www.theadvertiser.com/article/20090923/NEWS01/90923002/ -
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Published on: 9/23/2009
Last Visited: 9/23/2009
CHALMETTE (AP) - Jazz trumpeter and singer Jeremy Davenport says it's easy to forget how much rebuilding still needs to be done in south Louisiana.
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He says it's important to look past neighborhoods like the French Quarter and Garden District, which have rebounded and are largely back to normal since Hurricane Katrina four years ago, and look at areas that still have a long way to go.
"It's easy to lose track," Davenport said.
"There are certain parts of New Orleans that are like they were before the storm, but there are a lot of places that aren't."
On Tuesday, Davenport put down his trumpet and picked up some tools to help volunteers rebuild a home in St. Bernard Parish that had taken on 14 feet of water.
Davenport says he was nervous about his lack of skill in construction, but by the end of the day, he had learned to hang and float drywall and felt great knowing that in coming months a family would be living there.
"As bizarre as it is, I really enjoyed today," he said.
"It was very much an enjoyable experience, even though it's hot ...
I can't wait to come back and knock on the door when a family is living here."
Davenport was joined by 50 volunteers from the Ritz-Carlton, where he performs as the hotel's headline entertainer.