Carl Allen — In Good Company

Carl Allen - drums

Steve Allee - piano

Jim Anderson - bass

Scott Belck - trumpet

Craig Bailey - alto saxophone

“Carl Allen is an international powerhouse. His sound and feelings have fueled the bands of Freddie Hubbard, Christian McBride, and countless others, as well as his own projects. “

– Joe Lovano

Born on April 25, 1961, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Carl Allen grew up surrounded by gospel, R&B, and funk before discovering jazz through saxophonist Benny Carter. He initially studied music at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay before transferring to William Paterson College in New Jersey, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Jazz Studies and Performance in 1983. Early in his career, Allen honed his craft playing alongside hometown jazz giants Sonny Stitt and James Moody.

Shortly before completing his degree, Allen joined legendary trumpeter Freddie Hubbard’s group, serving as musical director for eight years and performing on landmark recordings such as *Double Take* and *Life Flight*. Over his nearly three-decade career, Allen has anchored the rhythm sections for an extraordinary roster of icons, including Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Christian McBride, Branford Marsalis, Kenny Garrett, J.J. Johnson, Lena Horne, and Benny Golson, earning more than 240 recording credits as a side musician.

As a bandleader, Allen made his debut with the 1989 album *Piccadilly Square* (Timeless) and has since released notable projects including *The Pursuer* (Atlantic), *Testimonial* (Atlantic), and the Motown- and gospel-infused albums *Get Ready* and *Work to Do* alongside co-leader Rodney Whitaker. His leadership projects also include The Art of Elvin—a tribute band honoring his primary influences, Art Blakey and Elvin Jones—and his album *Tippin'* (Cellar Music) featuring Chris Potter and Christian McBride.

Beyond performing, Allen is a prominent jazz educator who sees mentoring as central to his mission. He served for five years as the William D. and Mary Grant Endowed Professor and Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Missouri–Kansas City and currently serves as Director of Communicative & Creative Arts at SUNY Old Westbury. In 2012, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in Humane Letters from Snow College in Utah.

Beyond the stage and classroom, Allen is an active entrepreneur and producer with nearly 70 production credits. He co-founded Big Apple Productions in 1988 with saxophonist Vincent Herring, producing recordings featuring future stars Roy Hargrove and Nicholas Payton. He later established Nella Productions and launched The New York Jazz Symposium, which runs worldwide educational jazz workshops and produces albums for artists such as Eric Reed, Dewey Redman, Pharoah Sanders, and Lage Lund.

A $20 drink/food minimum is charged per person in the party, per set, if the party's total beverage purchases do not meet the minimum.

Important Notices:

If you do not check in within 15 minutes of the start of the set, we reserve the right to resell your seats with no refund.

Tickets for this performance are non-refundable. If you are unable to attend, we will accept a one-time transfer to a future show of equal value. You must request the transfer 24 hours before the start of the performance.