[Dixielandjazz] LA Times Review of Woody Allen

[Steve Barbone]

Here is a snip from the LA Times review in case you are not registered with
them. After complaining about his tone, this is what the reviewer said.

On the other hand Judie, you said Woody Allen "Stank". BIG DIFFERENCE.

Cheers,
Steve 


Allen has demonstrated an impressive familiarity with the New Orleans style
of clarinet that traces back to masters such as Sidney Bechet, Johnny Dodds
and Buster Bailey. Although he has tended to view himself as a dedicated
amateur, his talent and his long-term emergence in the music, combined with
the opportunity to interact with excellent players, have produced some
first-rate performances. His work in the concerts represented in the 1998
documentary "Wild Man Blues" clearly affirms that Allen is much more than a
musical hobbyist. 

And the odd part of his appearance at Royce was that ‹ despite the sometimes
squawky quality of his tone ‹ the musical content of what he played was
generally well-done. Although repeated passages in his solos tended to imply
memorization rather than improvisation or, perhaps, a limited vocabulary of
phrases and riffs, Allen played with an enthusiastic sense of swing and a
convincing compatibility with New Orleans style. But he needs to give some
serious consideration to what's going on with his sound ‹ either via his
chops or his reeds.