Word: sweets
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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However, these faults are made tolerable because Tyrell has surrounded himself with some distinguished sidemen. Venerable trumpeters Clark Terry and the late "Sweets" Edison adorn "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" with raunchy and sweet touches, while Robbyn Kirmss acquits herself well with slightly tortured expressions on "The Very Thought of You." But while Tyrell's renditions are competent, intimate and become more endearing with time, there's nothing to make your heart, well, sing...
...decision to stress Pinafore's music is certainly sensible, and could hardly be construed negatively were it not for the fact that the Agassiz Theater is a great big sucking black hole for sound. The harmonies (always in fourths or fifths) are sweet and solid when it comes to larger chorus numbers, but in the counterpoint lines where soloists sing against the current of larger groups, individual lines get lost in the shuffle of choral lines. Of little help was the orchestra which, while exceptionally strong throughout, could have restrained themselves a little just to give their struggling vocalists...
...directors latest, the fanciful Sweet and Lowdown, is in most respects a minor work of art, though it is pleasant and interesting. But enthusiasts should note that it represents something of a breakthrough for Allen, in that the main character, fictional 30s jazz guitarist Emmet Ray (Sean Penn), is a brooding, inarticulate, freewheeling figure motivated by moody emotions. Sure, hes neurotic as hell, but not in the style of nebbishy self-analysis that has informed so many Allen protagonists. Emmets comic/pathetic exploits are governed by the cadences of jazz, which has always been a background presence in Allens movies...
...Morton makes the most of the characters obvious comic possibilities, including her voracious appetite for both sex and food but also manages to infuse her with dignity. Given the Academys recent penchant for rewarding supporting actresses in Allen films (Dianne Wiest, Mira Sorvino 89), Morton may be the reason Sweet and Lowdown gets remembered at awards time...
...films coda is satisfying enough on both an intellectual and an emotional level, but the very concept of Sweet and Lowdown, with its invented biographical framework and loosely connected scenes, works against the film burning itself in your memory. Even Penns fiery Emmet is too contained by the movies conceit to really stick with you. Perhaps its symbolic of what Allen has achieved here that Mortons Hattie is the only character who transcends the movies clever but self-limiting setup. Though Allen is traditionally known for his witty, fast-paced dialogue, youll remember her silent, expressive eyes long after everything...