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Shamarr Allen Set to Hit the Road with Willie Nelson! |
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When Willie Nelson established the need for a trumpeter to complete the lineup for his forthcoming Willie and the Wheel tour, he wisely turned to the birthplace of jazz and sought out one of the city’s finest musicians. |
2008 |
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Hailed by star drummer Bob French as “the new coming of his era,” Allen recently snapped up a 2008 Big Easy Award for best emerging artist and plans to exceed the expectation with a forthcoming release which promises a musical arrangement that breaks the mold of conventional brass. Allen’s freshman CD “Meet me On Frenchman Street” took a modern approach to traditional Jazz and produced an instant classic with the title track. But Allen doesn’t stop there. His rock/funk/hip-hop band, The Underdawgs is set to release their debut CD in April of 2009, aptly entitled, “Box Who In?” A bold statement against being categorized under any one genre, the widely anticipated release promises a radical departure from Frenchman Street and takes listeners back to where Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis left off. |
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“Meet me On Frenchman Street” was an homage to the storied past of New Orleans; “Box Who In?” is a vision of its future. The tracks are representative of what’s here and now, with an insight into the man behind the horn. “The title of the CD is how I feel,” says Allen and “I will not be put into the box of a particular style of music. Maybe one day I will want to do a country record and I don’t want to feel limited in any situation.” Allen will definitely get his feet wet in February when he hits the road with icon Willie Nelson and the multiple Grammy winning Texas swing band Asleep at the Wheel. Missing his first Mardi Gras since birth, Allen thinks it will be well worth it to strutt his stuff with these musical giants. Article and Design By: Susan M. Kraut |
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Native Orleanian Fine Photography the photography of Jerry Moran
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