Jazz @ The Commons: Allen Dennard Trio

🎺 Allen Dennard Trio

📆 27 Sept

⏰ 8PM

📍4605 Cass Ave

Jazz @ The Commons Presents: Allen Dennard Trio | $10 Pre-Sale $15 @ Tha Do’

An emerging maven in Detroit’s rich jazz tradition, Allen Dennard brings years of experience ahead of his ‘time’, his equally bold and smooth sound, full of intensity and heightened awareness to Jazz @ The Commons on Friday September 27 at 8PM.

Allen has worked with several artist from the Detroit Music Factory label, such as Gayelynn Mckinney, De'Sean Jones and Sean Dobbins. He has also worked with Detroit saxophonist David McMurray from the Blue Note record label. Adding to that, Allen also got the opportunity to share the stage with New York based saxophonist J.D Allen, who is with HighNote Records. Allen has made five appearances as a sideman in the Detroit Jazz Festival: Wendell Harrison (2015), Detroit bassist Ali Bey (2017), the Detroit Jazz Festival All-Star Alumini Band (2019), David McMurray (2020), and the Keyon Harold Big Band (2021). In 2022 Dennard was chosen to be a headliner at the Detroit Jazz Festival, showcasing his group "The Allen Dennard Quintet".

In October 2018 Allen had the opportunity to work with famous R&B artist Ray J, being a member of the pit orchestra in a play that Ray J was in. In the same year Allen was chosen to be in the horn section for the MC5 reunion in Detroit, sharing the stage with musical icons such as Wayne Kramer. Allen went on to record on one of Alice Copper's latest albums in 2019 called "Breadcrumbs". He has also traveled with world renown R&B singer K'Jon in the same year, who is also born and raised in Detroit, MI. In 2022 Dennard was called to play with the great saxophonist Mike Phillips at the Aretha Franklin Ampitheater in Detroit, MI. Following that year, in 2023 Dennard had the privilege to share the stage and play behind hip hop legends such as Phat Kat, Elzi, Jessica Care Moore, and Dwele. He also was able to share the band stand with Jazz at Lincoln Center saxophonist Walter Blanding. Allen was rewarded with a Preservation of Jazz Excellence Award from the city of Detroit and the state of Michigan for "Best Spirit".

Dennard has released two recorded projects as a band leader in his musical career thus-far, one being his debut project "Stepping In" which was released in 2018, and the other being his debut album "Flashback" which was released in 2022 and nominated for a Detroit Music Award in 2023. Allen has three of his own groups, the Allen Dennard Trio, the Allen Dennard Quartet and the Allen Dennard Quintet. All groups have been headliners in venues around Detroit, Metro-Detroit and the entire state of Michigan. A small list of these venues include Baker's Keyboard Lounge, Cliff Bell's, The Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe, GR Noir, The Blue Llama, Bert's Marketplace and The Whisky Parlor. He has also been the headliner for several local festivals around Detroit and metro Detroit, such as the Ann Arbor Jazz Festival, the Ypsilanti Jazz Festival, Jazzin' at the Vanity Music Festival, Jazz on the Ave' Music Festival, the Michigan Jazz Festival, and the African World Festival held at the Charles H. Wright Museum.

Proceeds support the work environmental justice, arts and culture, and black liberation. All autumn Jazz @ The Commons directly benefits and sustains our schools for environmental justice program, in which EMEAC staff provide auxiliary and supplementary curricular engagement to DPSCD students blending environmental justice, STEAM learning, and nature- and justice-centered self-transformation work.

Host or Publisher East Michigan Environmental Action Council