Paul Allen

Allen Ginsberg understood as well as anyone that, in the latter half of the 20th century, rock & roll would be the medium through which poetry and social commentary would reach the young and hungry masses. He eagerly hopped a ride on the bandwagon, collaborating with Dylan, the Clash, and Cornershop; setting William Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience to music; and teaching "Eleanor Rigby" to his English classes at Brooklyn College…

With inspiration provided by myriad jazz masters and the Los Angeles musicians she surrounds herself with, vibist Lolly Allen creates a warm, swinging, and jubilant set of music on Coming Home. Opening with Horace Silver's "The Hippest Cat in Hollywood," she celebrates the LA jazz scene that developed out of the flourishing Central Ave clubs of the '50s. Surrounding herself with revered veterans of the scene, such as drummer Paul Kreibich and pianist Tom Owens, and young, vital members of the next generation, including pianist Josh Nelson and saxophonist Danny Janklow, Lolly delivers invigorated perspectives of the quintet group dynamic. Classics like Mario Bauza's "Mambo Inn" and Dizzy Gillespie's "Bebop" are paired with Allen's originals, "Little Hummingbird" and the title cut, in a seamless blend of supple ideas and renewed approaches to traditional repertoire.

The Solution Is Restless was written and recorded with Dave Okumu of The Invisible and legendary drummer Tony Allen shortly before he sadly passed away.

This one-and-only recorded collaboration between jazz greats Geri Allen and Kurt Rosenwinkel took place live at the famed Philharmonie de Paris in 2012—the two play as if with one mind. Geri often spoke of her desire to do a studio recording to document the ‘flow and freedom” she experienced playing with Kurt that night in Paris. Unfortunately, we lost her before that date never materialized, and fortunately, that concert was recorded. The acoustics in this hall are magnificent, This album, produced by Kurt Rosenwinkel and Motéma's Jana Herzen is dedicated to Geri's memory and is truly a 'lovesome thing' for fans of Geri, of Kurt, and of piano and guitar jazz.

Where a slow-burning, word of mouth campaign was hugely beneficial to Jon Allen – his debut album, 2009’s Dead Man’s Suit, was given a sizeable leg-up by one track’s use in a Land Rover campaign, while champions included Jo Whiley, Jools Holland and Emmylou Harris – second album Sweet Defeat not only has the task of matching this, but is also burdened with the albatross of assumed instant impact. But it seems as though that’s the last thing Allen is worried about. While his passport may substantiate the on-paper Britishness of this Hampshire-born artist, his yarns and philosophies paint a picture of a grizzled American folk musician, decades of abandon behind him. Sweet Defeat, in this vein, employs good honest rock'n'roll ideals, actioned via a collection of simple, folksy melodies.