Music to the ears of jazz lovers and movie buffs alike: Woody Allen and the New Orleans Jazz Band are stopping over in Antibes this July

There is a saying about Daniel Benoin, the director of anthéa theatre in Antibes, and it goes like this: he has a little black book with the phone numbers of the world’s greatest entertainers, and when he calls them, they drop what they are doing and are headed straight for the small coastal town halfway between Nice and Cannes. Whether or not this is true, we cannot confirm, although we are inclined to believe it, given the steady stream of high calibre international celebrities holding the door for each other. And Woody Allen is one of them. After his first wildly successful solo concert at anthéa in 2013, the ingenious master of the silver screen returns on July 6, with Eddy Davis New Orleans Jazz Band in tow, for another exclusive show. This concert will be the 2017/18 season opener for anthéa, and the worthy kickoff of a an absolutely stellar programme…stay tuned for more on that!

Woody Allen, the author, actor and director who embodies New York City like no other, is a bonafide lover of authentic New Orleans jazz. He plays the clarinet with more gusto than talent, as he is the first to admit, but he enjoys sharing his favorite music genre with an appreciative audience. “The clarinet is for Woody Allen what the violin was for Ingrès”, someone once famously said. Therefore, every once in a while, Woody loves trading the film set for the theatrical stage. This summer, he and his ensemble are on a ten day whirlwind tour through Europe:

2nd July: LONDON, UK – Royal Albert Hall
4th July: LISBON, Portugal – Coliseu dos Recreios
6th July: ANTIBES, France – Antipolis Theatre d’Antibes
8th July: GIRONA, Spain – Cap Roig Festival
10th July: COPENHAGEN, Denmark – Amager Bio
11th & 12th July: HAMBURG, Germany – Elbphilharmonie

Woody Allen and Eddy Davis’ New Orleans Jazz Band have been performing for over 35 years, inspired by Sidney Bechet, George Lewis, Louis Armstrong, and the likes. But their 1,200 piece repertory also contains popular music from the early 20th century, gospels and religious tunes, marching music, blues, and rag. Don’t look for a scripted program … in true jazz fashion, they just go with the flow, improvise and play as the spirit moves them. Woody Allen likes to joke that he “hides behind the band’s considerably more accomplished musicians” – Eddy Davis (banjo), Conal Fowkes (piano), Simon Wettenhall (trumpet), Jerry Zigmont (trombone), John Gill (percussions), and Greg Cohen (bass). But his motto “if you’re not failing every now and again, it’s a sign you’re not doing anything very innovative” applies to all that he does, music included.

Mr. Allen’s prolific career as a comedian, writer, and filmmaker has now spanned more than six decades. Since his first screenplay for What’s New, Pussycat?, which was released in 1965, he has written and directed more than 45 feature films, including Annie Hall, Manhattan and more recently, Midnight in Paris and Blue Jasmine. Woody Allen is the author of Without Feathers and Side Effects, among other books.

Further information about the concert at anthéa on 6th July, including ticketing, available on the anthéa website.

CONTACT DETAILS
anthéa, Antipolis Théâtre d’Antibes
260 Avenue Jules Grec
06600 Antibes

Tel: +33 4 83 76 13 13

Lead image courtesy anthéa; band photo by Schlaier (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons