[Dixielandjazz] Concert Review - Woody Allen

Thu Jul 3 08:46:43 PDT 2008

Just my point, Brian, just my point.
The Morgans, King Olivers, etc., are not considered "pure" New Orleans
nowadays.  I've got all that - the Sunshines, the Creole Band, Piron,
Celestin, you name it.  However, when people speak of "New Orleans"
nowadays, it's Bunk (who hated what he was made to play, and sounded
much much better when surrounded by more sophistcated musicians),
George Lewis, and the Presrvation Hall crowd  (just listen to the
European "New Orleans" bands - Colyer, Brian Carrick, Derek Winters  -
an excellent illustration of what I mean).  Sure, they are "revival"
bands, but many of the musicians involved were there when jazz was
still in the cradle.  Yet they were made to play what the white
critics thought was "right."  For example, most of the New Orleans
guitarists did not even own a banjo, but were made to acquire one to
play what the sponsors wanted.  Actually, even Kid Ory, who did not
quit stick to the "Preservation Hall" style, was compelled to play the
repertoire his public (told so by the "powers that be") wanted to
hear.  And even his band was severely criticized when it strayed from
that track: thus, the recordings he made with Marty Marsala (the best
of Kid Ory to my ears) were put down because of "incompatibility" of
Marsala's Chicago horn and the New Orleans style of Ory.
Cheers

On 03/07/2008, Brian Harvey <brer.rabbit at tiscali.co.uk> wrote:
>
>
> Hello Marek,
> Your wrote......."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......
>
> That is not true New Orleans jazz - it's Revival NO jazz. To hear that you
> have to go back to Kid Ory in 1922, King Oliver in 1923, Fate Marable's
> riverboat band, Sam Morgan's Bnd, Celestin's Tuxedo Orchestra and many more
> etc
>
> Brian
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com
> [mailto:dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com]On Behalf Of Marek Boym
> Sent: 02 July 2008 21:41
> To: brer.rabbit at tiscali.co.uk
> Cc: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Concert Review - Woody Allen
>
>
> 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
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >  **************Gas prices getting you down? Search AOL Autos for
> > >  fuel-efficient used cars.
> > (http://autos.aol.com/used?ncid=aolaut00050000000007)
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> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
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