Geri Allen

Geri Antoinette Allen (June 12, 1957 – June 27, 2017) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and educator. She taught at the University of Michigan and the University of Pittsburgh.

Early life and education Allen was born in Pontiac, Michigan, on June 12, 1957, and grew up in Detroit. She started playing the piano at the age of seven, and settled on becoming a jazz pianist in her early teens. She then continued her studies: with pianist Kenny Barron in New York; She was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2008. For 10 years she taught jazz and improvisational studies at the University of Michigan, and she became director of the jazz studies program at the University of Pittsburgh in 2013.

Personal life Allen married trumpeter Wallace Roney in 1995. They had a daughter and a son; the marriage ended in divorce.

Accolades DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame, 2022 Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee, 2014 Guggenheim Fellowship, 2008 African American Classical Music Award from Spelman College, 2007 The Benny Golson Jazz Master Award, 2005 Distinguished Alumni Award from Howard, 1996 Danish Jazzpar Prize (first woman recipient), 1996 Soul Trains Lady of Soul Award (first recipient) for jazz album of the year for Twenty-One, 1995

As a member General Music Project (G. M. Project)(Co-led by Kenny Garrett and Charnett Moffett) General Music Project (Sweet Basil/Apollon, 1994)

The Mary Lou Williams Collective Zodiac Suite: Revisited (Mary, 2006)

As sidewoman Main source:

With Franco Ambrosetti Movies (Enja, 1987) – rec. 1986 Movies Too (Enja, 1988)

With Betty Carter Droppin' Things (Verve, 1990) – live Feed the Fire (Verve, 1994) – live rec. 1983 The Music Never Stops (Blue Engine, 2019) – live

With Ornette Coleman Sound Museum: Hidden Man (Harmolodic/Verve, 1996) Sound Museum: Three Women (Harmolodic/Verve, 1996)

With Steve Coleman Group, Motherland Pulse (JMT, 1985) And Five Elements, On the Edge of Tomorrow (JMT, 1986) And Five Elements, World Expansion (JMT, 1986) And Five Elements, Sine Die (Pangaea, 1986) – 1 track

With Charlie Haden 1987: Etudes (Soul Note, 1988) 1989: The Montreal Tapes: with Geri Allen and Paul Motian (Verve, 1997) 1989: The Montreal Tapes: Liberation Music Orchestra (Verve, 1999)

With Oliver Lake Expandable Language (Black Saint, 1984) Otherside (Gramavision, 1988) Talkin' Stick (Passin' Thru, 2000)

With Charles Lloyd Lift Every Voice (ECM, 2002) Jumping the Creek (ECM, 2005) – rec. 2004

With Greg Osby Mindgames (JMT, 1988) 3-D Lifestyles (Blue Note, 1993)

With Wallace Roney Munchin' (Muse, 1993) Crunchin' (Muse, 1993) Mistérios (Warner Bros., 1994) Village (Warner Bros, 1997) No Room for Argument (Stretch, 2000) Prototype (HighNote, 2004) Mystikal (HighNote, 2005) Jazz (Highnote, 2007)

With Trio 3(Oliver Lake, Reggie Workman and Andrew Cyrille) At This Time (Intakt, 2009) Celebrating Mary Lou Williams–Live at Birdland New York (Intakt, 2011)

With others The Batson Brothers, Three Pianos for Jimi (Douglas, 1998) Cecil Brooks III, The Collective (Muse, 1989) Roy Brooks, Duet in Detroit (Enja, 1993) Buddy Collette, Flute Talk with James Newton (Soul Note, 1988) Craig Handy, Reflections in Change (Sirocco Music, 1999) Joseph Jarman, Inheritance (FourStar, 1991) Frank Lowe, Decision in Paradise (Soul Note, 1984) Paul Motian, Monk in Motian (JMT, 1988) Dewey Redman, Living on the Edge (Black Saint, 1989) Gregory Charles Royal, Dream Come True (GCR, 1979) Woody Shaw, Bemsha Swing (Blue Note, 1997) John Stubblefield, Bushman Song (Enja, 1986) Wayne Shorter, Joy Ryder (Columbia, 1988) Gary Thomas, By Any Means Necessary (JMT, 1989) Ernie Watts, Unity (JVC, 1995) Buster Williams, Houdini (Sirocco Music, 2001) Reggie Workman, Cerebral Caverns (Postcards, 1995) V.A., Kansas City (A Robert Altman Film, Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Verve, 1996)

Filmography Geri Allen portrays jazz pianist Mary Lou Williams and performs with the jazz band in the Robert Altman film Kansas City.