Brandon Allen Quartet - The Gene Ammons Project

Brandon Allen – Tenor saxophone
John Harkins – piano/keys
Ashley Turner – bass
Andrew Dickeson – drums

Gene Ammons was one of the founders of the Chicago style of tenor saxophone playing but was often in the shadow of his tenor-playing contemporaries, Dexter Gordon, Wardell Gray, and Sonny Stitt.
Despite this he forged a lasting partnership with Stitt, recording some classic tenor battles in the 1950s.

While adept at the technical aspects of bebop, in particular its love of harmonic substitutions, Ammons more than Young, Webster or Parker, stayed in touch with the commercial blues and R&B of his day.
In 1950 the saxophonist’s recording of “My foolish heart” made Billboard magazine’s black pop charts.
The soul jazz movement of the mid-1960s, often using the combination of tenor saxophone and Hammond B3 electric organ, counts him as a founder.

Since discovering jazz 25 years ago, Brandon Allen has been hugely influenced by the tenor saxophonist known as “Jug”.
Around 4 years ago, “The Gene Ammons Project” was born.
The programme focuses on repertoire spanning Ammons’ entire career, 1943 till 1974.

Brandon recently completed an extensive tour of the UK and Holland promoting the new album, “The Gene Ammons Project”.

“These are marvellous interpretations of Ammons’ highly approachable music”
– Blues and Soul Magazine

“Allen absorbed all these elements to produce an album that, I’m sure, ‘Jug’ himself would have been proud of.”
– Bebop spoken here.