Harry Allen

An Embarrassment of Riches From Hamburg: Recent Releases From Nagel-Heyer

by C. Michael Bailey
February 22, 2024

This article was first published at All About Jazz in February 2001. While Nagel-Heyer Records is breaking ground with contemporary jazz releases with their Nagel-Heyer 2000 Series, showcasing music by Terell Stafford, Wycliffe Gordon, Byron Stripling, and many others, the Hamburg-centered label's catalog continues to populate itself with the fine traditional jazz recitals that have long been their forte. I recently had the good fortune of receiving a glut of these recordings for my consideration and decided to ...

Terry Gibbs Legacy Band: The Terry Gibbs Songbook

by Jack Bowers
July 30, 2023

Legacy Band? At age ninety-eight, vibraphonist Terry Gibbs--the last remaining member of a legendary group of jazz musicians who defined the big-band era in America and helped expand and sharpen the music's vocabulary--hasn't finished writing his own legacy, which is why this album is subtitled “The Terry Gibbs Songbook." Although best known as a player, Gibbs, as it turns out, is a splendid composer as well, and wrote every one of the album's fifteen songs, adding lyrics ...

Nilson Matta's Brazilian Voyage: Copacabana

by Howard Mandel
July 26, 2023

Everyone wants to go to Brazil, and one of the easiest, most pleasant ways of doing so is to listen to bassist Nilson Matta's Brazilian Voyage. The third album organized by Matta, a native of Sao Paolo who moved to Rio in 1970 and the U.S. in 1985, conjures the vistas and moods of a country that is idealized as a source of breezy airs and pulsing rhythms. That Brazil in fact even more than in myth generates ...

Terry Gibbs Legacy Band: The Terry Gibbs Songbook

by Edward Blanco
July 18, 2023

At age 92 years old, vibraphonist Terry Gibbs was still a musical force when he recorded 92 Years Young Jammin' at the Gibbs House (Whaling City Sound, 2017). His son, drummer Gerry Gibbs, paid homage to him with Songs from My Father (Whaling City Sound, 2021) with the Thrasher Dream Trio band. As for this recording for his father, Gerry Gibbs says, “Recording this record with my Pops will always be so memorable because it will be his last work." ...

The Harry Allen Orchestra: With Roses

by Pierre Giroux
July 5, 2023

Harry Allen is a tenor saxophonist's tenor saxophonist with an elegant tone and swinging style in the manner of Scott Hamilton, Lester Young or Ben Webster. He has a well-rounded discography of over 70 releases as a leader and many others as a sideman. Over the course of his prolific career, Allen has appeared with the likes of Rosemary Clooney, Tony Bennett, James Taylor and guitarists Bucky Pizzarelli and John Pizzarelli. In this release, With Roses, Allen applies his considerable ...

Fraser MacPherson: From The Pen Of...

by Jack Bowers
December 11, 2022

The late tenor saxophonist Fraser MacPherson was well-known in western Canada and elsewhere for his brilliance—but as player, not a writer. In fact, according to MacPherson's son Guy, who wrote the excellent liner notes to From the Pen of..., his father wrote barely a dozen or so original compositions, almost all of which are included on this superlative album with performances by a who's who of well- known jazz artists from Canada and other countries. Considering what ...

Fraser MacPherson: From The Pen Of...

by Pierre Giroux
October 15, 2022

Tenor saxophonist Fraser MacPherson was an original. Although he was raised in Victoria, British Columbia, he moved to Vancouver early in his career where he remained throughout his working life. He began to build his reputation as a Lester Young-influenced player, and in the mid '70s recorded his first trio album for West End Records with guitarist Oliver Gannon and bassist Wyatt Ruther. This album was picked up by Concord Records in the late '70s and released in the U.S. ...

Interview: Harry Allen

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
July 3, 2023

Harry Allen is often thought of as quiet and aloof. The truth is, the swinging tenor saxophonist is reserved and, based on my many email chats with him, a gentleman and great guy who tends to keep to himself. While you're certainly aware of his swinging style in the Zoot Sims-Paul Gonsalves tradition, you may not be aware that Harry is a superb arranger cut from the same cloth as Sammy Nestico and Nelson Riddle. [Photo above of Harry Allen ...
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Jazz Musician of the Day: Harry Allen

Source: Michael Ricci
October 12, 2022

All About Jazz is celebrating Harry Allen's birthday today!

Gene Lees writes, “Stan Getz was once asked his idea of the perfect tenor saxophone soloist. His answer was, 'My technique, Al Cohn's ideas, and Zoot's time.' The fulfillment of that ideal may well be embodied in thirty-year-old Harry Allen." BMG recording artist Harry Allen has over twenty recordings to his name. Three of Harry's CDs have won Gold Disc Awards from Japan's Swing Journal Magazine, and his CD Tenors Anyone? ...
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Jazz Musician of the Day: Harry Allen

Source: Michael Ricci
October 12, 2021

All About Jazz is celebrating Harry Allen's birthday today!

