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Brian Allen
Piano, pencil and paper were Brian Allen’s first instruments. He uses them, plus a camera and trombone, to create his own multimedia world of film, books and music.
He has performed his films at Austin Experimental Film Festival, Theertha Festival (Sri Lanka), Webster University Film Series (St. Louis), Ftarri (Tokyo), Fonoteca Nacional (Mexico City), Cruce (Madrid), LangstrassenKultur (Zurich), Brooks Museum Film Series (Memphis), UCLA, American Trombone Workshop and The Outpost (Albuquerque). He has made six films, each with an acoompanying book and album, and three documentaries.
Brian studied with jazz and creative music legends Roswell Rudd and Milford Graves and attended the Banff Institute, meeting and forming “Brainkiller” with Jacob Koller, releasing two albums on RareNoise Records. He taught piano for children in Sri Lanka and Tokyo and has given trombone/improvisation workshops at over 100 universities and public schools including Harvard, Berklee, Bruckner Jazz Institute, UNAM, Prague & Luzern Jazz Conservatory. He has a MM in Composition, a BA in Trombone Performance from Texas Tech University and is an artist for Edwards Instruments since 2003.
In 2020 Jacob and Brian published Piano Bop 1-3, a series of piano methods for children. A collaborative work, they feature Brian's illustrations, design, editing, trombone and compositions. In 2021 they released the online version, complete with over 600 animated videos created by Brian.
He has received artist residencies for music and visual art in Morocco (Dar Slimane), Paris (Cite des Arts), Sapporo (Tenjinyama) and Houston (DiverseWorks) and grants from Meet the Composer. Brian has performed with other composer/improvisers such as Dave Ballou, Anthony Braxton, Gerald Cleaver, Mark Dresser, Ellery Eskelin, Corey Fogel, Dominique Leone, Tony Malaby, Reuben Radding, Tom Rainey and Nate Wooley at Roulette, The Stone, Porgy & Bess (Vienna), Les Siestes Electroniques (Toulouse), Gezmataz (Genova), Vive Latino, Festival Aural (Mexico City), Bang On A Can Marathon, College of Santa Fe Electroacoustic Festival, Carnegie Hall and CBGB's.
Since 2007, he has been a part of the creative music and arts scenes of Mexico City, working with Fabián Avila, Aáron Cruz, Benjamín Garcia, Tom Kessler, Gustavo Nandayapa, Natalia Pérez, Gabriel Puentes, Jorge Servin, Nur Slim and running Cafe Aurora with poet Guadalupe Galván. They co-wrote "Vals", a bilingual book of poetry published by editorial Praxis, and self-publish a series of collaborative books, calendars and other ephemera. Brian also contributed to "Músicos en la Ciudad de México", a collection of essays by over 40 musicians based in Mexico City.
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Brian Allen / Tony Malaby / Tom Rainey: Synapse
by Budd Kopman
Because the eight tracks on this disc are free improvisations, Synapse officially qualifies as difficult" music. The structure, density, dynamics and overall timbre evolve as each track plays, and as such takes a bit more closer listening, even repeated listenings, to begin to follow what these three wonderful musicians are doing. The album has a very open sound since there is no chordal instrument, and not really even a rhythm instrument. Drummer Tom Rainey (heard this year ...
read moreBrian Allen with Tony Malaby and Tom Rainey: Synapse
by Glenn Astarita
Trombonist/composer Brian Allen aligns himself with the creme de la creme of New York City jazz musicians on this bass-less trio date. Synapse is a cleverly articulated effort; Allen nimbly handles the lower (bass line) register while toggling between his leadership and soloing duties. During nip and tuck dialogues, the band navigates an abundance of disparate time signatures.
Tenor saxophonist Tony Malaby pronounces fire and brimstone during most of this session as the band follows by an evolutionary ...
read moreBrian Allen/Jacob Koller: Brain Killer
by Jerry D'Souza
The winds of fate blew cold inside a Canadian airport where Brian Allen and Jacob Koller were tied up in red tape. Whatever the lack of merit in that infliction of figurative bondage, it did help to get the two closer together musically.
