Funk Babblings

I just found out that last night there was a 5-hour concert, organized by Wynton Marsalis and broadcast on some PBS and NPR stations, dedicated to benefiting hurricane relief efforts. Go over to NPR's page about it for RealAudio (or Windows Media audio) links for each hour, plus a few highlights they've selected. I haven't listened to much yet, other than a Robin Williams segment, but apparently there were some great speeches along with some great music. Too bad there's no MP3 for listening offline.

Meanwhile in a not-so-highbrow part of town, the Louisianan southern-rock band Dash Rip Rock started an occasional podcast a few months ago, and the latest show includes tales of Katrina evacuees and survivors, and some of their music related in various ways to the hurricane and flood.

I know everyone is tired of depressing hurricane talk by now, but I need to get this out before the new news cycle, dominated by the Supreme Court, forgets about New Orleans and the terrible loss of life there.

( Loss of a culture... )

Update: Listen to some of that New Orleans culture over at Live365.
Or check out On The Media and listen to the editor of the New Orleans Times-Picayune talk about getting their paper out under these conditions.
Another Update: On being poor.
And Harry Shearer's Le Show does a celebration of New Orleans for his latest show.