[Dixielandjazz] Woody Allen...again

[Charles Suhor]

Great comments from a newbie. I'd add that whether a comment comes from 
a NY Times critic or one of us or a guy at the bar, the credentials or 
lack of them aren't relevant. If the ideas make sense to you, take 'em 
in. If not, disagree, and the dialogue goes on. Looked at from a broad 
perspective, it's healthy and it tends to be self-correcting. It can be 
unpleasant when it gets mean-spirited and personal, but that happens, 
and the bad attitude itself is fair game for criticism, apart from the 
validity of the view expressed about the music. For example John Simon 
was a good drama critic but could be needlessly cruel. Ditto for many 
movie critics. Over the years I've seen dreadfully smart-alecky 
critiques of everybody from Jelly Roll Morton to Dave Brubeck to, oh 
yeah, Kenny Gee and Woody Allen.

Charlie Suhor


On Dec 19, 2006, at 7:36 PM, David Dustin wrote:

> As a newbie to this forum, I’ve found the dialog on whether or not 
> Woody
> Allen (or anyone) is fair game for negative criticism interesting. To 
> my
> view, anybody who stands up and performs publically is a legitimate 
> target
> for public reaction. To the extent that such a person is charging 
> admission
> to that performance, that person had better be ready for cheers or 
> catcalls
> as the audience registers its appreciation, or lack thereof.  To 
> suggest
> that only “professional” critics can express a legitimate opinion seems
> nonsensical. In my experience many dedicated jazz fans have achieved a
> finely honed sense for jazz excellence and the idea that their negative
> opinions count only if they are “professional” reviewers seems absurd;
> there’s a fine line between being a highly knowledgeable trad buff and
> someone anointed “trad jazz critic” at the Daily Blatt.  Where do we 
> think
> those critics spring from?  And what are bulletin boards, such as this 
> one,
> but opportunities for players and fans alike to come together to 
> express, in
> a mutually respectful manner, opinions and exchange musical resources 
> and
> trivia?  I disagree that a forum like this must be confined to “happy 
> news”
> and appreciate straightforward opinions, expressed cogently and 
> politely,
> that might influence the degree to which I allocate resources to 
> investigate
> the musical performance of someone like Woody Allen, his noted 
> filmmaking
> talents notwithstanding.
>
> Fuerte y afinado,
> David Dustin
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