Woody Allen is known for his trademark feature length movies, but to some, he is also known as a die-hard clarinetist. Often, Allen practices in-between takes while on set, but sometimes he goes on tour with his Jazz Band. On December twenty seventh, Woody Allen and his New Orleans Jazz Band came to Portland, Oregon.
Most people, including myself, were there simply because they admire Allen’s work. Some were there to see Allen for again, while others were there because they appreciated the sweet sounds of New Orleans Jazz, gospel, old hymns and blues.
Most long time Woody Allen fans are already aware of what style of music he plays, especially if they have seen the 1998 documentary, Wild Man Blues, where Allen and his band are followed during a European tour.
Needless to say, but, the audience was anticipating the arrival of Allen and his New Orleans Jazz Band. When Conal Fowlkes (now famous for lending music to Midnight in Paris) began to the play the piano, the audience mildly clapped, but when the timid Allen and the rest of the band entered, the applauses exploded.
All eyes were on the long time director, who sat in the in the center with either of his legs crossed, often tapping along to the beat. When Allen finally took to the microphone to introduce the material him and his band would be playing, the crowd went from mild manner to a complete Europhobia, holding on to every word he said, and laughing at every single joke. The crowd was hooked on Allen. Every time he had a solo, the loudest applauses were heard.
The crowd was completely mesmerized by everything Allen did. Although he could have served as a distraction to the music, it seemed most people left with a new appreciation of old time Jazz.
By the time the encore was finished, Allen and his band received three standing ovations, the crowd was clapping along to the songs, and were cheering as if they were a tween at a Justin Bieber concert.
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Living in The Age of The Reissue offers a variety of benefits for the musically-minded person. Now, you can get to know Carl Perkins in the same way that the public at large knew Elvis Presley back in the day. The constraints of what is popular now no longer dictate the kinds of music we are familiar with, in spite of sales figures, the proliferation of music videos (distributed through whatever means is popular at the time), or even their inclusion in TV and film. The Age of The Reissue liberates us from the stale conformity of Top 40, and allows our musical dollars the chance to flow in obscure, seldom traveled paths, and in many cases, offer us a chance to excavate the past in a way that was never previously thought possible.