Woody Allen and His New Orleans Jazz Band

The concert was awesome. Like the Dixieland music at Disneyland, only much cooler. It was Woody Allen, for goodness sakes! Afterwards, I got to meet him! I hope he comes back to town. Love that band.

It was entertaining more for the celebrity factor than the quality of performance. As one member of my party said, it was "aggressively mediocre." Their passion for the music is certainly evident which created a buoyant spirit for the evening and the quick response to the audience's ovation for encore was unexpected and appreciated. However, these are clearly amateur musicians feeling their age and the quality of music matches it. I think more moments of Woody reminiscing of the band's playing together over the years or reasons for particular music selections would have added to the spirit of the evening. Overall enjoyable.

If you want to see great Dixieland jazz bands go to 3 Rivers, CA.. Those bands put this to shame. Yeah, it was okay... even toe tapping. But that's the music. These guys were missing passion. I didn't get the impression Woody was enjoying himself. It was a waste of $95 a ticket. When he said he hasn't improved over the years he wasn't just whistling Dixie.!

How fun it was to see Woody in person and watch he and his band play with passion. I would see them again.

A great night of music by the Great Woody Allen, sharing his love and respect for his bandmates and the music he so loves.

You felt like sitting with a bunch of friends and listening to their music. Uncomplicated , free spirited and just enjoyable.

You could tell that this is a band that has been playing together for years. Everybody plays their part, nobody tries to steal the show, great rhythm. Enjoyable experience, beats expectations.

We were expecting to have a little chatter from Woody since his name was what drew usto the concert . He announced that they just played for fun and I wondered who was getting paid from good ticket prices and what appeared to be a full house. That aside the band displayed a good level of musicianship ,tempos varied a little bit but could have used more uptempo tunes . The singing added relief from tunes all sounding alike. Woody's clarinet sounde as if he was playing on a very poor plastic reed. The lower octave was hard to discern the pitch from some wierd overtone generated by the reed.His upper register went very sharp and his staccato style didn't blend with the band. I came to see Wood y and I did. His sound and style was a disappointment. The evening was still enjoyable.It was kind of like being in his garage only no one was talking to each other.

My wife and I attended, sitting in ground floor seats about halfway back. The music was refreshing and the band obviously enthusiastic. Great musicianship on the part of all. Woody got all the attention and adoration of the crowd, but it was his band that made the night worthwhile. They could carry anybody.

If you are a fan of Woody Allen films, you are accustomed to the Dixie-style jazz that accompanies many of the soundtracks. And you are also aware that the great film talent has another very serious pursuit--playing clarinet with a group that gets together on a regular basis (you may remember he didn't accept his Best Direct Oscar because he was playing with the band that night in N.Y.). After years of curiosity, I finally got to hear Woody Allen and His New Orleans Jazz Band as they performed tonight at Royce Hall at UCLA in Los Angeles to a sell-out crowd. This was a polished, first-rate Dixieland jazz band which happens to have a very famous film actor-director-writer playing the clarinet parts. It was like listening to a live score being prepared for one of his movies. It was delightful, comprehensive and highly professional. Other than thanking the audience for coming at the beginning and introducing the band members at the end, Woody focuses solely on being a member of the band made up of piano, drums, banjo, trombone, trumpet and his clarinet. Can he really play that thing? If he hadn't become a filmmaker, he could be making a living as a top-rate clarinet player who can handle some pretty dynamic solos. Should you ever get a chance (I'd been waiting 40 years), you'll want to see the musical side of Woody Allen.

If it wasn't for Woody Allen, there would have been absolutely no reason to have been stuck in the concert hall. I have seen garage bands for free that were better than this band. Lucky Woody Allen. He is rich and famous. He can buy his own night and be a star.

Overrated group...not worth the price...would not recommend

One hour and 45 minutes of non-stop, great music. Very much enjoyed!

I expected a lot more. Many songs downers and some hard to hear

What can I say?...First of all, I could not believe that I was actually "seeing" Woody with my own eyes. I have adored him since I was very young. My father was a big Woody Allen fan and also a Jazz enthusiast. I grew up to appreciate Jazz. So basically, I had the best of both worlds in one night. My 10 year old son also enjoyed the show. He plays cello. According to him, the cello would contribute just as much to jazz , as the bass. LOL Thank you for an amazing night. Love you Woody!

