Last week Richard Barber accepted a Christopher Award for everyone involved in the making of The Whole Gritty City, acknowledging the “higher purpose” behind it’s art. Sometimes the Maryknoll’s mission’s in just the right position. They’re the Merton-esque Catholic charity we prayed for in 3rd grade, here giving credit where it is due. Camilla and I met Richard through Bruce Davenport, Jr., the Picasso of marching bands and a talking head in the film, when the film was being edited. We had all things New Orleans in common, including living in New York City, where we became fast friends.

If you know what it means to miss New Orleansthe first thing you want to do is stop reading me and watch the film. There it is, in a considerable amount of its Glory; it’s people, it’s music, it’s dance, it’s streets, it’s soul. Without which, we wouldn’t be up in here. The most catholic town in North America is a last bastion of transcendental decadence, something the creative spirit thrives on. There is nothing more interesting than sin and New Orleans has it to contemplate.

As sinned against as sinning, the City and its culture represent that “old weird America” you got to know, like history, to understand the new one. Which is where The Whole Gritty City takes off, from the reality here on the ground, and takes us to that finer world within the world that can be New Orleans. People like us need to know these things.  Big ups to Richard & Co. for bringing us the big beat behind it all.

Now a download from Vimeo.  Do so.