[Dixielandjazz] Woody Allen

[Steve Barbone]

on 12/16/06 4:58 PM, JBruno868 at aol.com at JBruno868 at aol.com wrote:

In a message dated 12/16/2006 1:09:29 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,
barbonestreet at earthlink.net writes:
Gee, give the poor guy a break. He is a white man, trying to sound like the
early Uptown New Orleans black clarinet players. Considering that, and
having heard some of them in the 1940s, IMO, he succeeds admirably.

He is the best, at what he does.
 

The shame Steve is for those in the audience who don't know New Orleans Jazz
or what a good clarinetist should sound like while playing. I think he is
doing more harm than good because of this. They go because of his name and
walk away wondering.

Jazz Hugs

Judie


Perhaps so, but that is what lots of people say about Preservation Hall and
IMO, they would be wrong because Preservation Hall does more for New Orleans
jazz than most other bands. And maybe Woody Allen does also.

Many of the bands that gig at Jazz Society Concerts, and/or OKOM Jazz
Festivals, and play on the streets, or around the world in public venues, or
that give the music away free because nobody will pay them to play are not
very good. Some of those bands and clarinet players can't hold a candle to
Woody Allen. But should we, as other musicians, name them publicly and say
they suck? I don't think so. Suffice it to say they are there without
pointing the finger at them.

You hear the applause, you see the standing ovations when Woody Allen plays.
The musicians in his band are excellent professionals. The audience, except
for the so-called literati love him and his music. Same for Preservation
Hall. Same for Kenny G. Is that harm?

Are we so knowledgeable about clarinet players as to pass judgement or speak
for for the rest of the audience out there? I don't think so. Lordy, I would
hazard a guess that many of us even on a list such as this, have no idea
just what a great player Kenny Davern was. How many of us have as many
records of his say, as we have of King Oliver? Yet Davern is just as much a
giant as Oliver, or Johnny Dodds, or Irving Fazola, or Edmond Hall, or
Alphonse Picou, or Rosy MacHargue, or Bob Wilber, or Pete Fountain, or or
virtually any clarinetist we can name in OKOM.

Just my opinion, but I think it is destructive to down other players/bands
by name.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone

Bottom line is that Woody Allen plays an authentic, "folk music jazz style
clarinet". We may not like it at all but then, we are not his audience.