Geri Antoinette Allen (June 12, 1957 – June 27, 2017) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

pianist, composer, and educator. In addition to her career as a performer and bandleader, Allen was also an associate professor of music at the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...

and the director of the university's Jazz Studies program.

Early life and education

Allen was born in Pontiac, Michigan, on June 12, 1957, and grew up in Detroit. "Her father, Mount Allen Jr, was a school principal, her mother, Barbara, a government administrator in the defence industry." Allen was educated in

Detroit Public Schools Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) is a school district that covers all of the city of Detroit, Michigan, United States and high school students in the insular city of Highland Park. The district, which replaced the original Detr ...

. She started playing the piano at the age of seven, and settled on becoming a jazz pianist in her early teens. Allen graduated from

Howard University Howard University (Howard) is a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" and accredited by the Middle States Commissi ...

's jazz studies program in 1979. She then continued her studies: with pianist

Kenny Barron Kenny Barron (born June 9, 1943) is an American jazz pianist, who has appeared on hundreds of recordings as leader and sideman and is considered one of the most influential mainstream jazz pianists since the bebop era. Biography Born in Philadel ...

in New York; and at the

, where she completed a master's degree in ethnomusicology in 1982. After this, she returned to New York.

Later life and career

Allen became involved in the

M-Base The term "M-Base" is used in several ways. In the 1980s, a loose collective of young African American musicians including Steve Coleman, Graham Haynes, Cassandra Wilson, Geri Allen, Robin Eubanks, and Greg Osby emerged in Brooklyn with a new sou ...

collective in New York. Her recording debut as a leader was in 1984, resulting in '' The Printmakers''. This trio album, with bassist Anthony Cox and drummer

Andrew Cyrille Andrew Charles Cyrille (born November 10, 1939) is an American avant-garde jazz drummer. Throughout his career, he has performed both as a leader and a sideman in the bands of Walt Dickerson and Cecil Taylor, among others. AllMusic biographer ...

, also featured some of Allen's compositions. Allen married trumpeter

Wallace Roney Wallace Roney (May 25, 1960 – March 31, 2020) was an American jazz ( hard bop and post-bop) trumpeter. He has won 1 Grammy award and has two nominations. Roney took lessons from Clark Terry and Dizzy Gillespie and studied with Miles Davis fr ...

in 1995. They had a daughter and a son; the marriage ended in divorce. Allen was awarded the

Jazzpar Prize The Jazzpar Prize (established 1990) was an annual Danish jazz prize founded by trumpeter Arnvid Meyer. The winner was chosen from five nominees among internationally recognized performers. The winner received 200,000 Danish crowns and a bronze stat ...

in 1996. In the same year, she recorded two albums with

Ornette Coleman Randolph Denard Ornette Coleman (March 9, 1930 – June 11, 2015) was an American jazz saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter, and composer known as a principal founder of the free jazz genre, a term derived from his 1960 album '' Free Jazz: A Colle ...

: '' Sound Museum: Hidden Man'' and '' Sound Museum: Three Women''. In 2006, Allen composed "For the Healing of the Nations", a suite written in tribute to the victims and survivors of the

September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...

. She was awarded a

Guggenheim Fellowship Guggenheim Fellowships are grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the ar ...

in 2008. Allen was a longtime resident of

Montclair, New Jersey Montclair () is a township in Essex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Situated on the cliffs of the Watchung Mountains, Montclair is a wealthy and diverse commuter town and suburb of New York City within the New York metropolitan area. ...

. She became director of the jazz studies program at the University of Pittsburgh in 2013. Allen died on June 27, 2017, two weeks after her 60th birthday, in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, after suffering from cancer.

Awards

* Honorary Doctorate of Music from

Berklee Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...

, 2014 *

, 2008 * African American Classical Music Award from

Spelman College Spelman College is a private, historically black, women's liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia. It is part of the Atlanta University Center academic consortium in Atlanta. Founded in 1881 as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, Spelman re ...

