Pete Allen (born 23 November 1954) is an English

Dixieland Dixieland jazz, also referred to as traditional jazz, hot jazz, or simply Dixieland, is a style of jazz based on the music that developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century. The 1917 recordings by the Original Dixieland Jass Band ( ...

jazz clarinettist, alto and soprano saxophonist, banjo,

bandleader A bandleader is the leader of a music group such as a rock or pop band or jazz quartet. The term is most commonly used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or ...

, and vocalist. He has appeared in television and radio shows, both with his band and as a solo act. He has worked with

Peanuts Hucko Michael Andrew "Peanuts" Hucko (April 7, 1918 – June 19, 2003) was an American big band musician. His primary instrument was the clarinet, but he sometimes played saxophone. Early life and education He was born in Syracuse, New York, United St ...

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Bob Wilber Robert Sage Wilber (March 15, 1928 – August 4, 2019) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, and band leader. Although his scope covers a wide range of jazz, Wilber was a dedicated advocate of classic styles, working throughout his caree ...

Marty Grosz Martin Oliver Grosz (born February 28, 1930) is an American jazz guitarist, banjoist, vocalist, and composer born in Berlin, Germany, the son of artist George Grosz. He performed with Bob Wilber and wrote arrangements for him. He has also worked ...

Billy Butterfield Charles William Butterfield (January 14, 1917 – March 18, 1988) was an American jazz bandleader, trumpeter, flugelhornist, and cornetist. Early years Charles William Butterfield was born in Middletown, Ohio and attended high school in Wyoming ...

Barrett Deems Barrett Deems (March 1, 1914 – September 15, 1998) was an American swing drummer from Springfield, Illinois, United States. He worked in bands led by Jimmy Dorsey, Louis Armstrong, Red Norvo, and Muggsy Spanier. In ''High Society'', a 1956 ...

Jack Lesberg Jack Lesberg (February 14, 1920 – September 17, 2005) was an American jazz double-bassist. Lesberg performed with many famous jazz musicians, including Louis Armstrong, Earl Hines, Jack Teagarden, Sarah Vaughan and Benny Goodman, with whom he ...

, and

Kenny Ball Kenneth Daniel Ball (22 May 1930Larkin C., ''Virgin Encyclopedia of Sixties Music''. (Muze UK Ltd, 1997), p. 29; ) – 7 March 2013) was an English jazz musician, best known as the bandleader, lead trumpet player and vocalist in Kenny Ball and ...

Biography

Early life

The only child of Bernard and June Allen, Pete Allen was born in

Newbury, Berkshire Newbury is a market town in the county of Berkshire, England, and is home to the administrative headquarters of West Berkshire Council. The town centre around its large market square retains a rare medieval Cloth Hall, an adjoining half timbere ...

, England, educated at Winchcombe primary and junior schools, then Downs School at Compton. At Downs he was taught music by Don Paxton, who gave him a grounding in classical music.

Career

Allen became interested in music while at school when he started to play clarinet with his father's band. Bernie Allen had formed a trio with organ, drums and himself on banjo, known as Pete Giles and his Merry Men. After a brief career as a P.C. in Thames Valley Police Force, Allen joined Rod Mason's Jazz Band in 1976. The band's line-up was Rod Mason (trumpet), Chris Haskins (bass), Jimmy Garforth (drums), Johnny Withers (banjo), Pete Allen (clarinet and saxophone) and Roger Marks (trombone). Allen formed his band in October 1978 with Janusz Carmello (trumpet),

John Armatage John Armatage (born 5 August 1929) is an English jazz swing drummer and arranger. Armatage began professional work in 1957 when he gigged with John Chilton and then recorded, toured and made a film with Bruce Turner, the film called ''Living ...

(drums),

Campbell Burnap Campbell Crichton Mackinnon Burnap (10 September 1939 – 30 May 2008) was an English jazz trombonist, vocalist and broadcaster. Early life Born in Derby, England, Burnap became interested in New Orleans jazz while attending school in Belper. ...

