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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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135
Album Review

Brian Allen / Tony Malaby / Tom Rainey: Synapse

Read "Synapse" reviewed 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 ...

152
Album Review

Brian Allen with Tony Malaby and Tom Rainey: Synapse

Read "Synapse" reviewed 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 ...

246
Album Review

Brian Allen/Jacob Koller: Brain Killer

Read "Brain Killer" reviewed 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 ...

174
Album Review

Brian Allen: Solo Trombone

Read "Solo Trombone" reviewed 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 ...

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192

Performance / Tour

Brian Allen + Hernan Hecht Duo in Texas This Weekend

Brian 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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Performance / Tour

Brian Allen - Hernan Hecht Duo Southwest Us Tour

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 ...

86

Performance / Tour

Brian Allen Mexican Quartet in Mexico City This Week

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 ...

83

Performance / Tour

Brian Allen NY this week with Malaby, Cleaver, Wooley and more...

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) ...

72

Performance / Tour

Brian Allen/Corey Fogel Duo in Texas

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 ...

88

Performance / Tour

Brian Allen Trio with Tony Malaby and Tom Rainey Southwest Tour

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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Performance / Tour

Brian Allen w/Malaby, Ballou and Sarin 3/10 at Tea Lounge

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 ...

40

Performance / Tour

Brian Allen Trio NYC performances

Brian Allen Trio NYC performances

Source: All About Jazz


Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Fiends

Braintone 22
2022

buy

Ciclico

Colectivo Noon
2018

buy

The Infiltration

Self Produced
2012

buy

Synapse

Braintone Records
2006

buy

Brain Killer

Braintone Records
2002

buy

Solo Trombone

Braintone Records
2001

buy

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