[Dixielandjazz] Woody Allen - Part Two

[JBruno868 at aol.com]

In a message dated 6/4/2010 5:33:32 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,  
barbonestreet at earthlink.net writes:

You  built up a false set of expectations about the man, expecting perhaps 
the  second coming of Johnny Dodds.
 
No there you are wrong Steve. My expatiations came from  watching his video 
of his tour in Europe when an old friend  of mine was playing trombone with 
him. Had he played to at least that level I  would have been OK but he did 
not, what 3-5 years later. I forget now when I saw  the video. I might also 
had thought he would have improved since his tour but  instead, he was very 
much worse. If you say any musician can have a bad night,  that I agree with 
but to go down that low and still be paid to perform, is very  sad.
 
I have said it was a very sad disappointment. It wasn't a  matter so much 
of the money but I had bought the tickets for my mom for  Christmas as her 
gift and we were both looking forward to the evening. I would  have been just 
as disappointed had I paid $10 to see him and would have walked  or rolled 
in my case out just as quickly. It may very well be that my hearing is  over 
sensitive but I have never walked out on a band before because I couldn't  
stand the sound and that includes a lot of bands playing OKOM. After  
attending Jazz Festivals, concerts, practice gigs, Jazz Clubs, etc for  over 35 
years now, I have heard a lot of bands. Some good and some not so good  but 
none as bad as this one player or the sound that came out of his horn and  who 
got paid to play and should be sent to the practice room of any Jazz Club  
before playing in public. In my opinion again of course. I am happy that the  
musician he hires are getting good pay to play with him and I have talked 
to  more than a few and they all say "It's the money" because it's sure not 
the  music or the fun of it when they tour or play with Woody. Now, this is  
not just my opinion but the same as those who play with him so I feel I'm on 
 pretty good ground here with this opinion.
 
Let me ask again, if he were anyone else but Woody Allen, a no  body you 
had never met before, would any band leader here, hire him after  listening to 
him play?
 
Jazz Hugs
 
Judie