Brian Allen - Coffee House music

Trombonist and composer Brian Allen "brings a burst of energy to contemporary creative music" (AllAboutJazzNY) and has received critical praise from The New York Times, Downbeat, and Pitchfork magazines. He has performed with Anthony Braxton, Gerald Cleaver, Mark Dresser, Ellery Eskelin, Satoko Fujii Orchestra NY, Frank Gratkowski, Drew Gress, Roswell Rudd, and Nate Wooley. Brian's current projects include trio with Tony Malaby and Tom Rainey, solo trombone performances, Brainkiller with pianist Jacob Koller, duo with drummer Hernan Hecht who also plays in Brian's Mexican Quartet, and playing with the Austin-based Creative Opportunity Orchestra as a core member and composer. He has toured and performed all across Canada, Mexico and the United States with notable performances in Carnegie Hall, Bang On A Can Festival, College of Santa Fe Electroacoustic Festival, The Stone, Knitting Factory, CBGB's, and Barbes. He has also performed and/or given masterclasses at over 30 universities and schools including the University of North Texas, Arizona State University, Rice University and the Oregon Festival of American Music. He studied trombone with Don Lucas and composition with Mary Jeanne van Appledorn at Texas Tech University, receiving a Masters in Composition with additional studies at Banff and the University of North Texas. Brian received a 2007 Meet the Composer Global Connections Grant for Mexico and was featured on NPR's Sound Clips Series for his sonic investigations of the trombone. A composer whose works include wind and percussion ensembles, Mexican Banda, chamber groups and big band, Brian has had compositions premiered at the International Trombone Festival, Society for Composers, Eastern Trombone Workshop, Texas Music Educators Association, and many other jazz, electronic and new music festivals. Brian was awarded a 2003 composition residency from Houston's Diverse Works for Brainkiller, was a finalist in the 2005 Antti Rissannen Jazz Trombone Competition, is a contributing composer for the innovative VoxNovus program 60x60, and composes, records and produces educational recordings of the Texas IAJE All State Jazz Etudes since 2002. He has released six CDs: Synapse, six years L8R, Trombone and Contrabass, Brainkiller, Sketchy and Solo Trombone. Brian is an artist/clinician for the Edwards Instrument Company. He currently teaches privately and at Brazosport College in Lake Jackson, Texas. Also inspired by his initial interest in visual arts, Brian integrates electronics, vocals, melodica and other instruments into performance as a means to expand expressive and communicative potential.