Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » John Allred: Focused

John Allred: Focused

By Joel Roberts
October 1, 1998
View read count

On his first album for AppleJazz Records, trombonist John Allred serves notice that an important new jazz artist has arrived. The Florida-born musician has complete mastery of his instrument and chops that can compete with most any trombonist on the jazz scene today. He plays with a fluidity and finesse you don't normally hear on the trombone. Backed by a fine rhythm section of Kelly Sill on bass, Eddie Metz on drums, and the exceptional pianist Richard Drexler, Allred delivers an impressive debut effort that bodes well for the future.

Allred's sensibilities are solidly mainstream, and he sticks to a mostly standard repertoire of warhorses like "On the Street Where You Live," "But Beautiful," and "My Romance," plus more contemporary compositions by Dave Brubeck, Keith Jarrett, and Don Sebesky. He shows his talents as an arranger on a fresh take on "Love for Sale," which interpolates the refrain from the Dizzy Gillespie/Chano Pozo Latin-jazz gem "Manteca" into the Cole Porter classic. Allred also shows promise as a composer, offering four originals ranging from the breezy ballad "My Inclination" to the up-tempo bebop of the title tune. Definitely an artist to watch.

Personnel

John Allred

trombone

Album information

Title: Focused | Year Released: 1998 | Record Label: Apple Jazz Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Magic Triangle
< Previous

Split Personality
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.