Harry Allen

A swinging jazz saxophonist, Harry Allen is a highly regarded performer whose musical inspiration and interpretive approach come from the giants and innovators of mainstream saxophone, including <a href="spotify:artist:0JM134st8VY7Ld9T2wQiH0">Coleman Hawkins</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:34W7ZCX0LZeJd8q6boKGOk">Ben Webster</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0FMucZsEnCxs5pqBjHjIc8">Stan Getz</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6HzzZqLS76PGbKaw6dIMHZ">Illinois Jacquet</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:05E3NBxNMdnrPtxF9oraJm">Lester Young</a>. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Allen has generally eschewed the modern, avant-garde, and impressionist schools of jazz of <a href="spotify:artist:2hGh5VOeeqimQFxqXvfCUf">John Coltrane</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:7C2DSqaNkh0w77O5Jz1FKh">Archie Shepp</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:47odibUtrN3lnWx0p0pk2P">Ornette Coleman</a>. Born in Washington, D.C. in 1966, Allen grew up in a musical family as the son of big-band drummer Maurice Allen. He started off with accordion lessons before there was a fortuitous switch to saxophone. Attending Rutgers University, Allen studied with <a href="spotify:artist:5bvUxCgdZnoa2bxxTx0G6f">Sahib Shihab</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:2yKX1WpgVIxOJbwBbFwqQ0">Bob Mintzer</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:6bhsop4EFB4UXEXChRjOnU">John Purcell</a>.

While there, he got his first gig with the help of master bass player <a href="spotify:artist:4p6CUes87GNKBXgvyR90xn">Major Holley</a>, replacing <a href="spotify:artist:1pwr5rTWLVfqhvHfB7Reap">Zoot Sims</a> in a studio recording with <a href="spotify:artist:17jkl32nbQzufFy7bqpD14">John Bunch</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:2hQds2wf5MeatEQQviRb30">George Masso</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0Adi1C37oMa2axoBWcMtxq">Bucky Pizzarelli</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:2ZJWBoh0c53yW13f86HNuA">Ruby Braff</a>. <a href="spotify:artist:4p6CUes87GNKBXgvyR90xn">Wholley</a> also led Allen to <a href="spotify:artist:6FFEqhts9BOv62daRfGtSJ">Oliver Jackson</a>, whom Allen subsequently accompanied on several tours to Europe. A 1986 session with <a href="spotify:artist:3LvX4UVIfEjsQVqrbBToQ3">Kenny Barron</a> was Allen's first recording date. After that, Allen made his debut as a leader on 1988's How Long Has This Been Going On?

From there, he delivered a steady stream of recordings under his name for such labels as <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Progressive%22">Progressive</a>, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Audiophile%22">Audiophile</a>, and <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Nagel-Heyer%22">Nagel-Heyer</a>. Later, his recordings were with major-label <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22RCA-Victor%22">RCA-Victor</a>, including 1999's Harry Allen Meets the John Pizzarelli Trio and 2000's Plays Ellington Songs. Three of his albums were awarded a Gold Disc by Swing Journal magazine, and his CD Tenors Anyone won both the Gold Disc and New Star awards. He has also recorded as a sideman with <a href="spotify:artist:0Adi1C37oMa2axoBWcMtxq">Bucky Pizzarelli</a> (with whom he performs quite frequently), <a href="spotify:artist:0GWVa7PVBGQTtltgwpf5hw">Warren Vache</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:1qWu3D3Lp6hCk4XFNaeZ18">Jeff Hamilton</a>.

Allen continues to record extensively and makes frequent appearances at jazz festivals and concerts. Highly prolific, he delivered a slew of well-regarded albums for <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22BMG%22">BMG</a> in the 2000s before moving back to boutique labels like Arbors, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Sackville+Records%22">Sackville Records</a>, and <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Challenge%22">Challenge</a> for albums like 2007's Cocktails for Two with <a href="spotify:artist:5oggBymL8KSzrgjW4JJ3DD">Joe Temperley</a>, 2009's New York State of Mind, and 2010's When Larry Met Harry with pianist <a href="spotify:artist:6wTD4jLsPadWutQ9nJvzT6">Larry Goldings</a>. He then paired with longtime associate <a href="spotify:artist:7sBx432MZn1MzHeYHAA5qr">Scott Hamilton</a> for 2012's 'Round Midnight, and explored bossa nova rhythms on 2015's Something About Jobim. The following year he delivered The Candy Men: Harry Allen's All-Star New York Saxophone Band, featuring fellow saxophonists <a href="spotify:artist:6IZ7GpoXDwKj3t7zaYCzOL">Grant Stewart</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4obfH4xleG9EzLN4NTNEfu">Eric Alexander</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:0MiVmp7Os3I5vpMQU01yly">Gary Smulyan</a>. ~ Dave Nathan, Rovi