The CBS network premier of The Whole Gritty City by Richard Barber and Andre Lambertson tonight survived the remade-for -TV cuts to commercial-after-commercial to reach that audience beyond ‘people like us’ to people who really need to know; the politicians and parents who wistfully aver to arts education as useless in their technocratic promised land.
What they’ve accomplished is a jazz miracle. Richard and Andre show how New Orleans keeps its eyes on the prize by dancing its theology. Big ups to the band directors, Wilbert Rawlings Jr, Derrick Tab, Dinneral Shavers (r.i.p.) and Brandon Franklin (r.i.p.), for their spiritual and artistic guidance. And Bruce Davenport Jr,, who goes to show the art to the music. Neat trick. You’re a beast: take a bow.  Y’all deep. <applause>  C & me, We miss you.
If you missed it tonight, Word has it, it’ll be streamin’ its way to a screen this near you real soon. And it’s realer than 99% what you find there.