At the beginning of the year, Professor Smaldone had each of us write our favorite experience with the arts on an index card. Well, I am officially changing my answer. Last night, I had the opportunity to go with my family to see Woody Allen play the clarinet along with the Eddy Davis New Orleans Jazz Band at the Cafe Carlyle. Everything about the experience was incredible. From seeing Woody Allen sitting five in front of me, to the upbeat jazz music that made it impossible to be in a bad mood, to the awesomeness of being in the Hotel Carlyle. This was unlike any concert that I’ve ever been to.
While Woody Allen is probably the quintessential New York film director of the twentieth century, he also happens to one my personal favorite directors. While I always pictured Woody Allen as his younger self out of one of his classic movies, like Annie Hall, it was amazing to see how he has evolved in his later years. While he still makes movies, the 75 year-old Allen also devotes his time to his passion for jazz. As you can observe in the clip below, aside from grayer hair and some more wrinkles, Allen looks exactly the same as he does in his famous movies. His style, glasses, hairdo, and attitude has remained exactly the same. In this short clip, you can see how much energy he still has in his senior years and how talented of a musician he is.
Nevertheless, immediately after he stops playing, you can see that drops his head, looks down, and simply waits until his next part. When the show ended, he walked out as nonchalantly as he walked in. He’s a truly incredibly talented who has excelled in numerous art forms, including filmmaking, playwrighting,comedy, and music. Despite all of this, he remains himself and never changes who he is in his heart.
I’m so glad you got to see this! what an amazing “New York” experience to see Woody Allen playing the clarinet at the Cafe Carlyle. Allen played a regular gig at Michael’s for YEARS! Unfortunately, from this tape (and others I found on YouTube) his playing is really great for a Director, but not so great for a clarinet player. Compare this recording of Benny Goodman, at the age of about 75 or 80.
Benny Goodman is clearly an incredible musician, but seeing Woody Allen playing the clarinet was a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget! One thing that I forgot to mention in my blog post was that at the end of the concert, as Woody Allen was putting away his clarinet, he began to sing an old jazz tune along with the rest of the band. I was literally in awe as I listened to Allen casually singing a song right in front my eyes.