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Mike Allemana
He will regulate your universe.
About Me
Known as tenor sax legend Von Freeman’s guitarist since 1997, Mike
Allemana is one of the busiest musicians in Chicago. Born and raised
near Chicago, in Elmhurst, IL, Mike became interested in jazz at age 12
after being introduced to the music of George Benson by his guitar
teacher at Perry's Music in Villa Park, IL. After graduating in 1991 from
Northern Illinois University, where he studied with guitar virtuoso Fareed
Haque, Mike has become one of the most in-demand guitarists on the
Chicago jazz scene.
After returning to Chicago, Mike began to make music with some of the
most renowned local artists. His credits include playing from 1996-1997
with organ great Charles Earland, 1995-1999 with tenor saxophonist Lin
Halliday, 1998-2002 every Wednesday with tenor saxophonist Ron
Dewar, and, most notably, the ageless tenor sax legend, Von Freeman.
Mike has been playing with Von Freeman at his famous Tuesday night
gig at the New Apartment Lounge in Chicago since 1997 and has toured
with Von to places like Philadelphia, where in 2005 they appeared with
drumming legend Mickey Roker, and Berlin, which was released in 2010
as Vonski Speaks on Nessa Records. Mike can also be heard on Von
Freeman’s 2002 release The Improvisor on Premonition Records. Other
highlights include appearances from 1997-1999 with organ master
Lonnie Smith, in 2006 performed with drum-master Jimmy Cobb along
with Von Freeman, and in 2008 performed with alto saxophonist Steve
Coleman. Since 1998 Mike also has been on faculty at the Old Town
School of Folk Music in Chicago where he is in high demand for his
private lessons and jazz group classes.
Mike's first CD was on the TuConn label, The Mike Allemana Organ
Trio, which received three and a half stars from Down Beat magazine
(April 2001). In 2006, he released his second CD, Inner Rhythm, which
features his original compositions performed by his quartet which
includes saxophonist Geof Bradfield and drummer Ted Sirota. In 2009,
The Mike Allemana Organ Trio released their second CD, Lin's Holiday,
which was engineered by the late David Baker.
Other projects that Mike is a part of include: Come Sunday, a highly-
acclaimed 4-voice ensemble with jazz trio that mixes jazz concepts with
old gospel spirituals of which Mike is the musical director and which will
be releasing their debut CD, Crosscurrents, in late 2010; The Model
Citizens, a local big band lead by pianist/composer Brian O’Hern for
which Mike has been a feature soloist and arranger since the band was
created in 1996; and The Regulators, a cutting-edge trio that combines
free concepts with funk-based rhythms and comprises of the rhythm
section of the Model Citizens.