One of the greatest and most prolific filmmakers of our lifetime – one who's left his own indelible imprint on each of the 44 films he's directed to date – was just one nonchalant, self-effacing cog in a delightful ensemble performance of Dixieland jazz music at the 142 Throckmorton Theatre Saturday night.
Drawing from a repertoire that includes more than 1,200 traditional songs, Woody Allen and his New Orleans Jazz Band, which has existed in one form or another for more than 35 years, played a set of horn-soaked tunes that would incite a smile and a foot tap from even the most fun-resistant curmudgeons.
That's largely due to the fact that Allen, a self-described terrible clarinet player, surrounds himself with a phenomenal cast of musicians, particularly band leader and banjo player Eddy Davis, trombonist Jerry Zigmont and trumpeter Simon Wettenhall.
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In typical Woody Allen fashion, one his few utterances at the mic featured a ribald joke to describe his frequent surprise that audiences are willing to turn out to hear the band perform live. The joke centered on a man who comes home to find his wife in bed with his best friend, at whom he says, "Really, Sam, you? I mean, I have to, but you?"
The line drew a burst of laughter from the sold-out house full, and it was followed by a night of fantastic Dixieland jazz.
