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TIME: Almanac 1990
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1990 Time Magazine Compact Almanac, The (1991)(Time).iso
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102389
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10238900.067
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1990-09-22
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FROM THE PUBLISHER, Page 4
Whether the motif is jazz or swing, classical or ragtime, there
is one constant in the films of Woody Allen: good music sets both
the mood and the pace. The meticulous attention to scoring is no
coincidence. Comedian Allen is deadly earnest when it comes to
music, especially the New Orleans jazz style he favors most.
This week the Profile section explores the Woody Allen most
fans do not know: Woody Allen, the jazz clarinetist. Though Allen
rarely grants interviews to discuss his movies, he readily agreed
to talk to senior editor Thomas Sancton about his other career. In
the projection room of Allen's Manhattan film center, they
discussed music and clarinets for 90 minutes. "Woody Allen is
passionate about jazz," says Sancton. "It's not just an eccentric
hobby."
Sancton should know. A native of New Orleans, he grew up in
and around the clubs of America's jazz capital, sitting in on gigs
with his clarinet from the time he was a teenager. Allen's musical
hero, clarinetist George Lewis, was one of Sancton's own mentors,
and in 1969 Sancton played at Lewis' funeral. While an
undergraduate at Harvard University in the late 1960s, Sancton
formed the Black Eagle Jazz Band. When he went on to Oxford for
graduate work, he toured briefly with several European jazz groups
before putting the horn aside to complete his doctorate in European
history. He did not play in public again until two years ago.
Earlier this month, Sancton cut his seventh album, accompanied by
pianist David Paquette and drummer Cornelis (Pam) Pameijer. It will
be released next year by G.H.B. Records.
In the insular world of jazz, all roads lead to New Orleans,
and in 1971 Sancton and Allen crossed paths at the Jazz and
Heritage Festival. One night they both sat in on a jam session at
Bonaparte's Retreat, a smoky riverfront club on Decatur Street.
Last year, when Sancton started playing at the Cajun, a Manhattan
night spot, he discovered that his pianist occasionally filled in
with Woody's group at Michael's Pub. The pianist later told Allen
about Sancton's return to the bandstand. "I met him in 1971," the
filmmaker responded. "Do you think he remembers me?" He did.