From The Big Apple To The Big Easy

[ice nine]

If you would have asked me last week for the single best concert DVD I would have answered The Last Waltz. All that changed when I recently purchased and watched From The Big Apple To The Big Easy. This is a phenominal DVD with the Allen Toussaint Band, Jimmy Buffet and Coral Reefers, Simon & Garfunkel, and the finale with The Meteors, The Neville Bros., Rebirth, and Dirty Dozen Brass Band.

Every kind of music you hear at Jazzfest (in one form or another) is highlighted at this momumental show. Ed Bradley serves as a kind of host.

[funkkjunkie]

Welcome, icenine. It's great, isn't it? Some of the Threadheads were there! If I recall correctly, Barry and wife, corona, ibjamn and hebjamn. the jamns had been visiting family in the NE and ended up taking refuge there until they could get back to new orleans.

[tangledupinblue]

I watch mine all the time. I was there as well. Jules and Charlie too!

[Blumie]

I was at the concert, which I thought was good -- and emotional -- but not a great concert from a purely music perspective (even though the lineup was fantastic). Is it a great DVD from a musical perspective (like the Last Waltz is, which, together with Stop Making Sense, are my two favorite music DVDs), or is great just because of the NOLA connection?

BTW, the best Katrina benefit that I attended was the one New Yorker magazine did at Town Hall as part of that year's New Yorker Festival. It was truly phenomenal. I'd love to get that on DVD! Here's a news story about it:

movies.msn.com/news/article.aspx?news=202494

[Edited to add: I just found an online version of it that aired on WNYC: www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/episodes/2005/09/28.]

[ac_deadhead]

did anyone else take home the cool cups they were serving the drinks in?
they were kinda sparkley with the big apple to big easy concert logo on them. still got me a set i smile at every time i use.

[ohio]

did anyone else take home the cool cups they were serving the drinks in?
they were kinda sparkley with the big apple to big easy concert logo on them. still got me a set i smile at every time i use.
Ibjamnn gave me one as a lagniappe. I treasure it, it's my personal go cup!

[2ForTheFest]

did anyone else take home the cool cups they were serving the drinks in?
they were kinda sparkley with the big apple to big easy concert logo on them. still got me a set i smile at every time i use.

LOL Both of us along with Corona must have walked out with about 30 or 40of them! They are all our fav cups by far!

[windowman]

I've got a couple from that show, they are pretty neat looking. It was a nice touch of N'awlins in NYC.

[ScoopJohnD]

This is the one I went to and I thought it was hard to beat. Soul To Soul:From the Heart of New York City To the Heart of New Orleans, outdoors on a great evening in Central Park, only 25 bucks, food from Jaques-Imo's, music from Drive By Truckers, Lou Reed with Laurie Anderson and Rob Wasserman, Allen Toussaint and Dr. John (on guitar!!!) backed by a tight band, who all stayed on to back Hubert Sumlin, then Cassandra Wilson, then Bettye LaVette, then Soulive with guests Ivan Neville, Dar Williams Angelique Kidjo, and Vernon Reid and Corey Glover from Living Colour. And DJ Logic spinning between sets. Finale was everyone listed after Hubert except Dar Williams doing 'What's Goin On' One helluva night.

[Freakwinox]

Scoop,
Absolutely agree on the Central Park show. Remember walkin' up from Columbus Circle and as I got closer, hearing Rockin Dopsie get louder & louder and I was walkin' faster & faster. And it just got better from there. Dr John on guitar was certainly a pleasant surprise.

[Corona]

If you would have asked me last week for the single best concert DVD I would have answered The Last Waltz. All that changed when I recently purchased and watched From The Big Apple To The Big Easy. This is a phenominal DVD with the Allen Toussaint Band, Jimmy Buffet and Coral Reefers, Simon & Garfunkel, and the finale with The Meteors, The Neville Bros., Rebirth, and Dirty Dozen Brass Band.

Every kind of music you hear at Jazzfest (in one form or another) is highlighted at this momumental show. Ed Bradley serves as a kind of host.
sigh....it was a wonderful 6 hour concert.....especially when we got moved to Front row, main floor......blew my friggin mind. :)

[PaulC]

I was at the concert, which I thought was good -- and emotional -- but not a great concert from a purely music perspective (even though the lineup was fantastic). Is it a great DVD from a musical perspective (like the Last Waltz is, which, together with Stop Making Sense, are my two favorite music DVDs), or is great just because of the NOLA connection?

