Harry Allen (musician)

Last updated
Harry Allen
Harry Allen.jpg
Harry Allen in 2006
Background information
Born (1966-10-12) October 12, 1966 (age 57)
Genres Jazz
OccupationMusician
InstrumentSaxophone
Labels Arbors, Mastermix
Website www.harryallenjazz.com
Allen in Aarhus, Denmark, 2015 Harry-allen.jpg
Allen in Aarhus, Denmark, 2015

Harry Allen (born October 12, 1966) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist born in Washington, D.C. [1] Allen plays mainstream jazz and bossa nova. He has performed live and recorded with Scott Hamilton, a tenor saxophonist to whom Allen has frequently been compared. He is best known for his work with John Colianni, Dori Caymmi, Keith Ingham, John Pizzarelli, and Bucky Pizzarelli.

Contents

Early life and career

Allen's father, Maurice, was a big band drummer. [2] As a child, his father played records for him; these included recordings of tenor saxophonist Paul Gonsalves, which made a lasting impression. [2]

In high school he was an exceptional talent able to play tunes such as Body and Soul in the style of tenor players Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, and Flip Phillips. [3] While in high school Allen was also influenced by recordings of Scott Hamilton. [2]

Allen graduated from Rutgers University in 1988. [2]

Allen was described by C. Michael Bailey as "the 'Frank Sinatra' of the tenor saxophone: a master interpreter of standards" in 2008. [4] Along with Scott Hamilton, Allen was considered by British critic Dave Gelly in 2004 to be one of the "finest exponents of swing tenor alive today" in a review of their album Heavy Juice. [5]

Discography

As leader/co-leaders

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoot Sims</span> American jazz saxophonist

John Haley "Zoot" Sims was an American jazz saxophonist, playing mainly tenor but also alto saxophone. He first gained attention in the "Four Brothers" sax section of Woody Herman's big band, afterward enjoying a long solo career, often in partnership with fellow saxmen Gerry Mulligan and Al Cohn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roy Hargrove</span> American jazz trumpeter (1969–2018)

Roy Anthony Hargrove was an American jazz musician and composer whose principal instruments were the trumpet and flugelhorn. He achieved worldwide acclaim after winning two Grammy Awards for differing styles of jazz in 1998 and 2002. Hargrove primarily played in the hard bop style for the majority of his albums, but also had a penchant for genre-crossing exploration and collaboration with a variety of hip hop, soul, R&B and alternative rock artists. As Hargrove told one reporter, "I've been around all kinds of musicians, and if a cat can play, a cat can play. If it's gospel, funk, R&B, jazz or hip-hop, if it's something that gets in your ear and it's good, that's what matters."

Reuben "Ruby" Braff was an American jazz trumpeter and cornetist. Jack Teagarden was once asked about him on the Garry Moore television show and described Ruby as "the Ivy League Louis Armstrong".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howard Alden</span> American jazz guitarist (born 1958)

Howard Vincent Alden is an American jazz guitarist born in Newport Beach, California. Alden has recorded many albums for Concord Records, including four with seven-string guitar innovator George Van Eps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Pizzarelli</span> American jazz guitarist and vocalist

John Paul Pizzarelli Jr. is an American jazz guitarist and vocalist. He has recorded over twenty solo albums and has appeared on more than forty albums by other recording artists, including Paul McCartney, James Taylor, Rosemary Clooney; his father, jazz guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli; and his wife, singer Jessica Molaskey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doug Lawrence (jazz musician)</span> Musical artist

Doug Lawrence is an American jazz tenor saxophonist from Lake Charles, Louisiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Wilber</span> American jazz clarinetist, composer and saxophonist

