The Politics of Jazz Trailer

 

New Orleans has never looked worse.

And never sounded better.

 

 

 

Yes Katrina has given everyone

something to talk about -

and as New Orleans neighbours

knock their houses back together,

the words on everyone's lips are politics...

 

and all that jazz.

 

 

 

Given half a headline about New Orleans

by good ol' George 'Dubya',

they'll give you something to sing about.

 

 

Politics are being parodied

in the best new Mardi Gras tunes,

 

and as the old jazz clubs are reopening

they're reviving the spirit of the

world famous Big Easy.

 

 

Not that its anything new

to the few NoLa residents that remain.

 

Their insatiable love for politics

has always been infamous.

And New Orleans doesn't sing its

share of the blues without reason.

 

 

But now the division of this 'City of Sin'

from the support and the living standards

of the rest of the States is

ironically bringing a new unity to its townfolk-

 

a combined cause to speak out and sing loud

about the political wranglings

of renewing New Orleans

and the cultural cataclysm they face.

 

Musicians are rallying together

in jazz troupes and fundraising groups

such as 'ReNew Our Music',

playing the unproverbial

to prove to the world that

'you can't stop the music'.

 

 

And to tell the tale of debacle

of the failed US rescue mission too.

 

 

The stories of suffering and

the sights of the worst hit wards

aren't "as bad as you hear on the news"' -

they're worse.

 

And its unlikely that life will ever be the same

as it was "'before the storm".

 

 

But in New Orleans

some things will never change-

 

 

With the coming of Mardi Gras

comes the chance to speak out...

and no-one can silence

 

the politics of jazz

 

A new Wendy Dent Film

in production

COMING SOON

 

Filmed in the heart of New Orleans Mardi Gras

and featuring in depth interviews with a

"WHO'S WHO"

of America's most famous city of music

including

 

"UNCLE" LIONEL BATISTE

 

2007 Grammy award winner IRMA THOMAS

 

BEN JAFFE, Director of PRESERVATION HALL & New Orleans Musicians' Hurricane Relief Fund/ 'RENEW OUR MUSIC'

 

THERESA ANDERSSON

 

JON CLEARY and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen

 

THE REBIRTH BRASS BAND

 

MARK SAMUELS, BASIN STREET RECORDS President/ Co-founder

'SHEIK' RICHARDSON, THE ARABI WRECKING KREWE

 

THE HOT 8 BRASS BAND

 

THE NEW BIRTH BRASS BAND

 

AMZIE ADAMS

 

JOE KROWE

 

'Prince of Gospel' LYLE HENDERSON

 

DWAYNE BREASHEARS, Program Director WWOZ 90.7 FM NEW ORLEANS RADIO

 

 

(c) Wendy Dent 2008

 

Director's Statement

 

WATCH THE TRAILER at

http://www.youtube.com/WendyDent