Woody Allen at Café Carlyle

© John Rogers

On a frigid December evening in Manhattan, we strolled in to the warm confines of Café Carlyle to enjoy a Monday night institution, Woody Allen and the Eddy Davis New Orleans Jazz Band. Manager Tony Skrelja escorted us to a corner banquette for dinner, and we had a chance to admire Marcel Vertés' whimsical murals before settling on a straightforward approach: martini, shrimp cocktail, filet mignon. The dishes were perfectly fine, but on Monday nights you don't come here for the food. At around 9, as the band began warming up, we noticed the featured player adjusting his instrument at a small table by the bar. Soon afterward, he quietly took the stage along with the rest of the horn section and a large, beaming banjo player, Eddy Davis (the two have known each other since their nightclub days in the 1960s.) A grand piano and a rhythm section were huddled in the rear. And with very little fanfare, they kicked in to an hour's worth of utterly joyful, toe-tapping music. The swinging Cole Porter chanson "C'est Magnifique" was a particular delight.

Woody Allen was a studiously self-effacing presence, calling out the tunes very quietly to the band, with Eddy Davis doing most of the grinning and show-running. The evening concluded with an intimate quartet: clarinet, banjo, upright bass and drums. During the closing number, Mr. Allen sang in a light voice while packing up his clarinet and putting on his sweater. Then with a smile and a nod, he left the room. It was a memorable evening, and anyone who loves New York should try to enjoy it. General seating, $110 per person; VIP seating, $150 per person; Bar seating, $85 + $25 drink minimum per person. Dinner required. More details can be found here.