Woody Allen and His New Orleans Jazz Band Set for Minneapolis' State Theatre, 8/2

Woody Allen, the iconic American actor/writer and film director, is also a musician. He brings a passion for jazz and his upbeat, Dixieland-style New Orleans Jazz Band to perform at the State Theatre (805 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis) at 7 p.m. on August 2, 2015. He and the band will perform the entire show with no opening act. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 22. To purchase and for more information, visit HennepinTheatreTrust.org or call 1.800.982.2787.

For more than 35 years, Woody Allen and His New Orleans Jazz Band have delighted audiences with a hot mix of New Orleans-inspired music. The band's sound is firmly rooted in the music that Allen has loved since his childhood, drawing inspiration from such legendary artists as Sidney Bechet, George Lewis, Johnny Dodds, Jimmie Noone and, of course, Louis Armstrong.

Their repertoire consists of more than 1,200 songs and comprises a diverse collection of early 20th Century popular tunes, hymns, spirituals, marches, blues and rags. In keeping with the spontaneous nature of the music, every performance is an energetic collection of improvisations -- there is no set list, nor do the musicians know what song Allen, in collaboration with band director Eddy Davis, will call out next.

The band began with informal jam sessions. Now, for more than a decade, the group has been playing a Monday night show at The Carlyle, Manhattan's landmark hotel, performing for thousands of New Yorkers and visitors from all over the world. Allen even missed accepting a Best Original Screenplay Academy Award for his film Midnight in Paris, so he wouldn't miss the Monday night gig.

In 1996, the band embarked on its first European tour which was chronicled in the documentary film, Wild Man Blues, and later in a CD. Since then, the band has returned to Europe on numerous occasions, most recently performing in Greece and Turkey.

In addition to the famed Allen, band director Eddy Davis rounds out the New Orleans Jazz Band with pianist Conal Fowkes, trumpet player Simon Wettenhall, trombonist Jerry Zigmont and a rhythm section featuring John Gil on drums and Greg Cohen on bass.

Woody Allen and his New Orleans Jazz Band perform in concert at 7 p.m. on Sunday, August 2, at the State Theatre (805 Hennepin Ave., Mpls., MN). Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 22, and range from $53.50 to $104 depending on seating preference. All prices include applicable facility fees. Additional service charges may apply. Tickets may be purchased in person (no service fees) at the State Theatre Box Office, online at HennepinTheatreTrust.org, by calling 1.800.982.2787 or visiting a Ticketmaster Center.

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