[Dixielandjazz] Goody Allen

[ROBERT R. CALDER]

I really don't mind Woody Allen's activities with a musical instrument, and as long as he runs a decent band and gets decent musicians to put on a concert around him and get decent music heard, fine.

He certainly seems to be a nicer bandleader than BG.

A friend of mine was mysteriously alerted to the impending arrival in town of a latterday Goodman sideman not mentioned so far in correspondence, and I wasn't. So I missed first-hand the man's onstage reminiscences of BG, which my friend reported presumably (knowing him) very accurately.  And with an understandable incredulity, since he himself knew not very much about jazz and even less about BG.  In fact the first detailed account he had of BG was this sideman's, which included something about Benny being unique among musicians who had worked in his bands, in his less than delighted response to his death.....
A rather black joke or legend which I merely repeat.
But it does reflect rather poorly on Mr. Allen (W) that he seems not to have contemplated emulating his namesake Steve in starring in a movie based rather on ....
But... 
To change the subject, 
Russell Procope was the greatest clarinetist I ever heard in person ....



       
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