Carl Allen (drummer)


Carl Allen is an American jazz drummer.
Allen attended William Paterson University.
He has worked with a wide variety of musicians, including Freddie Hubbard, Jackie McLean, George Coleman, Phil Woods, the Benny Green Trio, and Rickie Lee Jones.
It was with Green that Allen met bassist Christian McBride. The two have teamed up frequently, working for many combos of big name leaders. McBride recruited Allen for his band, Christian McBride & Inside Straight. Allen is that quintet's drummer for both its first recording, Kinda Brown, and its road tours.
In 1988, Allen and Vincent Herring founded Big Apple Productions, which produced several albums featuring young jazz performers.
He joined the faculty of The Juilliard School in 2001 and became the Artistic Director of Jazz Studies in 2008. He was replaced as director by Wynton Marsalis in 2013 and left Juilliard at the end of the academic year.
In 2011, Allen appeared as himself in two episodes of the HBO series Tremé in a studio recording scene in New York City.
In 2014, he formed his own group, The Art of Elvin, to pay tribute to drummers Art Blakey and Elvin Jones. The band debuted at the Percussive Arts Society conference in Indianapolis, Indiana with Allen on drums, Freddie Hendrix, Tivon Pennicott, Xavier Davis, and Yasushi Nakamura.
In 2021, Allen joined the faculty of the as the William D. and Mary Grant Endowed Professor of Jazz Studies.

Discography

As leader

The Pursuer Testimonial
CollaborationsLive from the Detroit Jazz Festival 2013
Co-led with Rodney WhitakerGet Ready Work to Do
With Manhattan ProjectDreamboat Piccadilly Square The Dark Side of Dewey Echoes of Our Heroes
  • ''We Remember Cannonball''

As sideman

With Don BradenAfter Dark The Time Is Now Wish List
With Cyrus ChestnutThe Nutman Speaks The Nutman Speaks Again Another Direction
With Art FarmerThe Company I Keep The Meaning of Art Silk Road
With Benny GolsonUp Jumped Benny One Day, Forever – recorded in 1999Terminal 1 New Time, New 'Tet Horizon Ahead
With the Benny Green TrioBlue Notes That's Right Testifyin!
With Vincent HerringEvidence Dawnbird Folklore: Live at the Village Vanguard
With Freddie HubbardLife Flight Topsy MMTC
With Jackie McLeanDynasty Rites of Passage The J-Mac Attack
With Woody ShawDouble Take The Eternal Triangle Imagination
With Christian McBridePeople Music Live at the Village Vanguard
With others