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| Woody Allen and his New Orleans Jazz Band. Woody's the short, nebbishy guy with the glasses. |
I’ve been a fan of Woody Allen’s movies since I was
teenager, so I was very excited to hear that he was coming to the Twin Cities to
perform live with his jazz band. For many years, Allen has played the clarinet in
a New Orleans jazz band in New York City. While Allen has performed in Europe
several times with his band, he hasn’t toured much in the United States. I knew
this was a rare opportunity to see one of my favorite directors live in person,
and a chance to hear some great music as well.
The concert proceeded much like I thought it would: Woody
said a few words after the second song, and also at the end of the concert. That
was it, no stories about the many great movies he’s made, no jokes. But in
between there was some very good music. Allen’s band is usually called the Eddy
Davis New Orleans Jazz Band when Allen plays with the group in New York City.
The band featured trombone, trumpet, piano, bass, and drums, with Allen on
clarinet, and Eddy Davis on banjo. The music was very good, but it would have
been more fun in a more intimate setting than the 2,000 seat State Theatre.
(The concert could have been held in a smaller space: the balcony wasn’t even
half full.)
The band’s repertoire is said to be more than 1,000 songs,
and for this concert they played some songs I knew, like “Down by the
Riverside,” Irving Berlin’s “Easter Parade,” and W.C. Handy’s “St. Louis Blues.”
They also played many songs I didn’t know, but I enjoyed those as well. While
Allen calls himself an “amateur” on the clarinet, it’s very clear from hearing
him play that his love of this music runs deep. It’s fun to see someone doing
something they love, and it’s obvious that Woody Allen loves New Orleans jazz. At
the age of 79, Allen still has real passion for both music and movies, as Irrational Man, the 47th
movie he’s directed, was just released two weeks ago. Even though Allen’s film
work is uneven, as classics sit next to clunkers, I always admire artists who
just keep going. Sure, his latest movie might not be as good as Annie Hall or Manhattan or Match Point, but
why should that stop him from working? Allen has crafted some of the greatest
comedies of the last 50 years, and it was a lot of fun to be able to spend some
time with him tonight.
