Woody Allen and his New Orleans Jazz Band have been entertaining audiences for more than 35 years with their hot mix of New Orleans-inspired music. Woody Allen’s love of music since childhood has influenced the band’s sound. They draw inspiration from legends such as Sidney Bechet and George Lewis, Johnny Dodds and Jimmie Noone, and Louis Armstrong. The band’s repertoire includes over 1200 songs, including hymns, spirituals as well as marches, blues, and rags from the early 20th century. In keeping with the spontaneous nature of the music every performance is an energetic collection of improvisations–there is no play list, nor do the musicians know what song Allen, in collaboration with band director Eddy Davis, will call out next. The band has entertained thousands of visitors and New Yorkers alike, starting as informal jam sessions that evolved into regular concerts every Monday night. The group has played regularly at The Carlyle, Manhattan’s landmark hotel, for the past ten years. Allen missed out on the Academy Award for ( ) in order to attend his Monday night gig. The band’s first European tour was undertaken in 1996. It was documented in “Wild Man Blues”, a documentary film, and a compact disc entitled under the same. The band has been back to Europe many times since then, with most recent performances in Greece and Turkey. from http://www.throckmortontheatre.org