Don't expect the greatest New Orleans Jazz Band ever but it was quite an enjoyable evening. The band was clearly having fun and the feeling was contagious.

Great performance, went above and beyond expectations, 20 minute encore (1:40 performance total)

We enjoyed ourselves. So entertaining and fun. Lively and Quick. No conversation to speek of, just great music.

The band for the most part was good. Woody was fun to see but I really think this kind of music should be seen at a small jazz venue not a concert hall. Some of the players were not great musicians but then Woody did say they get together for fun. In that case, maybe they shouldn't be charging so much for tickets. I would have liked to have seen a female singer with a huge jazz voice. I think that would have added a lot to the band.

As expected. they came, they played, no break, good music, they went . On the downside, the taping and picture taking allowed was distracting and kept the event from a five star evening. We consider taping to be theft and feel it should not be allowed not to mention totally rude and obnoxious to others.

Played their hearts out. Even the vocals rocked. Wish they had a sax player along.

Captivating. Energizing. All that New Orleans Jazz is meant to be.

kinky. not great jazz many people left early woody allen is not a particularly great musician, but he did show us that he enjoys playing. the rest of the band was good, not great, moments of pleasure. audience was appreciative.

You might as well have put on a CD and sat in the living room and listened to it. There was not banter, no "show" YOu never found out anything about the people in the band even Allen

Excellent concert! Toe-tapping music played by a group of intriguing, understated, giving, humane musicians who clearly love playing together. The pianist, Conal Fowkes, was exceptional, and each player remarkable. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Don't expect great music, or a stand up comedy routine. Just a chance to see a movie legend in person, and some pretty good amateur musicians having fun.

Great event !!! Woody and his band played for over two hours without a break and without a back-up band. Through Woody's influence he is orienting many people to this amazing, vintage music that is sadly downplayed in our popular culture. Also incredible is that this 76 year old man has the energy to share his musical skill beyond NY while producing wonderful, insightful movies on nearly an annual basis.

Went with my wife and really enjoyed the Band. Everyone in the Band seemed to be having a good time and were very excellent musicians. Very uplifting music. Haven't heard New Orleans Jazz for some time and it was nice hearing some of the classics again. Woody simply talks less than a minute as an introduction, so it's an evening hearing great music.

Watching and listening to Woody and his buddies jam was an amazing experience. Without preamble, patter, or "business", they got right to it, and were clearly lost in their own process -- right in front of us -- truly "in the zone", as they say, of creating, speaking, expressing, embellishing, all within the voices of their musical instruments. The music itself was terrific, and just got better and better as the musicians moved deeper into making it.

What a treat! The music was great, and Woody Allen is such an unasuming guy up there on the stage. We thoroughly enjoyed the evening. It was obvious they all enjoy playing together. We didn't have to suffer through an opening act - they came out on time, played to the end, with very little talking, and a whole lot of music.

Highly entertaining as always. My fourth time seeing the band. True, passionate musicians who love to play and have snappy, wonderful renditions of great songs. Can't recommend it enough. And of course, seeing Woody is for me the biggest treat.

We loved getting a chance to see Woody and all the other great musicians playing their NO jazz at the Orpheum. Great evening in a beautiful venue with a very enthusiastic audience. I understand Woody will be 80 this year, so if he comes back to LA for an encore, I'll be there!

We enjoyed every minute! We loved the casual atmosphere, we loved how much all seven guys seemed to be really enjoying themselves, we loved their music! We admire Woody Allen for lending his name, but totally blending into the group ... just one of the guys! Very enjoyable! Can't wait to see them again and take a few f riends with us!!

An extremely enjoyable evening all around. Beautiful theater and lively music.Eddy Davis on banjo was outstanding as were every other member of the band! Thank you for an enjoyable evening all around!

I was expecting a more robust play list considering what Woody said near the beginning of the concert. At times I thought Mr. Allen was going to fall asleep on stage and when he did play his clarinet it sounded at times more like a kazoo. And after each time he finished a number (and at least once he appeared to cut the number short) he would rub his mouth as if he had just eaten something that tasted really bad. The rest of the band excelled at times but it would have been nice if the solo's by each performer were spread out through the set rather than all in one song. And they did not play as long as I would have liked especially after starting the show over 15 minutes late. The whole concert including 2 encore's was just over 90 minutes.

