Dancing to New Orleans

Polished enough for a PBS pledge drive, this musical odyssey offers a decent primer on Louisiana's rich and diverse musical heritage, including the blues, jazz, Cajun, Zydeco, R&B, country, and rock ‘n' roll, as embodied by proto-punk Jerry Lee Lewis. For high-minded viewers, interviews put the music into context, but the good times really roll in performance footage presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 sound from such local heroes as BeauSoleil, Allen Toussaint, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, the Neville Brothers, Irma Thomas, and C.J. Chenier (son of Zydeco king Clifton), not to mention more unsung heroes such as gospel king Raymond Myles, and the swinging senior Palm Court Jazz Band. Along the road, the program takes illuminating detours that explore Louisiana history and culture, as well as different regional music styles. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Lee Benson)