Conversation with Jazz Pianist, Geri Allen & Farah J. Griffin -10/24

Friday, October 24, 2008 7:30pm
301 Philosophy Hall
Free and Open to the Public

Geri Allen, celebrated jazz pianist, composer, bandleader, producer and educator will sit down for a one-on-one conversation with Professor. Farah J. Griffin, Director of the Institute for Research in African-American Studies and Associate Director of the Center for Jazz Studies at Columbia University as part of Professor Allen's musical residency this fall which will culminate with a concert, "New Songs, New Life: The Geri Allen Project in Concert on Saturday, October 25, at 7:30pm at Columbia University Miller Theatre (116th Street and Broadway).

Geri Allen is an internationally known award-winning pianist/composer.  She currently teaches as Associate Professor of Jazz, Piano and Improvisation Studies at University of Michigan.  Since 1992, she has recorded or performed with musicians as diverse as Charles Lloyd (with whom she has toured for several years) Mal Waldron, Sir Simon Rattle and the Birmingham Symphony, Vernon Reid, Tony Williams, Clark Terry, George Shirley, Ron Carter, Lee Konitz, Me'Shell Ndegelocello, Marian McPartland, Dewey Redman, Dave Holland, Mary Wilson and The Supremes, Jack De Johnette, Betty Carter, Bill Cosby, Charlie Haden, Hal Wilner, Mino Cinelu, Ruth Brown, Oliver Lake, Marianne Faithful, Wayne Shorter, Joan Rivers, Paul Motian, Bobby Hutcherson, Chico Hamilton, and Kenny Clarke among many others. 

She has released a number of major recordings under her own name some of which include, Twenty One, eyes in the Back Of Your Head, Maroons, The Gathering and most recently, the ambitious, critically acclaimed Telarc double cd Geri Allen: Timeless Portraits and Dreams. 

Ms. Allen has been the recipient of numerous recent honors, including but not limited to Keys to the City of Detroit and the City of Cleveland; the Benny Golson Award from Howard University, and the African American Classical Music Award from Spelman College. Ms. Allen also distinguished herself as the first woman and youngest person to win the Danish Jazzpar Prize. 

A Detroit native, and a graduate of Detroit's famous magnet music school, Cass Technical High School.  Allen graduated from Howard University, where she also served as Assistant Professor of Music.  During that period the University honored her with both the Distinguished Alumni and Distinguished Professor Awards.

Geri Allen, who is presently Associate Professor of Jazz and Contemporary Improvisation at the University of Michigan, holds a Master's Degree in Ethnomusicology from the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied with Dr. Nathan Davis, Dr. K. Nketia, John Blacking, and Dr. Bell Yung.

Campus Directions
*For on-campus directions please access Columbia's convenient campus map page
http://www.columbia.edu/about_columbia/map/

For more information on Geri Allen visit http://www.geriallen.com/

For more information please email iraas@columbia.edu or call 212-854-7080.