In his review of trumpeter Eddie Allen’s new Origin album, Rhythm People, Jack Bowers of AllAboutJazz pointed out that Allen is a horn player “from the Lee Morgan/Freddie Hubbard/Blue Mitchell school of hard bop.” His solos on the album, Bowers said, “are consistently sharp and pleasing.”
Allen has been a staple of the New York-New Jersey jazz scene since moving from Wisconsin in 1981 to attend William Paterson. Through the years he has performed and recorded with a virtual ‘who’s who’ of the jazz community including such past and present giants as drummer Art Blakey, trombonist Steve Turre, and tenor saxophonist Houston Person.
From 7-9 p.m. on Wednesday, February 11, Allen will lead a quartet at the Parlor at Hailey’s in Metuchen, NJ. The other members of his band are: pianist Roberta Piket, bassist Kenny Davis, and drummer Tim Horner. Davis is also on the Rhythm People album.
The concert is sponsored by Metuchen Jazz, which has also rescheduled a canceled January 25th performance by the guitarist Marel Hidalgo’s organ trio. It will now be held from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, February 22 at the Metuchen Library.
The Parlor at Hailey’s is located at 15 Station Place in Metuchen; the Metuchen Library is at 480 Middlesex Ave. For more information on both events, log onto friendsofmetuchenarts.org.