Hardened city dwellers and the urban-challenged may not have a great deal in common, though we've seen both crowded around talented street musicians. But what exactly are these folks playing for? A few dollars are tossed in the hat every so often, but surely there's an easier way to make a living. There's a story for each and every street musician out there, from those dreaming of bigger venues to those perfectly happy with their position in life. One thing's for sure, though: you'd certainly have to be a dedicated musician to do it.

These performers, naturally, are given the limelight in Mark Johnson and Jonathan Walls' Playing for Change (2003), a documentary spanning three major U.S. cities and the folks that play there. It also doubles as an interesting on-location tribute to the cities in question, as we hop around Los Angeles, New Orleans, and New York City (in that order). Though it would've been interesting to include representatives from smaller cities and towns, it's easy to see why the filmmakers stayed within a limited scope; if nothing else, Playing for Change's light running time of 71 minutes ensures that it's filled to the brim with talented musicians.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the film---aside from the diverse array of performers, of course---is the way in which Johnson and Walls assembled the footage, in at least one regard. This is perhaps best evident in "Playing for Change Blues", in which the filmmakers recorded their favorite performers playing "sections" of a finished piece, combining the elements to form the composition of the same name. It's for reasons like this that Playing for Change comes off as a truly inspired documentary---it's especially refreshing, since so many documentaries on DVD play like fluff pieces. Like the musicians it pays tribute to, Playing for Change does it for the love of music.

As for the performers themselves, you'll meet plenty of interesting characters along the way…which, of course, are better left unspoiled (though my favorites include a child prodigy and the deaf trumpet player who inspired him). The main feature is presented with care on DVD by Starlight Home Entertainment, which includes a great technical presentation and a small but interesting mix of bonus features. It's a lightweight release, all things considered, but there's no reason why fans of music and interesting documentaries won't enjoy it every step of the way.

Presented in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio, Playing for Change looks very good from start to finish. The natural color palette of this on-the-fly documentary plays well on DVD, while there aren't any major digital problems to speak of. The English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo mix is roughly the same quality, offering strong music and clear dialogue. Unfortunately, no subtitles or Closed Captioning options seem to have been included with this release.

Documentaries on DVD seem to be literally coming out of the woodwork, so it's good to know that plenty of them are worthy of your time and attention. Though Playing for Change is undoubtedly a film whose merits cater to a specific audience, it's an extremely interesting look at a commonly ignored aspect of city life---and if anything else, it's worth watching just to see these performers' passion for entertainment. Starlight Home Entertainment's DVD presentation is a bit light on the bonus features, but the strong technical presentation and reasonable price tag make Playing for Change a release that fans of the genre will enjoy from start to finish. Recommended.