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Brad Allen

Brad Allen is an American jazz singer-songwriter and drummer based out of Kansas City, MO.

About Me

“I grew up in a small town in Nebraska. Not exactly a hotbed of jazz. But I got hooked on jazz drumming after my drum instructor took me to a live performance by jazz drumming legend, Buddy Rich”, says Allen.

Brad Allen spent several years as a musician in the U.S. Army Band before settling into the Kansas City music scene. “After I saw The Army Blues, which was the Army’s top touring jazz band, I decided I could go into the military and play jazz. It was a good experience for a while. Eventually though, I felt like I wanted to get out of the military and move to a city where I could play with world class jazz players,” says Allen.

He visited Kansas City and picked up a copy of JAM, the Kansas City Jazz Ambassador’s magazine. Then he checked out some of the local jazz clubs and met some of the players. Brad was instantly hooked, and decided this was the perfect city to continue to grow as a jazz artist.

Along with drumming with his trio, Allen sings and writes songs. “It’s clear to me how everything I’ve done in my life has lead me to where I am right now in my music career,” says Allen. “I spent several years writing songs in other genres including folk, pop, rock, country and alternative. Those experiences definitely influenced my jazz writing. I want to write catchy, fun, interesting tunes that people will remember – tunes that other artists might also want to perform.”

Some of Brad’s influences include Mose Allison, Nat King Cole, Max Roach and The Beatles.

My Jazz Story

I was first introduced to jazz through my high school stage band. Later my drum instructor gave me some Buddy Rich albums. He also took me to a Buddy Rich concert. That's when I really got excited about jazz, and knew that I wanted to be a jazz drummer. I spent many hours mastering control of the instrument, because as a young musician, I simply wanted to be able to play fast! Later, I became especially inspired by Max Roach, and the way he approached the drums much like a horn player would-by creating melodies on the drum-set. I'm still inspired by these players today, along with many other artists I listen to, both old and new.