INSTRUMENTAL EFFORT

Since Hurricane Katrina, such New Orleans natives as Wynton Marsalis, Harry Connick Jr. and Terence Blanchard have, in one way or another, reminded the American public what the Big Easy has meant to this country's culture and music.

So has Ireland-raised guitarist Dave Evans, better known as The Edge (above). A key mission of his Music Rising campaign, which he co-founded in November 2005 with producer Bob Ezrin and Gibson guitar CEO Henry Juszkiewicz, is to replace musical instruments that were lost or destroyed in the Gulf Coast area by Katrina and Hurricane Rita.

On Saturday (April 21), Music Rising's Icons of Music Auction begins at New York's Hard Rock Café in Times Square. Among the roughly 200 pieces of equipment and memorabilia up for bid will be something from The Edge's own collection -- his trusty 1975 Gibson Les Paul, which the U2 guitarist has used both in the studio and on the road throughout the band's career.

If that doesn't show a commitment to a cause, then nothing does.

A little aside about commitment: Other than Austin, Texas, no other American city lives and breathes music as much as New Orleans. And with very few exceptions, just about every genre or era of music can be traced back or connected to New Orleans.

Bids for the Icons of Music Auction can be made online via www.juliensauctions.com.