[Dixielandjazz] Concert Review - Woody Allen

Wed Jul 2 13:40:45 PDT 2008

Hello Judie, Brian,
Have you heard "The Bunk Project?"  Very convincing playing from all
concerned, including Allen.
You yourself say, Judie, that had his playing at the concert you
attended been "up to that (Wild Man Blues) quality," you would have
been happy."  So, you do admit he can play.
I admit preferring Dixieland (whatever that means) to "pure" New
Orleans (which, played as we know it, is the invention of the white
critics and fans of the 1940's anyway) or "swing" to New Orleans, but
I have a large number of "New Orleans" records (and tapes made on
location) as well.  That what Allen plays.  Not being a musician, I
cannot assess his technique, but, even to me, it seems limited.
However, so was George Lewis'.  Yet the latter is more revered that
the much more technically accmplished Willie Humphrey (I prefer him
anytime) or Albert Burbank.  Lewis was a very emotional player, and so
is the Allen I've heard (on record and in the film).
On the other hand, when I went to hear Turk Murphy at Earthquake
McGoon in 1980, the band sounded uninterested and bored, and imparted
that feeling to the listener.  I had the impression that it could not
play anymore, but then I heard later recording which were pretty good.
As described in my letter to Steve Barbone, "I heard the Eldridge band
at Ryans' in 1980, and it was BORING!  The musicians sounded
uninterested and lethargic.  The intermission piano (Red Richards) was
something else!  I had that experience twice - the first time it was
Max Kaminsky that fronted the band.

On the Eldridge evening, during the intermission Eldridge was
approached by two ladies of his age and height.  They gave him a tape
they had made at a concert in Chicago, if I am not mistaken, and all
three seemed to have great time!  After the intermission, it was a
transformed Eldridge that took the stage.  Disregarding the band and
the repertoire, he played highlights of his old repertoire for his two
guests, and it was Great!  The band eventually followed, but Eldridge
did not seem to care."

All this, again, leads to the conclusion that, even if Allen was awful
when you heard him, it does not mean he never plays well, as he might
have at the Montreal concert.

BTW, I hate his films, except for the music.

Cheers

On 03/07/2008, JBruno868 at aol.com <JBruno868 at aol.com> wrote:
> I had seen "Wild Man Blues" a couple of times as a  very old friend played
> with Woody on that tour and if the concert I  had attended here in Palm Desert,
> Christmas, the year before last, had been  up to that quality I would have
> been happy but it wasn't. I didn't expect much  but what I heard was the most
> horrible sounds coming out of a Clarinet since  learning to play in the 4th
> grade. I left after the 3rd song and my mother  followed after the next. I was
> embarrassed as this was my mom's Christmas  present.
>
> I also know a musician who played with Woody's band on  that tour and is
> still playing with him now and if you really want to know what  the very good
> musicians who play with him think, you need to ask them. They do  it because the
> money is good not because of the music and playing is far  from being pleasure
> but a pain for sure referring to his playing as a  truck horn.
>
> I know the New Orleans style and although it's not my  favorite, I love the
> San Francisco style of Lu Waters and Turk Murphy best, but  do enjoy NO when
> it's done well. Woody Allen has never met a pretty note  and the only reason he
> gets the chance to play is because of his money and his  name.
>
> What I fear the most is knowing that there are some  who went to hear him for
> the first time thinking that maybe there is  something in this music they had
> missed and after, left with the idea that  this is what OKOM is all about.
> Talk about helping in the death of what we love,  this man can kill it all by
> himself and BTW, I do know the clarinet. I played it through High School  and
> after with the Women's Army Corps Band and you had to be pretty good to be
> accepted as a member in that band. I was far from being the best, but I do know
> what a good clarinet should sound like and Woody Allen's playing, is  most
> definitely, not it.
>
> Just my opinion but there it is.
>
>
> Jazz Hugs
>
>
> Judie
>
>
> In a message dated 7/2/2008 6:11:52 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
> marekboym at gmail.com writes:
>
> Hello  Judie,
> As Steve mentioned in a reply to me (on-list), every musician has  a
> bad day.  I've heard a Voice of America LP by Condon on one  side,
> Bobby Hackett on the other, and whichever side I played, it  sounded
> worse than the previous one!  That, despite the great line-up  on both
> sides.
> I've never heard Allen live, but I've heard recordings,  and he sonds
> great on them.  I did not like the film - they hardly let  a tune to
> end there, and it pictures Allen as a rather abominable  person.  But
> even there the music sounds good.
> Cheers
>
> On  01/07/2008, JBruno868 at aol.com <JBruno868 at aol.com>  wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > In a message dated 7/1/2008 6:30:52  A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
> > barbonestreet at earthlink.net  writes:
> >
> > Here is a review of Woody Allen at the Montreal Jazz  Festival.  After
> > all is said and done, he communicates to, and  entertains the  audience
> > and that's what it is all about  according to Louis  Armstrong.
> > Cheers,
> > Steve  Barbone
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Oh, please don't get me  started again  on this man and his playing again.
> If
> > you ever  heard him do "Turkey in the  Straw" where he sounded worst that
> any
> > real turkey, you have no idea how  bad a clarinet player can  sound. It was
> the
> > worst return on my $150. I ever   made.
> >
> > Jazz Hugs
> >
> >  Judie
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
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