, 2007 * The

Benny Golson Benny Golson (born January 25, 1929) is an American bebop/hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and arranger. He came to prominence with the big bands of Lionel Hampton and Dizzy Gillespie, more as a writer than a performer, before launch ...

Jazz Master Award, 2005 * Distinguished Alumni Award from Howard, 1996 * Danish

(first woman recipient), 1996 * '' Soul Train''s Lady of Soul Award (first recipient) for jazz album of the year for ''Twenty-One'', 1995''

Discography

As leader/co-leader

Main sources:

As sidewoman

Main source:Jazzlists: Geri Allen sidewoman: main albums and selected single artist collections
Retrieved November 22, 2017. With

Franco Ambrosetti Franco Ambrosetti (born 10 December 1941) is a jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist and composer. He was born in Lugano, Switzerland; his father, Flavio, was a saxophonist who once played opposite Charlie Parker.Movies A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

'' (Enja, 1987) *'' Movies Too'' (Enja, 1988) With

Cecil Brooks III Cecil Brooks III (born 1959) is an American jazz drummer and record producer who has worked with Arthur Blythe, Russell Gunn, John Hicks, Andrew Hill, Etta Jones, Roseanna Vitro, Marvin Peterson, and Jimmy Ponder. A native of the Homewood n ...

*'' The Collective'' (Muse, 1989) With

Roy Brooks Roy Brooks (March 9, 1938 – November 15, 2005) was an American jazz drummer. Biography Early life Brooks was born in Detroit and drummed since childhood, his earliest experiences of music coming through his mother, who sang in church. He was a ...

*'' Duet in Detroit'' (Enja, 1989

993 Year 993 ( CMXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Spring – The 12-year-old King Otto III gives the Sword of Saints Cosmas and Damian ...

With Betty Carter *''

Droppin' Things ''Droppin' Things'' is a 1990 live album by the American jazz singer Betty Carter. At the 32nd Grammy Awards, Carter's performance on this album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female. ''Droppin' Things'' pe ...

'' (Verve, 1993) *'' Feed the Fire'' (Verve, 1993) With

*'' Sound Museum: Hidden Man'' (Harmolodic/Verve, 1996) *'' Sound Museum: Three Women'' (Harmolodic/Verve, 1996) With Steve Coleman *'' Motherland Pulse'' ( JMT, 1985) *And Five Elements: '' On the Edge of Tomorrow'' (JMT, 1986) *And Five Elements: ''

World Expansion ''World Expansion'' (subtitled ''(By the M-Base Neophyte)'') is the third album by saxophonist Steve Coleman recorded in 1986 and released on the JMT label.Buddy Collette William Marcel "Buddy" Collette (August 6, 1921 – September 19, 2010) was an American jazz flutist, saxophonist, and clarinetist. He was a founding member of the Chico Hamilton Quintet. Early life William Marcel Collette was born in L ...

*'' Flute Talk'' (Soul Note, 1988) with

James Newton James W. Newton (born May 1, 1953) is an American jazz and classical flutist. Biography He was born in Los Angeles, California, United States. From his earliest years, James Newton grew up immersed in the sounds of African-American music, inclu ...

With

Charlie Haden Charles Edward Haden (August 6, 1937 – July 11, 2014) was an American jazz double bass player, bandleader, composer and educator whose career spanned more than 50 years. In the late 1950s, he was an original member of the ground-breaking ...

*'' Etudes'' (Soul Note, 1987) *'' The Montreal Tapes: with Geri Allen and Paul Motian'' (Verve, 1989

997 Year 997 (Roman numerals, CMXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Japan * 1 February: Empress Teishi gives birth to Princess Shushi - she is the first ...

*'' The Montreal Tapes: Liberation Music Orchestra'' (Verve, 1989

999 999 or triple nine most often refers to: * 999 (emergency telephone number), a telephone number for the emergency services in several countries * 999 (number), an integer * AD 999, a year * 999 BC, a year Books * ''999'' (anthology) or ''999: T ...