BTW, the best Katrina benefit that I attended was the one New Yorker magazine did at Town Hall as part of that year's New Yorker Festival. It was truly phenomenal. I'd love to get that on DVD! Here's a news story about it:

movies.msn.com/news/article.aspx?news=202494

[Edited to add: I just found an online version of it that aired on WNYC: www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/episodes/2005/09/28.]


Thanx for the last link.... must have been a great show.. Kevin Kline was a surprise,.. a lil' too much of that Bryne thing on the limited broadcast,.. especially when I thought they had cut Buckwheat at what seemd like the end,.. thankfully they gave him a lil' more time to close...

[ice nine]

That Central Park show sounds good. Did the chronological order of the DVD follow the same ordser of the Madison Sq. concert? It looks as if in some points the floor is more crowded, then less crowded, then more crowded. Six hours is a long show!! Was the whole concert as good as the DVD leads you to believe?

I have a question about something unrelated to the DVD but I am too lazy to start a new thread. Irvin Mayfield & The New Orleans Jazz Orchestra is appearing here in Pittsburgh next month. Are they worthwhile to go see? I have never heard of them.

[PaulC]

Six hours is a long show!! Was the whole concert as good as the DVD leads you to believe?

Then the 8 hours each day at the fest is extra loooooong.... And it's all good...

[ozzie]

Thanks listening/watching it again!

Tear up everytime and LOVE it every time. Also Cindy Lauper (sp?) suprises me every time... that woman has a voice!

[ohio]

That Central Park show sounds good. Did the chronological order of the DVD follow the same ordser of the Madison Sq. concert? It looks as if in some points the floor is more crowded, then less crowded, then more crowded. Six hours is a long show!! Was the whole concert as good as the DVD leads you to believe?

I have a question about something unrelated to the DVD but I am too lazy to start a new thread. Irvin Mayfield & The New Orleans Jazz Orchestra is appearing here in Pittsburgh next month. Are they worthwhile to go see? I have never heard of them.
They are awesome, but true jazz. So if you like jazz then go!

[ohio]

Thanks listening/watching it again!

Tear up everytime and LOVE it every time. Also Ciny Lauper (sp?) suprises me every time... that woman has a voice!My biz partner saw Cindy in Vegas recently, was really impressed.

[ozzie]

Now that I've watched the whole thing again, gotta say I couldn't have cried more or cheered more than if I had been there. I think dancing in the torrential hot r#@n helped somewhat.

Ed Bradley... alas I didn't know anything about him prior to his passing. What a class act! Hope he's hammering that tambourine with a whole lot of other cool dudes right now. RIP Ed.

[ice nine]

Sonny L. will be playing up here (Pgh.) next month. Hopefully, he will sign it for me.

[ScoopJohnD]

That Central Park show sounds good. Did the chronological order of the DVD follow the same ordser of the Madison Sq. concert? It looks as if in some points the floor is more crowded, then less crowded, then more crowded. Six hours is a long show!! Was the whole concert as good as the DVD leads you to believe?

I have a question about something unrelated to the DVD but I am too lazy to start a new thread. Irvin Mayfield & The New Orleans Jazz Orchestra is appearing here in Pittsburgh next month. Are they worthwhile to go see? I have never heard of them.

Irvin and the NOJO are fantastic. Saw them up here a few months ago with the Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All Stars and it was great. NOJO is a big band and it's definitely jazz but they incorporate all the other great aspects of New Orleans music, the rhythms, call and response chants etc. And it's not at all stuffy. Even though it's "jazz" Irvin still wants you to clap and yell and have fun.

Go see them.

[NeenAtlanta]

My biz partner saw Cindy in Vegas recently, was really impressed.

It's funny how people only think of her as the wacky girl who did "Girls Just Want to have fun". Her singing and songwriting are amazing. And her shows are incredibly emotional.

Saw Miles Davis cover TWO of her songs during one of his concerts in New Orleans during fest one year (True Colors and Time AfterTime). Now that's "props'!

[ice nine]

I put on this DVD often, because it is a great celebration of New Orleans. I do have one question however. At first I was hesitant to ask the question because of the debate it may spark, but, then again, it may be nothing:

What does the t-shirt that Cyril Neville wear about ethnic cleansing suppose to mean?

[saturn]

What does the t-shirt that Cyril Neville wear about ethnic cleansing suppose to mean?

A little explanation of it here:
http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A361663