Lee Allen - Pianist
Jazz Pianist in Los Gatos, CA
Why hire Lee Allen - Pianist?
Solo pianist Lee Allen provides the sound of a jazz ensemble playing high-quality, professional background music for receptions, dinners and quieter parties.
Lee Allen’s music style is unique -- popular music, influenced by jazz and classical/romantic harmony and structure. Lee Allen's real experience as a bassist and drummer enables him to deliver a trio sound that is as authentic as the sound of three persons.
Lee Allen is a member of the TrustLink Community (a Better Business Bureau program) and is a preferred vendor of the Los Altos Country Club, Riconada Country Club (Los Gatos) and the Saratoga Country Club.
Professional, Easy-Going, Pleasant Performer!
Lee arrived early and was so pleasant and easy to work with, that I knew I wouldn't have to worry about his needs. He made my day so much less hectic than it could have been-in the past when I've hired a new entertainer, I usually have some issues, but with Lee I had absolutely none. He was fabulous and all of our 140 guests from all over the area and of all ages agreed. Thank you for making our Thanksgiving event even more special for our residents and their families with your truly wonderful performance, Lee!
Hired by: Lindsey P.
- Expertise
- Communication
- Professionalism
- Priced Fairly
- Adaptability
Organization: Sunrise Assisted Living of San Mateo
Event Date: November 20th, 2011
Event: Holiday Party in San Mateo, California
Services provided: Jazz Pianist
Excellent,professional. Everyone enjoy nice selection of music. Definitely,great pianist player.
Hired by: Marinela R.
- Expertise
- Communication
- Professionalism
- Priced Fairly
- Adaptability
Organization: Vedas Indian Restaurant
Event Date: February 17th, 2011
Event: Private Party in Milpitas, California
Services provided: Jazz Pianist, Pianist
About
Memphis, Tennessee. MIT. Carolina Piedmont. Silicon Valley. Blues in Mississippi. Taiko in Kyoto. Lee is on a quest, and it shows in his music.
The quest? To go beyond diversity and variety. Learning how we each are different is just a start; Lee is exploring how we are the same. And it shows in his music.
The goal? Bring out the best of every music. "The most important quality of a good arranger is insight", says Allen. "You've got to size up the song as though it were a person - it actually is somebody's baby, you know." Bring out the key strengths of the song, apply insight, look at the song a new way - the result is an arrangement that speaks directly to the listener's heart.
Insight, in this case, has been gained from a varied playing history that started when Lee began playing Memphis nightclubs at the age of 14 (don't tell!) in the late 60's. Lee later helped introduce a gospel choir to the MIT campus (and also held the pianist slot in the university's A-list jazz band for four years), arranged for pop and contemporary Christian singers during the '70's and '80's, and organized music programs in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Silicon Valley, California.
One summer job during college consisted of organizing friends into a band and touring Mississippi with soul legends Ollie Nightingale and an artist known only as "Big Daddy". Twenty days after the end of the tour, Lee was back in Boston, playing under the direction of Herb Pomeroy of the Berklee School of Music.
Lee does not use any high-minded labels for his work. "It's just pop," Lee says. "But I believe that pop music is very important because it is the prime indicator of where the general population stands musically at any given time."
"Music is a language of feelings and emotions. So, when I arrange or compose, I imagine "the listener" saying 'I am opening a door to my feelings, don't abuse my trust'. I understand that everybody likes a wild ride now and then, but I leave that music for others to make."
Lee seeks the themes that unify us and inspire us, that build us up. And it shows in his music.
Personnel
Lee Allen: Pianist
Lee Allen: Acoustic & Electric Bass
Lee Allen: Drums
Lee Allen: Guitar
Lee Allen: Electric Piano / Synthesizer
Influences
--- These are style influences, not necessarily their tunes ---
Booker T and the MG's
Boston Pops (Arthur Fiedler)
John Williams
Ramsey Lewis
Ahmad Jamal
Herbie Hancock
Chick Corea
What to Expect
Typical Gig Duration: 30 - 300 minutes
Total relaxation and rejuvenation as one listens to the sound of a jazz combo, playing standards, jazz and pop as instrumental background music.
Or... nothing, it's background music and designed to not get too much in the way.
Stage/Setup Requirements:
Floor Area 8' wide by 6' front-to-rear
For outside events, a rigid surface (such as concrete, stone, blacktop, wood decking)
One working standard electrical outlet (for outside venues, GFCI outlet)
Additional Notes:
Lee Allen will plan to arrive approximately one hour prior to event start for setup.
Minimum setup area is 8' wide by 6' front-to-rear.
I require only one outlet and my equipment draws less current than a steam iron.
For outside events, my equipment requires a rigid surface (such as concrete, stone, blacktop, wood decking) and a grounded outlet with GFCI.
Corporate events: Lee Allen has W9 available in PDF format.
Set/Song/Sequence List:
Set list varies by engagement, and is subject to revision in real time depending on the situation.
Performance Schedule
Past Booked Dates:
12-31-2010 — My current calendar is at www.Lee-Allen-Pianist.com
CDs For Sale
Experience
2006: 100 gigs
2007: 125 gigs
2008: 150 gigs
2009: 180 gigs
2010: 186 gigs
2011: 195 gigs
2012: 140 gigs
Available for Your
Anniversary Party, Awards Night, Birthday Party, Bridal Shower, Casino, Christmas Party, Church Service, Club/Nightclub, Convention, Corporate Event, Cruise, Dinner Dance, Fundraiser, Grand Opening, Holiday Party, Hotel, Launch Party, Luncheon/Tea, Private Party, Restaurant, Retreat, Reunion, Seminar, Studio Session, Trade Show, Wedding Ceremony, Wedding Reception, Workshop
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