With

Craig Handy Craig Mitchell Handy (born September 25, 1962) is an American tenor saxophonist. Born in Oakland, California, he attended North Texas State University from 1981 to 1984, and following this played with Art Blakey, Wynton Marsalis, Roy Haynes, Ab ...

*''

Reflections in Change ''Reflections in Change'' is the third album led by saxophonist Craig Handy which was recorded in 1999 and released on the Sirrocco Music label. Reception The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow said "A fine hard bop tenor saxophonist, Craig Handy p ...

'' (Sirocco Music, 1999) With

Oliver Lake Oliver Lake (born September 14, 1942) is an American jazz saxophonist, flutist, composer, poet, and visual artist. He is known mainly for alto saxophone, but he also performs on soprano and flute. During the 1960s, Lake worked with the Black ...

*''

Expandable Language ''Expandable Language'' is an album by American jazz saxophonist Oliver Lake recorded in 1984 for the Italian Black Saint label.

'' (Black Saint, 1984) *''

Otherside "Otherside" is a song by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. It was released as the third single from their seventh studio album, ''Californication'' (1999), and confronts the battles addicts have with their prior addictions. The track was ...

'' (Gramavision, 1988) *'' Talkin' Stick'' (Passin' Thru, 2000) With Charles Lloyd *'' Lift Every Voice'' (ECM, 2002) *'' Jumping the Creek'' (ECM, 2004) With

Frank Lowe Frank Lowe (June 24, 1943 – September 19, 2003) was an American avant-garde jazz saxophonist and composer. Biography Born and brought up in Memphis, Tennessee, Lowe took up the tenor saxophone at the age of 12. As an adult he moved to San Fra ...

*''

Decision in Paradise ''Decision in Paradise'' is an album by Frank Lowe recorded in 1984 and released on the Soul Note label.Paul Motian Stephen Paul Motian (March 25, 1931 – November 22, 2011) was an American jazz drummer, percussionist, and composer. Motian played an important role in freeing jazz drummers from strict time-keeping duties. He first came to prominence in the ...

*''

Monk in Motian ''Monk in Motian'' is a 1988 album by American jazz drummer Paul Motian, his first to be released on the German JMT label and his 11th as a bandleader. The album features ten compositions by Thelonious Monk performed by Motian with his longtime t ...

'' (JMT, 1988) With Greg Osby *'' Mindgames'' (JMT, 1988) With

Dewey Redman Walter Dewey Redman (May 17, 1931 – September 2, 2006) was an American saxophonist who performed free jazz as a bandleader and with Ornette Coleman and Keith Jarrett. Redman mainly played tenor saxophone, though he occasionally also played al ...

*'' Living on the Edge'' (Black Saint, 1989) With

*''

Munchin' ''Munchin is an album by American jazz trumpeter Wallace Roney which was recorded in 1993 and released on the Muse label.Crunchin' ''Crunchin is an album by American jazz trumpeter Wallace Roney which was recorded in 1993 and released on the Muse label.Mistérios ''Mistérios'' is an album by American jazz trumpeter Wallace Roney, recorded in 1994 and released on the Warner Bros. label. Reception The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow stated: "Trumpeter Wallace Roney avoids the standard repertoire altogethe ...

'' (Warner Bros., 1994) *''

Village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

'' (Warner Bros, 1997) *''

No Room for Argument ''No Room for Argument'' is an album by American jazz trumpeter Wallace Roney, recorded in 2000 and released on the Stretch Records, Stretch label. Reception The AllMusic review by Paula Edelstein stated, "This CD is packed with excellent strai ...

'' (Stretch, 2000) *''

Prototype A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and Software prototyping, software programming. A prototyp ...

'' (HighNote, 2004) *''

Mystikal Michael Lawrence Tyler (born September 22, 1970), better known by his stage name Mystikal, is an American rapper. Early life and education Tyler grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana's 12th Ward. His father, who ran a small neighborhood store, d ...