My guest and I felt embarrased for Woody Allen. It was his name which drew the huge crowd but his lack of talent as a musician ruined the performance. It was like listening to a high school band member with mediocre talent playing with a group of professionals. The venue is great and we were very happy with the seating and acoustics. It's quite unusual for me to pay $95 per seat for a show (I don't throw money like that around too often) and I really felt like I'd wasted the time and money. It's a shame because I really expected to be well entertained.

Woody Allen s performance with his New Orleans Jazz Band was horrid. It was some of the worst clarinet playing I ve ever heard. As Minneapolis Star Tribune critic Jon Bream pointed out ( Allen is serious about playing jazz, 8/3/15), Allen s performance was screechy, squawky and squeally. Allen changed his reed several times during the performance, This is something that players of reed instruments will sometimes do when they hope to improve their sound. Likewise, horn players will change mouthpieces to improve their sound. This technique didn't work for Allen. I realize that clarinet players in New Orleans jazz bands generally have a special sound that is unique to their jazz genre. I've heard a number of NO jazz bands over the years, so I know what a good one is supposed to sound like. My evening at the State Theater was like listening to someone drag his fingernails across a chalkboard. The rest of the band was excellent and did their best to drown out Allen. I was amazed that rather than booing Allen off the stage, the audience gave several standing ovations. This was likely because they were just being nice, were either unfamiliar with good New Orleans jazz or they were simply recognizing Allen for his previous work in the cinema. It s no wonder Woody Allen began his current tour in Minneapolis. He knew enough to take advantage of Minnesota NIce. Can I get a refund?

Woody Allen s performance with his New Orleans Jazz Band was horrid. It was some of the worst clarinet playing I ve ever heard. As Minneapolis Star Tribune critic Jon Bream pointed out ( Allen is serious about playing jazz, 8/3/15), Allen s performance was screechy, squawky and squeally. Allen changed his reed several times during the performance, This is something that players of reed instruments will sometimes do when they hope to improve their sound. Likewise, horn players will change mouthpieces to improve their sound. This technique didn't work for Allen. I realize that clarinet players in New Orleans jazz bands generally have a special sound that is unique to their jazz genre. I've heard a number of NO jazz bands over the years, so I know what a good one is supposed to sound like. My evening at the State Theater was like listening to someone drag his fingernails across a chalkboard. The rest of the band was excellent and did their best to drown out Allen. I was amazed that rather than booing Allen off the stage, the audience gave several standing ovations. This was likely because they were just being nice, were either unfamiliar with good New Orleans jazz or they were simply recognizing Allen for his previous work in the cinema. It s no wonder Woody Allen began his current tour in Minneapolis. He knew enough to take advantage of Minnesota NIce. Can I get a refund?

I really didn't know much about Woody Allen's ability to play a sax, but this concert blew me away. In his self-deprecating way, he said he was an "amateur" and the other members of his band tolerated him. Far from it. On his solo pieces, he was good. And he was right--the other members of the band were fantastic. Every one of them played amazingly well and also sang on certain songs. This was an evening well spent.

I was pleased to hear a very enjoyable number of New Orleans jazz tunes performed by a good group of musicians. That Woody Allen was not at the same level of performance as his fellow musicians was not a problem for me. I was just happy to see a terrific film maker having a good time with his love of music. Seeing him, remembering the great and funny film moments was satisfaction for me. I would have gone to see another comedy great like Groucho Marx, if he had a decent band, and Groucho was just playing a kazoo!.

I expected so much more from this concert. Woody was sitting on his chair with his head down, and it looked like he was napping, and once a while he put his few sour notes. Other guys were fantastic musician, and actually they were doing the show. But it lacked something, some spirit. They finally got connected with the audience at the end, and the best part of the concert were the encors.

105 minutes of constant smiles. Seven fine musicians showing off their chops via instrumental and vocal solos. They really looked like they were having fun and it was contagious. Standing ovations were rewarded with 15 additional minutes of joy.

