Hailed by the New York Times as “a tenor saxophonist with an enigmatic, elegant and hard-driving style,” JD Allen is a bright rising light on today’s international jazz scene. His unique and compelling voice on the instrument – the result of a patient and painstaking confrontation with the fundamentals of the art – has recently earned Allen a blaze of critical attention signaling his ascension to the upper ranks of the contemporary jazz world. Originally from Detroit, Allen’s apprenticeship, anchored by his lengthy tenure with Betty Carter, occurred largely in New York, where he worked with legends Lester Bowie, George Cables, Ron Carter, Louis Hayes, Frank Foster Big Band, Winard Harper,Dave Douglas, Cindy Blackman, Butch Morris, David Murray, Wallace Roney, Rufus Reid, and Geri Allen.
In 2012 Allen began his association with Savant Records. The Matador and The Bull (2012), GRACE (2013) earned Allen consecutive Downbeat Critics Poll Award Winner for “TENOR SAXOPHONIST” and “COMPOSER” and equal critical acclaim. Bloom (2014) earned 4**** 1/2 stars from Downbeat , his most recent recording is GRAFFITI (2015).
http://www.jdallentenorsaxophonist.com/html/