Allen and Koller are an interesting pair. There is an easy symbiosis, an oft-used term, but one that fits in well with this duo. What makes it all the more relevant is the way they ...
read moreBrian Allen: Solo Trombone
by Dave Nathan
Brian Allen is from Lake Jackson, Texas where part of this solo trombone album was recorded. He studied with some of the masters of avant-garde /free jazz such as Roswell Rudd and Ellery Eskelin. To state the obvious, solo trombone albums are not everyday occurrences and it takes a good deal of self-assurance to but one out on a CD. The leading practitioner is German avant-garde trombonist Albert Mangelsdorff with his CDs, Tromboneliness and Solo. These efforts, among others, encouraged ...
read moreBrian Allen + Hernan Hecht Duo in Texas This Weekend
Source:
All About Jazz
If there are any South Texans out there, please come out on down to Lake Jackson this weekend... BRIAN ALLEN + HERNAN HECHT DUO SPRING 2008 April 20 - The Clarion at Brazosport College, Lake Jackson TX 4pm. Admission is free. http://clarion.brazosport.edu April 21 - Klein Oak HS, Houston TX. 3pm April 22 - Hecht Drum Clinic, Brazoswood HS, Lake Jackson TX 8:30am April 22 - Allen/Hecht Duo Masterclass, Lake Jackson Intermediate School, 4pm. ...
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Brian Allen - Hernan Hecht Duo Southwest Us Tour
Source:
All About Jazz
BRIAN ALLEN + HERNAN HECHT DUO TOUR SEPTEMBER 2007 Allen (trombone.electronics) Hecht (drums.electronics) 9.11 - salvage vanguard theater, austin TX 8PM 9.12 - texas tech university, lubbock TX 6pm concert + 7pm hecht drum clinic 9.13 - winning coffee, albuquerque NM 8PM 9.14 - college of santa fe, santa fe NM 9.15 - louise hopkins underwood center, lubbock TX 8PM 9.16 - IAO gallery, oklahoma city OK 7PM 9.17 - mckinney north high school, mckinney TX 2:30PM 9.17 - art ...
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Brian Allen Mexican Quartet in Mexico City This Week
Source:
All About Jazz
The Brian Allen Mexican Quartet will be appearing in the Mexico City area this week.
with Armando Martin (guitar, effects) Arturo Baez (bass, effects) Hernan Hecht (drums) Brian Allen (trombone, voice, effects, compositions)
March 11 Jazztlan, Cholula, Puebla 10pm
March 13 Cafe ES3, Sor Juana Ines de La cruz Tlanepantla, 10pm
March 14 Zinco Bar, Centro Historico
March 15 Brian as a guest with Hernan Hecht Gru-B Project Septimo Piso, Lorenzo Boturini ...
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Brian Allen NY this week with Malaby, Cleaver, Wooley and more...
Source:
All About Jazz
Brian Allen NY Performances this week:
Brian Allen (trombone) with Tony Malaby (tenor saxophone) and Gerald Cleaver (drums) Wednesday, September 6 at Barbes, Brooklyn, NY 10pm www.barbesbrooklyn.com 376 9th Street (corner of 6th ave. Park Slope) The Kris Davis Quartet with Tony Malaby, Eivind Opsvik and Jeff Davis plays at 8pm.
Trio with Nate Wooley (trumpet) and Harris Eisenstadt (percussion) also on the bill is MoHa! (from Norway) ...
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Brian Allen/Corey Fogel Duo in Texas
Source:
All About Jazz
Brian Allen/Corey Fogel Duo in Houston, Lake Jackson, and Austin, Texas
Brian Allen - trombone Corey Fogel - drums for more info: www.braintone.com or email: [email protected]
THURSDAY May 11 9pm-ish Super Happy Fun Land 2610 Ashland Street (in the Heights) www.superhappyfunland.com $6 at the door Here's the lineup: Black Magic Marker Dave Dove/Juan Garcia Duo Muzak John Brian ...
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Brian Allen Trio with Tony Malaby and Tom Rainey Southwest Tour
Source:
All About Jazz
Brian Allen Synapse Trio with Tony Malaby and Tom Rainey Southwest Tour
Celebrating the release of the new CD Synapse Brian Allen (trombone) Tony Malaby (saxophones) Tom Rainey (drums)
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22 Spring High School, Spring, TX Noontime clinic/concert
Lake Jackson Intermediate School, Lake Jackson, TX 3:45-4:45 instrumental clinics $10 a student - all levels welcome! 7:30 CD release concert $5 adults/$3 students (free ...
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Brian Allen w/Malaby, Ballou and Sarin 3/10 at Tea Lounge
Source:
All About Jazz
Friday, March 10 Tea Lounge, Brooklyn http://www.tealoungeny.com 837 Union Street Park Slope 718-789-2762 sets at 9 and 10:30pm No Cover! Trombonist Brian Allen (from Texas) will be joined by saxophonist Tony Malaby, trumpeter Dave Ballou and Michael Sarin on drums for an evening of improvised music. Brian is also guest with Tone Collector (Tony Malaby, Eivind Opsvik and Jeff Davis) at Barbes on Wednesday, March 8. See www.barbesbrooklyn.com for more ...
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