I you want to hear good Dixieland music go elsewhere!

Great light enjoyable music played by all. Woody gave his own personality in his playing. It was fabulous to see him in this new configuration. Would've loved to hear him speak more.

I usually enjoy groups like this ...homegrown early jazz (dixieland or whatever you want to call it), but I couldn't get past squacky sound Woody Allen made on his clarinet. I guess some might say it was his signature sound, but I just couldn't take it. (I am a clarinetist by the way. Not a professional, so don't think I am uppety about clarinet tone quality). I stuck it out to the end because the person I was with wanted to hear the whole thing and he wasn't quite as bothered by this as I was. I was hoping for a little more music and a lot less noise. :(

The performance was excellent. Everything we could have wanted. The seats and venue were the best.

Loved the concert. I would totally go see it again. Great music. Woody Allen is a man of many talents and his band is just as fantastic if not more.

Woody Allen is my favorite director, and I also really appreciate jazz. Seeing him play live has always been on my bucket list, so I gave myself this Christmas present, and I wasn't disappointed. His whole band is amazing and ridiculously charismatic, and just to see Woody play on stage was oh so fine...

I highly recommend this event, fun for all ages! The music is uplifting and keeps you moving. Intermittent singing highlights certain numbers. I've gone five times and plan to attend whenever they play LA.

Worst clarinet playing I have ever heard. The band members were excellent. I am glad I went since the overall experience was well worth it. We also found a great new place to eat in Westwood.

I am a big fan of Woody Allen movies, but had no idea that he had a band. I stumbled onto the event online while I was searching for tickets for something else and could not resist. The music was fantastic, and the band never took a break. They played continuously for nearly two hours. It was an unforgettable evening that I would highly recommend to anyone who likes jazz music and/or Woody Allen. I just wish I had known of the event sooner so that I could have purchased better seats! It looked like it was a sold-out show, which was amazing in itself since it was 2 days before Christmas!

Two of my favorite things: Woody Allen and jazz. Simply incredible. Utterly dreamy. The energy and charm of this show was insanely thrilling. I still can't believe I shared a room with Woody Allen. It is one of the most memorable moments of my life, of which I will never forget.

Of course I had to see this. On the very day that I arrive for my L.A. vacation, one of the world's most celebrated (and controversial) movie directors indulging his hobby at the intimate Royce Hall on the UCLA campus. It was fun, if a little short on personality. While Allen's clarinet solos won't make anyone forget Benny Goodman, he is actually pretty good (though he did have occasional trouble hitting the high notes). The setlist was a mix of old New Orleans-style jazz and blues standards that were hits by the likes of Bing Crosby and Jelly Roll Morton once upon a long ago. The band were all very good players, and all but Allen took turns occasionally serenading the audience. I had hoped for some info on the songs, but Allen kept his commentary limited to the welcome at the start of the show and the band intros at the end. A young couple seated next to me left less than halfway through the 90 min. show; one wonders what they thought the show was going to be since the type on the ticket didn't leave anything to the imagination. Oh, well. I'm very glad I went.

This event was absolutely magical! I highly recommend to people of all ages, as this type of music is so universal and transcends time.

Great band with great energy! We had a lovely time.

I was really looking forward to seeing this performance and it wildly exceeded my expectations. It had heart, soul and band members that were truly enjoying themselves. They came back for twice for encores. At the end no one could stay in their seats, people were sitting on the floor, something truly special was happening....

Show started on time, went long, had a great number of solos, a little humorous narration by Woody (including an acknowledgement that he is NOT the band's leader), and really took you back in time to when jazz ruled the nation!

This was an event that caused HAPPINESS. I was laughing spontaneously just because I was feeling so good. The band members were having so much fun. There were a few people in the audience that came to the front and stood up blocking the view. The ushers seemed reluctant to even ask them to get down. But Woody and the band were absolutely the best. We LOVED it.

My husband, son, and myself loved the show!! The musicians were awesome, and we loved the music!!! Would see them again!! ;)

We brought our teenage sons to see this perfomance of Woody Allen and his New Orleans Jazz Band. The group went way beyond our expectations. No bantering, no wasting time, just an hour and a half of great music. The 30 minute encore was fantastic, too.