Gene Lees writes, “Stan Getz was once asked his idea of the perfect tenor saxophone soloist. His answer was, 'My technique, Al Cohn's ideas, and Zoot's time.' The fulfillment of that ideal may well be embodied in thirty-year-old Harry Allen." BMG recording artist Harry Allen has over twenty recordings to his name. Three of Harry's CDs have won Gold Disc Awards from Japan's Swing Journal Magazine, and his CD Tenors Anyone? ...
read more

Jazz Musician of the Day: Harry Allen

Source: Michael Ricci
October 12, 2020

All About Jazz is celebrating Harry Allen's birthday today!

Gene Lees writes, “Stan Getz was once asked his idea of the perfect tenor saxophone soloist. His answer was, 'My technique, Al Cohn's ideas, and Zoot's time.' The fulfillment of that ideal may well be embodied in thirty-year-old Harry Allen." BMG recording artist Harry Allen has over twenty recordings to his name. Three of Harry's CDs have won Gold Disc Awards from Japan's Swing Journal Magazine, and his CD Tenors Anyone? ...
read more

Jazz Musician of the Day: Harry Allen

Source: Michael Ricci
October 12, 2019

All About Jazz is celebrating Harry Allen's birthday today!

Gene Lees writes, “Stan Getz was once asked his idea of the perfect tenor saxophone soloist. His answer was, \'My technique, Al Cohn\'s ideas, and Zoot\'s time.\' The fulfillment of that ideal may well be embodied in thirty-year-old Harry Allen." BMG recording artist Harry Allen has over twenty recordings to his name. Three of Harry\'s CDs have won Gold Disc Awards from Japan\'s Swing Journal Magazine... Read more.

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Four Others - and more

Source: Ken Franckling's Jazz Notes
January 15, 2019

A few years ago, Marian’s Jazzroom in Switzerland asked Harry Allen to put together a four-saxophone band for its Bern Jazz Festival. He quickly thought of the classic sound of the Four Brothers sax section from Woody Herman’s Second Herd in the late 1940s. That renowned unit featured tenor players Stan Getz, Zoot Sims and Herbie Steward, and baritone saxophonist Serge Chaloff. With no alto players in the mix, the rich, deep sound of the unison horns stood out on ...
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Jazz Musician of the Day: Harry Allen

Source: Michael Ricci
October 12, 2018

All About Jazz is celebrating Harry Allen's birthday today!

Gene Lees writes, “Stan Getz was once asked his idea of the perfect tenor saxophone soloist. His answer was, \'My technique, Al Cohn\'s ideas, and Zoot\'s time.\' The fulfillment of that ideal may well be embodied in thirty-year-old Harry Allen." BMG recording artist Harry Allen has over twenty recordings to his name. Three of Harry\'s CDs have won Gold Disc Awards from Japan\'s Swing Journal Magazine... Read more.

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Honoring and updating a classic saxophone sound and spirit

Source: Ken Franckling's Jazz Notes
April 9, 2018

Bandleader Woody Herman's Second Herd in the late 1940s featured a stunning saxophone section known as the Four Brothers. It featured tenormen Stan Getz, Zoot Sims and Herbie Steward, plus baritone saxophonist Serge Chaloff. The sound was swinging and vibrant as the four players dug into crisp unison lines and took turns passing solos to one another much like relay runners hand off the baton. Seventy years after the Four Brothers made their mark on big band jazz, Harry Allen ...
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An All-Star Evening Of Exuberant Swing

Source: Ken Franckling's Jazz Notes
January 25, 2018

Tenor saxophonist Harry Allen and trombonist Wycliffe Gordon headlined an evening of exuberant swing Monday night at the Venice FL Performing Arts Center and their all-star band delivered the goods. The horn players were joined by the terrific rhythm section of Eddie Metz Jr. (drums), Nicki Parrott (bass and vocals) and Rosanno Sportiello (piano), plus special guest Stephanie Nakasian on vocals. Gordon shifted with ease between trombone, gritty vocals and slide trumpet throughout the night in this, his first appearance ...
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Jazz Musician of the Day: Harry Allen

Source: Michael Ricci
October 12, 2017

All About Jazz is celebrating Harry Allen's birthday today!

Gene Lees writes, “Stan Getz was once asked his idea of the perfect tenor saxophone soloist. His answer was, \'My technique, Al Cohn\'s ideas, and Zoot\'s time.\' The fulfillment of that ideal may well be embodied in thirty-year-old Harry Allen." BMG recording artist Harry Allen has over twenty recordings to his name. Three of Harry\'s CDs have won Gold Disc Awards from Japan\'s Swing Journal Magazine... Read more.

Place our Musician ...
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