'' (HighNote, 2005) *''

Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

'' (Highnote, 2007) With Gregory Charles Royal *''Dream Come True'' (GCR 1979 reissued Celeste Japan 2008) With

Woody Shaw Woody Herman Shaw Jr. (December 24, 1944 – May 10, 1989) was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, composer, arranger, band leader, and educator. Shaw is widely known as one of the most important and influential jazz trumpet ...

*''

Bemsha Swing This is a list of compositions by jazz musician Thelonious Monk. 0-9 52nd Street Theme A contrafact based loosely on rhythm changes in C, and was copyrighted by Monk under the title "Nameless" in April 1944. The tune was also called "Bip Bop" ...

'' (Blue Note, 1986

With

John Stubblefield John Stubblefield (February 4, 1945 – July 4, 2005) was an American jazz saxophonist, flautist, and oboist. Early life Stubblefield was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas. He studied music at the Association for the Advancement of Crea ...

*''Bushman Song'' (Enja, 1986) With Gary Thomas *'' By Any Means Necessary'' (JMT, 1989) With Trio 3 (

Reggie Workman Reginald "Reggie" Workman (born June 26, 1937 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American avant-garde jazz and hard bop double bassist, recognized for his work with both John Coltrane and Art Blakey. Career Early in his career, Workman wo ...

) *'' At This Time'' (Intakt, 2009) *'' Celebrating Mary Lou Williams–Live at Birdland New York'' (Intakt, 2011) With Ernie Watts *''Unity'' (JVC, 1995) With the Mary Lou Williams Collective *''Zodiac Suite: Revisited'' (Mary, 2006) With

*''

Cerebral Caverns ''Cerebral Caverns'' is an album by bassist/composer Reggie Workman. It was recorded on April 27 and 28, 1995, in New York City, and was released by Postcards Records that same year. On the album, Workman is heard in a variety of instrumental comb ...

'' (

Postcards Records Postcards Records was an American jazz record company and label founded in 1993 by Ralph Simon and Sybil Golden. Through 1997 its catalogue included music by Paul Bley, Bill Frisell, Julian Priester, Gary Peacock, Sam Rivers, and Reggie Workman ...

, 1995) With "Various" *'' Kansas City (A Robert Altman Film, Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)'' (Verve, 1996)

Filmography

Geri Allen portrays jazz pianist

Mary Lou Williams Mary Lou Williams (born Mary Elfrieda Scruggs; May 8, 1910 – May 28, 1981) was an American jazz pianist, arranger, and composer. She wrote hundreds of compositions and arrangements and recorded more than one hundred records (in 78, 45, an ...

and performs with the jazz band in the Robert Altman film '' Kansas City''.

References

External links

Official Website
4
Geri Allen
at

Motéma Music Motéma Music is a jazz and world music record label in the United States. It was founded in 2003 in San Francisco Bay Area. This record label’s catalog spans genres, cultures, and generations and has received Grammy recognition for over twen ...

Geri Allen at All About Jazz

Geri Allen at NPR Music

Jazz Conversations with Eric Jackson: Geri Allen
fro
WGBH Radio Boston

at Rhapsody {{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, Geri 1957 births 2017 deaths African-American jazz pianists African-American record producers American women jazz musicians American jazz composers Women jazz composers American jazz educators Cass Technical High School alumni Deaths from cancer in Pennsylvania Howard University alumni Musicians from Detroit Jazz musicians from New Jersey Musicians from Pittsburgh Musicians from Pontiac, Michigan People from Montclair, New Jersey Post-bop jazz musicians University of Pittsburgh alumni University of Pittsburgh faculty Women jazz pianists University of Michigan faculty Jazz musicians from Michigan Jazz musicians from Pennsylvania Women music educators Motéma Music artists American women academics African-American women musicians 20th-century African-American people 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American women 21st-century African-American women

Early life and education

Later life and career

Awards

Discography

As leader/co-leader

As sidewoman

Filmography

See also

References

External links