Music Rising
Encyclopedia
Bob Ezrin
Robert Alan "Bob" Ezrin is a Canadian music producer and keyboardist, known for his work with artists including Alice Cooper, Kiss and Pink Floyd. He was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2004.-Biography:...
, U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
's The Edge
The Edge
David Howell Evans , more widely known by his stage name The Edge , is a musician best known as the guitarist, backing vocalist, and keyboardist of the Irish rock band U2. A member of the group since its inception, he has recorded 12 studio albums with the band and has released one solo record...
and Gibson Guitar CEO Henry Juszkiewicz. Launched in November 2005 in the wake of Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
, the foundation aims to help in the purchasing of new instruments for the musicians of New Orleans affected by the disaster.
Phase One
In early September 2006, Green DayGreen Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
collaborated with U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
in the studio to record a cover version of the song "The Saints Are Coming
The Saints Are Coming
"The Saints Are Coming" was the third single by the Scottish punk rock band Skids, featured on their 1979 debut album, Scared to Dance. The song became an international #1 hit when it was covered in 2006 by Green Day and U2...
" by The Skids
The Skids
Skids were an art-punk/punk rock and new wave band from Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland, founded in 1977 by Stuart Adamson , William Simpson , Thomas Kellichan and Richard Jobson...
to benefit Music Rising. To coincide with the recording, both bands performed a live version of the song during the NFL Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
Pregame show of the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
/Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
game on September 25, 2006. This game marked the first time that the New Orleans Saints returned to their home building, the Superdome
Superdome
Superdome may refer to:* The Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans* The Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia* HP Superdome server* Superdome , a 1978 ABC television movie...
, since the devastations of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita
Hurricane Rita
Hurricane Rita was the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and the most intense tropical cyclone ever observed in the Gulf of Mexico. Rita caused $11.3 billion in damage on the U.S. Gulf Coast in September 2005...
. "The Saints Are Coming" was digitally released on October 31 and the single on November 6, 2006.
In April 2006, Music Rising aided in the reopening of the historic Preservation Jazz Hall landmark in New Orleans. While the Jazz Hall survived the storm, it had lost all of its instruments, which were eventually replaced as part of Music Rising's initiatives. Ezrin, The Edge, and Juszkiewicz were all present at the grand reopening, and The Edge later made a surprise appearance at the New Orleans JazzFest. Additionally, Music Rising helped replace the precious Baldwin Piano that Fats Domino
Fats Domino
Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino, Jr. is an American R&B and rock and roll pianist and singer-songwriter. He was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Creole was his first language....
had lost when his house was destroyed during the hurricane.
Phases Two and Three
Since beginning Phase Two of its initiatives, Music Rising has restored instruments to tens of thousands of parishioners and students in the Gulf Coast region. Phase Three is dedicated to supporting community musical and cultural organizations and events. In 2008, the foundation played a large part in ensuring that the expenses were covered for the Mardi Gras IndiansMardi Gras Indians
Mardi Gras Indians are African-American Carnival revelers in New Orleans, Louisiana, who dress up for Mardi Gras in suits influenced by Native American ceremonial apparel.Collectively, their organizations are called "tribes"...
, allowing them to afford to march.
Documentary
Music Rising was the subject of a feature documentary directed by Canadian Don YoungDon Young
Donald Edwin "Don" Young is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1973. He is a member of the Republican Party.Young is the 6th most senior U.S. Representative and the 2nd most senior Republican Representative, as well as the 2nd most senior Republican in Congress as a whole...
and produced by Frantic Films of Winnipeg, Canada. It was the highest-rated documentary in Canada during September 2006. The film told the story of U2's efforts to raise money for the Music Rising charity. Contributing to Don Young's film were musicians The Edge, Dave Matthews
Dave Matthews
David John "Dave" Matthews is a South African–born American musician and occasional actor, best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band...
, Dr. John
Dr. John
Malcolm John "Mac" Rebennack, Jr. , better known by the stage name Dr. John , is an American singer-songwriter, pianist and guitarist, whose music combines blues, pop, jazz as well as Zydeco, boogie woogie and rock and roll.Active as a session musician since the late 1950s, he came to wider...
, Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
, Arlo Guthrie
Arlo Guthrie
Arlo Davy Guthrie is an American folk singer. Like his father, Woody Guthrie, Arlo often sings songs of protest against social injustice...
, Wolfman Washington, Breeze Cayolle, Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
, and Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
. The broadcast of this documentary was delayed when the marketing division of U2 Inc. demanded changes which resulted in a considerable amount of world exclusive U2 scenes being removed from the film at the last moment. The missing scenes featured The Edge visiting some of the hardest-hit sections of New Orleans where he met with residents, jammed with street rappers, prayed with local pastors, and was deeply moved by what he saw. Under considerable pressure to change the film Young resigned but eventually re-joined the project to protect the final cut. The rare and valuable U2 footage has never been broadcast. In 2007 "Music Rising" won two television academy 'Accolade Awards' and was broadcast in 27 countries, including the United States, where it aired on both VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
and the Sundance Channel.