Violin
Allen fell in love with orchestral music at a very young age and began playing the violin at nine. He studied with Max Mandel, Theodora McMillan, James Buswell, William Majors, and Frank Spinoza, absorbing the great classical tradition from these fine teachers. This training was, and remains, his bedrock, but he realized early on that he also wanted to explore more of the violin's many possibilities. This curiosity has led to an ongoing lifetime of adventure, from classical, jazz and Gypsy swing to the demanding rhythms of Flamenco, the spacious lyricism of Navajo music, and a host of other styles, some of which he has yet to meet.
Violira
When Allen decided to make a six-string violin he started with a German viola of unknown parentage. He reduced the length of the body, gave it a cutaway shape to preserve as much air space as possible, made a wider neck to accomodate the extra strings, and named it the "Violira." The resulting instrument has a range of five octaves, from the upper notes of a violin to the velvety baritone of a cello. With amplification it is capable of powerful plucked bass lines. He has played this prototype in innumerable gigs, concerts, and recordings. In 2014 the Musical Instrument Museum commissioned Allen to build a new Violira for them. It was completed and purchased in late 2015 for the museum's permanent collection. The original battle-scarred and much-traveled Violira is still in active service.
Guitar
Allen began playing guitar in high school with the simple chords and strumming of folk music, soon graduating to blues and rock. Within a few years he was beginning to play jazz, which became his lifelong passion on this instrument. Eventually he began the serious study of Gypsy Swing, the music of Django Reinhardt. He also mastered the art of self-accompaniment with a "looping" recording device. His concert and gigging instruments include a jazz archtop, a handmade Gypsy guitar, and a variety of electric guitars.
Mandolin
Allen has a special affection for this little instrument, with its delicate, refined tone, versatility, and surprising tonal power. The mandolin can render everything from Vivaldi to bluegrass, not forgetting the great romantic melodies of Italy. He plays this wide-ranging repertoire from concert halls to Italian restaurants. He once played in a Phoenix Symphony pops concert as soloist in "Lara's Theme." He estimates his pay on this occasion was $18.50 per note. Allen loves the mandolin.
Bass guitar
Allen began playing bass as a junior in high school and, within a year, was playing in the school stage band. Sight-reading the arrangements of Billy May and other big band greats twice a week was the best possible jazz training. When he returned home from college, he dusted off the old bass and quickly realized its value as a "bread and butter" gig machine. From jazz and variety bands he built his harmonic chops, and has had many wonderful experiences playing with some of Phoenix and Sedona's best jazz artists.
Drumset and Hand Percussion
Every small child loves banging on things: Allen never stopped banging. At the age of 8 he had a child-size pair of bongos and by 14 he had his first drum set with snare, hi-hat, and a bass "drum" built from a rather resonant cardboard box. After college, he played jazz and variety gigs on a fine Slingerland set. These days, he mostly plays a variety of hand drums such as congas and djembe, anchored by the cajon. The cajon is essentially – a box – thus bringing Allen full circle.
Allen fell in love with orchestral music at a very young age and began playing the violin at nine. He studied with Max Mandel, Theodora McMillan, James Buswell, William Majors, and Frank Spinoza, absorbing the great classical tradition from these fine teachers. This training was, and remains, his bedrock, but he realized early on that he also wanted to explore more of the violin's many possibilities. This curiosity has led to an ongoing lifetime of adventure, from classical, jazz and Gypsy swing to the demanding rhythms of Flamenco, the spacious lyricism of Navajo music, and a host of other styles, some of which he has yet to meet.
Violira
When Allen decided to make a six-string violin he started with a German viola of unknown parentage. He reduced the length of the body, gave it a cutaway shape to preserve as much air space as possible, made a wider neck to accomodate the extra strings, and named it the "Violira." The resulting instrument has a range of five octaves, from the upper notes of a violin to the velvety baritone of a cello. With amplification it is capable of powerful plucked bass lines. He has played this prototype in innumerable gigs, concerts, and recordings. In 2014 the Musical Instrument Museum commissioned Allen to build a new Violira for them. It was completed and purchased in late 2015 for the museum's permanent collection. The original battle-scarred and much-traveled Violira is still in active service.
Guitar
Allen began playing guitar in high school with the simple chords and strumming of folk music, soon graduating to blues and rock. Within a few years he was beginning to play jazz, which became his lifelong passion on this instrument. Eventually he began the serious study of Gypsy Swing, the music of Django Reinhardt. He also mastered the art of self-accompaniment with a "looping" recording device. His concert and gigging instruments include a jazz archtop, a handmade Gypsy guitar, and a variety of electric guitars.
Mandolin
Allen has a special affection for this little instrument, with its delicate, refined tone, versatility, and surprising tonal power. The mandolin can render everything from Vivaldi to bluegrass, not forgetting the great romantic melodies of Italy. He plays this wide-ranging repertoire from concert halls to Italian restaurants. He once played in a Phoenix Symphony pops concert as soloist in "Lara's Theme." He estimates his pay on this occasion was $18.50 per note. Allen loves the mandolin.
Bass guitar
Allen began playing bass as a junior in high school and, within a year, was playing in the school stage band. Sight-reading the arrangements of Billy May and other big band greats twice a week was the best possible jazz training. When he returned home from college, he dusted off the old bass and quickly realized its value as a "bread and butter" gig machine. From jazz and variety bands he built his harmonic chops, and has had many wonderful experiences playing with some of Phoenix and Sedona's best jazz artists.
Drumset and Hand Percussion
Every small child loves banging on things: Allen never stopped banging. At the age of 8 he had a child-size pair of bongos and by 14 he had his first drum set with snare, hi-hat, and a bass "drum" built from a rather resonant cardboard box. After college, he played jazz and variety gigs on a fine Slingerland set. These days, he mostly plays a variety of hand drums such as congas and djembe, anchored by the cajon. The cajon is essentially – a box – thus bringing Allen full circle.