(trombone), Bernie Allen (banjo) and Tony Bagot (bass). During the early years the band made thirty appearances on ''

Pebble Mill at One ''Pebble Mill at One'' is a British television magazine programme that was broadcast live on weekdays at one o'clock on BBC1, from 2 October 1972 to 23 May 1986, and again from 14 October 1991 to 29 March 1996. It was transmitted from the Pebb ...

'' for

BBC Television BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1927. It produced television programmes from its own studios from 193 ...

. In 1983, the Pete Allen Jazz Band made the first of several trips to the Old Sacramento Dixieland Jazz Jubilee in California. Their first concert was played to a 4,500 audience with Chris Hodgkins (trumpet), Ian Bateman (trombone), Tony Bagot (bass) and Graham Scriven (drums). In 1984 Allen was invited to lead the Worldwide All Stars with

(bass) and

(drums), who had both played with

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

's All Stars. In 1992, Allen organized a trip to New Orleans with British musicians. He was invited to meet the city mayor and was awarded an Honorary Citizenship of New Orleans for services to British music and tourism. During the late 1980s and 1990s, a show "Jazzin' Around" was played in UK theatres, which included Tommy Burton,

Beryl Bryden Beryl Audley Bryden (11 May 1920 – 14 July 1998) was an English jazz singer, who played with Chris Barber and Lonnie Donegan. Ella Fitzgerald once said of Bryden that she was "Britain's queen of the blues". Life and career Bryden was bor ...

, Joan Savage,

Don Lusher Don Lusher OBE (6 November 1923 – 5 July 2006) was an English jazz and big band trombonist best known for his association with the Ted Heath Big Band. In a career spanning more than 60 years, he played trombone with a number of jazz orchestras ...

, Clinton Ford and George Chisholm. The Pete Allen Jazz Band (usually six or seven musicians) and his Dukes of Wellington (normally four or five) has appeared at jazz festivals, theatres and clubs throughout the UK and in France, Denmark, Germany, Holland, Portugal and Spain. During November 2019, Allen celebrated his 65th birthday with a weekend program of Jazz at the Sidholme Hotel, Sidmouth. Guests included Enrico Tomasso (trumpet) and Tad Newton's Jazz Friends.

Current work

As a result of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, all live appearances were cancelled from March 2020. Following relaxation of Covid-19 rules, live performances started up again from July 2022. The current band line-up consists of Roger Marks (trombone), Dave Hanratty (bass), James Clemas (piano), Jim Newton (drums) and is led by Allen (clarinet, saxophones, banjo and vocals. Allen published ''On the Beat: My Life as a Jazz Musician''.

Discography

* ''Turkey Trot'' (Black Lion, 1979) * ''Down in Honkey Tonk'' (Black Lion, 1979) * ''While We Danced at the Mardi Gras'' (Jazz Dub, 1980) * ''The Martinique'' (A.R.B., 1983) * ''Sacramento Lift Off'' (Platform/Pausa, 1983) * ''Jazzin' Around'' (A.R.B., 1984) * ''Jazzin' Around II'' (A.R.B., 1984) * ''Dixie Date'' (Black Lion, 1986) * ''One for the Road'' (P.A.R., 1987) * ''Wild Cat Blues '' (P.A.R., 1988) * ''St. Phillips Streat Breakdown'' (P.A.R., 1988) * ''21 Years On'' (Loose Tie, 2001) * ''Running Wild'' (Upbeat Jazz, 2002) * ''Chinatown My Chinatown'' (Raymer Sound, 2004) * Your Requests (Raymer Sound, 2008) * Amapola (Raymer Sound, 2011) * The Jazzalikes - "Something Different" - Pete Allen and Dave Browning (Raymer Sound, 2012) * I Wish You Love - Dukes of Wellington (Upbeat, 2018) * On the Beat (Upbeat, 2019)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, Pete 1954 births English jazz alto saxophonists British male saxophonists English jazz clarinetists English jazz soprano saxophonists Dixieland clarinetists Dixieland saxophonists Living people 21st-century saxophonists 21st-century clarinetists 21st-century British male musicians British male jazz musicians Black Lion Records artists