when the legendary Preservation Hall opened back up after Katrina, despite an uncertain future. Unfortunately, a controversy arose surrounding U2 and the film, with U2 Inc. forcing Young to remove scenes that involved the Edge visiting some of the hardest-hit parts of the city and jamming with local musicians. After the marketing division of U2 Inc. mandated some changes, Young quit the project for a while, then returned at the end. However, some emotional, exclusive scenes involving U2 have never been aired, further casting into question whether Bono, The Edge and crew have truly become philanthropists or simply developed into a country of their own.

Either way, at least there is a good end result of U2's involvement. U2 and Green Day collaborated on the song "The Saints Are Coming" to benefit Music Rising in September 2006, culminating in an inspired and memorable performance at halftime of the reopening of the Superdome (see below).

"Music Rising" was more an emotional, soulful experience than a true documentary, though its excellence in that medium earned it two Television Academy Accolade Awards. So even though it took a bunch of Canadians to bring it to the screen and even though New Orleans has slid somewhat into the background -- if it was ever in the foreground -- viewing "Music Rising" will touch the part of you where compassion breathes … and music lives.