Robert Sage Wilber was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, and band leader. Although his scope covers a wide range of jazz, Wilber was a dedicated advocate of classic styles, working throughout his career to present traditional jazz pieces in a contemporary manner. He played with many distinguished jazz leaders in the 1950s and 1960s, including Bobby Hackett, Benny Goodman, Sidney Bechet, Jack Teagarden and Eddie Condon. In the late 1960s, he was an original member of the World's Greatest Jazz Band, and in the early 70s of Soprano Summit, a band which gained wide attention. In the late 1970s, he formed the Bechet Legacy Band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rodney Whitaker</span> American jazz double bass player

Rodney Whitaker is an American jazz double bass player and educator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randy Sandke</span> American jazz trumpeter and guitarist

Jay Randall Sandke is a jazz trumpeter and guitarist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Hamilton (musician)</span> American jazz saxophonist

Scott Hamilton is an American jazz tenor saxophonist associated with swing and straight-ahead jazz. His eldest son, Shō Īmura, is the vocalist of the Japanese rock band Okamoto's.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wayne Escoffery</span> American jazz saxophonist

Wayne Escoffery is an American jazz tenor saxophonist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warren Vaché Jr.</span> American jazz musician

Warren Vaché is an American jazz trumpeter, cornetist, and flugelhornist. He was born in Rahway, New Jersey, United States. He came from a musical family as his father was a bassist. In 1976, he released his first album. He has often worked with Scott Hamilton and has some popularity among swing audiences.

Chuck Redd is an American jazz drummer and vibraphonist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Butch Miles</span> American jazz drummer (1944–2023)

Charles J. Thornton, Jr., known professionally as Butch Miles, was an American jazz drummer. He played with the Count Basie Orchestra, Dave Brubeck, Ella Fitzgerald, Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, Lena Horne, and Tony Bennett.

Charles Dee Wilson was an American jazz alto saxophonist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Washington</span> American jazz double bassist

Peter Washington is a jazz double bassist. He played with the Westchester Community Symphony at the age of 14. Later he played electric bass in rock bands. He attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he majored in English Literature, and performed with the San Francisco Youth Symphony and the UC Symphony Orchestra. His growing interest in jazz led him to play with John Handy, Bobby Hutcherson, Harold Land, Frank Morgan, Ernestine Anderson, Chris Connor and other Bay Area luminaries. In 1986 he joined Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers and moved to New York City. Beginning in the 1990s, he toured with the Tommy Flanagan trio until Flanagan's death in 2001, and has played with the Bill Charlap trio since 1997. He was a founding member of the collective hard bop sextet One for All and is a visiting artist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Progressive Records is an American jazz record company and label owned by the Jazzology group. It produces reissues and compilations of musicians such as Sonny Stitt, Eddie Barefield, George Masso, and Eddie Miller.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duduka Da Fonseca</span> Musical artist

Duduka Da Fonseca, born Eduardo Moreira Da Fonseca is a Brazilian jazz drummer who is a founding member of Trio da Paz with Romero Lubambo and Nilson Matta. He leads the Duduka da Fonseca Trio, with David Feldman and Guto Wirtti. Duduka is a resident of New York City.

Rebecca Kilgore is an American jazz vocalist based in Portland, Oregon. She has been called "one of the best interpreters of the Great American Songbook." She has performed with jazz pianist and composer Dave Frishberg, trombonist Dan Barrett, tenor saxophonist Harry Allen, and many other musicians. She was inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame in 2010.

Joseph Mark Cohn is an American jazz guitarist.

References

  1. Cook, Richard (2005). Richard Cook's Jazz Encyclopedia. London: Penguin Books. pp. 8–9. ISBN   0-141-00646-3.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Dryden, Ken (July 2015) "Harry Allen". The New York Jazz Record. p. 6.
  3. Harry Allen, Body and Soul on the album Coast to Coast , 1983/84 McDonald's All-American High School Jazz Band, McDonald's MDC 91884, 1984
  4. "C. Michael Bailey quoted" Topeka Capital-Journal, 2008
  5. Gelly, Dave (September 19, 2004). "Scott Hamilton & Harry Allen, Heavy Juice". The Observer. London. Retrieved June 4, 2021.