BS: Sweet and Lowdown (Woody Allen flick)

Subject: Sweet and Lowdown (Woody Allen flick)
From: Fortunato
Date: 03 Jan 00 - 01:13 PM

I just saw Sweet and Lowdown, a Woody Allen movie about the 2nd best acoustic jazz guitarist in the world, Emmett Ray. Not a real guy's name, although maybe Woody had someone in mind. I laughed out loud and thoroughly enjoyed it. Great thirtie's jazz and fine guitar work. Not even Sean Penn could foul it up, his acting was pretty good in fact. Lots of Django Reinhardt recordings!

Any body else seen it or would like to comment.

Happy 2000 one and all.

Fortunato

Subject: RE: BS: Sweet and Lowdown (Woody Allen flick)
From: Charlie Baum
Date: 04 Jan 00 - 12:06 AM

I spent a lot of time in Boston in the late 1970s listening to Guy Van Duser and Billy Novick, who played swing music as well as folk. They regularly appeared at folk venues such as Passims. Guy Van Duser on guitar, Billy Novick on clarinet or pennywhistle. The music in Sweet and Lowdown reminded me of them.

Great movie (and great soundtrack).

--Charlie Baum

Subject: RE: BS: Sweet and Lowdown (Woody Allen flick)
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 04 Jan 00 - 12:56 AM

Thanks guys, I'm really looking forward to it. Did Sean learn "convincing fingering"? (Ralph Maccio did in "Crossroads", although I didn't really like the film)

Rick

Subject: RE: BS: Sweet and Lowdown (Woody Allen flick)
From: Fortunato
Date: 04 Jan 00 - 09:29 AM

Hey Rick.

No, for the most part it wasn't at all convincing. But then, since it was Sean Penn, I knew it was going to be fakeed or a stand-in, so it didn't matter to me. For non-guitar players, maybe it was 'real' enough. One odd thing, the rhythm guitar player, all though he was just a walk-on, couldn't play either. I can't figure why Woody, who is a passable player, would cast that way.

Rick, is Crossroads worth seeing?

Fortunato

Subject: RE: BS: Sweet and Lowdown (Woody Allen flick)
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 04 Jan 00 - 01:57 PM

Thanks Fort. I'm VERY tough on music movies, and didn't like Crossroads...but everyone else I know did!

Rick

Subject: RE: BS: Sweet and Lowdown (Woody Allen flick)
From: Allan C.
Date: 06 Oct 03 - 12:35 AM

I generally give all Woody Allen films a wide berth. I usually quickly grow weary of his method of directing dialog wherein everyone steps on everyone else's lines. I took a chance on this one. I'm glad I did. More accurately, I will have to admit that the film was nearly over before I discovered it was one of his. It contained great music and mostly good acting. While I have to agree that the guitar fingering wasn't totally convincing, it was done a hell of a lot better than in most films I have seen.

Subject: RE: BS: Sweet and Lowdown (Woody Allen flick)
From: C-flat
Date: 06 Oct 03 - 02:49 AM

Saw the film a while back and completely fell for Woodys' documentary-style filmmaking. So much so that I tried to find out more about "Emmet Ray", thinking he was a real person.
In fact I even asked here!

Subject: RE: BS: Sweet and Lowdown (Woody Allen flick)
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 06 Oct 03 - 07:40 AM

I thought that Sweet & Lowdown was pretty good.

I have heard Crossroads described as "The Karate Kid" with guitars. A pretty accurate description. I didn't think it was terrible, but they could have done so much more with it. It had some good lines, one of which was "Muddy Waters invented electricity".

Subject: RE: BS: Sweet and Lowdown (Woody Allen flick)
From: Steve-o
Date: 06 Oct 03 - 12:28 PM

This movie is utterly charming- probably Woody Allen's best story ideas in many years. Sean Penn is absolutely excellent; if you know any "semi-genius" musicians most of Emmett's behavior will make much sense; and OH, the music is wonderful. Bought the sound track, with guitar played by Howard Alden- great!

Subject: RE: BS: Sweet and Lowdown (Woody Allen flick)
From: katlaughing
Date: 06 Oct 03 - 05:28 PM

Hmmm, I tried to watch this last night and couldn't stand it. I thought Sean Penn overdid the acting and did a terrible job of fingering. Knowing that Allen knows something about music, I was really surprised he didn't make sure the fingering look real; and me a non-guitar player!:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Sweet and Lowdown (Woody Allen flick)
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 06 Oct 03 - 07:14 PM

But he plays clarinet doesn't he?

Subject: RE: BS: Sweet and Lowdown (Woody Allen flick)
From: katlaughing
Date: 06 Oct 03 - 07:47 PM

That's just it, McGrath. I don't play guitar, but my dad does and I've been around enough pickers and know enough from playing violin/fiddle, piano, dulcimer, etc. to at least tell if someone is faking it or not. I'd of thought Allen could do the same because of his musical experience. I know he's jammed with others.:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Sweet and Lowdown (Woody Allen flick)
From: Willie-O
Date: 06 Oct 03 - 07:51 PM

I liked Sweet and Lowdown a lot. And frankly, this guitar player was impressed by Sean Penn's fingerings.

Crossroads wasn't a great movie, more like two and a half stars, but it's worth seeing. Old Willie Brown gets all the good lines.

Subject: RE: BS: Sweet and Lowdown (Woody Allen flick)
From: katlaughing
Date: 07 Oct 03 - 12:10 AM

Well...maybe I should have tried watching the rest of it? There was one part where he was supposedly playing a fairly fast tune and it looked as though he was just moving the fingers of his left hand as fast as he could in a random way which didn't fit with the music, except possibly in rhythm. Oh well...I'll shut up now.:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Sweet and Lowdown (Woody Allen flick)
From: C-flat
Date: 07 Oct 03 - 02:39 AM

My friend, who loaned me the movie to watch, asked me if Penn was actually playing the guitar. As a guitar player myself, I didn't think much to Penns' faking but it was clearly good enough to fool some. I think that Allen drew inspiration for the character of Emmet Ray from Django Rheinhardt, who was reputed to be a difficult, unreliable and somewhat reluctant genius.

Subject: RE: BS: Sweet and Lowdown (Woody Allen flick)
From: GUEST,Li'l Aussie Bleeder.
Date: 07 Oct 03 - 08:46 PM

Saw this movie a couple of years back and raced out to buy the CD sound track straight away and have played it often ever since. We also overheard comments as we left the theatre to the effect that several people were interested in buying the sound-track.
I enjoyed the film though i sometimes find Sean Penn a little hard going. This was not nornmally my type of music, however having about that time, heard some of Mose Scarlett work, my taste in music has braodened somewhat to encompase that 20s 30s & 40s swing, ragtime, jazz-blues music.

Subject: RE: BS: Sweet and Lowdown (Woody Allen flick)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 08 Oct 03 - 02:02 AM

I agree that Crossroads is worth seeing. It's no exceptional film, but it has some good moments.

Haven't seen the Woody Allen one yet.