DaveAllenJazz.com

My new CD "Real and Imagined" has just been released on Fresh Sound Records. It features Drew Gress, Seamus Blake and Mark Ferber.

The Dave Allen Quartet brings together some of the best young talent that New York City has to offer. Their debut recording, Untold Stories, documents a well-crafted group sound rarely found in music today. These compositions are brought to life by the musician’s subtlety, virtuosity and interplay. Saxophonist Seamus Blake is one of the most respected players of his generation and brings a vibrant and poetic sensibility to the group. Bassist Carlo DeRosa and drummer Mark Ferber have been playing with Allen for many years and bring a common language of creativity and intensity to each piece.

Dave Allen is one of the more distinctive voices on his instrument today. He has continually sought to forge a unique vision through his playing and writing, one that features lyrical melodies with lilting, complex rhythms and rich, intricate harmonies. At the age of 16, Allen was already recognized by Guitar Player Magazine as a talent to watch. Born in Philadelphia, Allen moved to New York in 1988 to attend the Manhattan School of Music. Leading his own groups for the past 16 years, Allen has increasingly made his presence felt on the New York scene. In the past few years Allen has worked with many of the most exciting young players in New York City, including Chris Cheek, Seamus Blake, Sam Newsome, Donny McCaslin, Mark Shim, John O'Gallagher, Loren Stillman, Tyshawn Sorey, Miguel Zenon, Ravi Coltrane, Ted Poor, and many others.

Untold Stories presents nine original compositions which are like nine chapters in a novel. The labyrinth-like stories are poetic and challenging with their energy, thoughtfulness, and complexity.

Allen is also seeking ways to integrate his passion for other art forms, such as poetry, film and painting into his musical projects. Deeply influenced by poets such as Wallace Stevens and Adrienne Rich, the visionary experimental filmaker Stan Brakhage, and the painters Willem DeKooning and Anselm Kiefer.

He is currently writing new music for his next CD and planning tours in Europe for Fall 2007.

Photography on this site by Steven La Cava, Anthony Rhoades and Romina Ciufa