A Seattle native,
Nick has been a working
pianist and keyboardist in the area since 1975. Though jazz is his home
base, he has played in countless solo and ensemble environments, in
styles ranging from pop to salsa and from funk to free.Nick was a founding member of the jazz/fusion group Airbrush, a favorite at festivals, concerts, and clubs in the late 1970s and '80s. Other performing and/or recording credits include Bochinche, Kelly Harland, Floyd Standifer, Aja West, Kathy Hart, Gary Peacock, Cheeba, Joanne Klein, Deborah Brown, and many others.
In recent months the Nick Allison Trio, featuring Cary Black on bass and Chris Monroe on drums, has performed Nick's instrumental originals and has backed vocalist Katie Walter at Egan's Ballard Jam House and St. Clouds (more info on the trio below). Nick performs regularly as a solo pianist at the Waterfront Seafood Grill , and has also recently appeared atEl Gaucho , the Tulalip Resort and Casino, Maggiano's Little Italy, the Sorrento Hotel, and Mar-Lai Restaurant. He plays both solo and with accompaniment at private functions, and can assemble an ensemble to suit the occasion, public or private.
Formed in 2007, the trio integrates three musicians with long histories together into a cohesive and intuitive whole. Instrumentally, the group focuses on Nick's originals, which range from straight-ahead acoustic jazz to electric jazz-funk.
Cary Black, bass
A bassist, vocalist, producer, and teacher, Cary was described by Alan Senauke in Sing Out! magazine as "a musician's musician." His performing and recording credits include work with Laurindo Almeida, Ernestine Anderson, Bob Brookmeyer, Rebecca Kilgore, Mark Murphy, Joe Pass, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, and Ernie Watts, among many others. Cary has appeared at festivals and concerts around the world and has made numerous radio and TV appearances. He has also taught music at the Evergreen State College and at a variety of music camps. He lives in Olympia.Chris Monroe, drums
A professional musician since 1985, Chris has performed with the likes of Dionne Warwick, Marvin Hamlisch, the 5th Dimension, and Maureen McGovern, as well as local luminaries the Jazz Police, Marc Seales, Jabo Ward, and Bill Ramsey. Chris has also accompanied numerous theatrical productions, including West Side Story and Me and My Girl for the 5th Avenue Theatre, Rap Master Ronnie and A . . . My Name Is Alice for the Group Theater, and Das Barbecue for ACT. He can be heard on the film soundtracks of Dennis the Menace II, Barney's Big Adventure, The Newton Gang, and The Wrong Guy.
Nick Allison • 652 W. Galer St. • Seattle, WA 98119
nick@nickallison.com • p (206) 283-2592 • f (206) 283-8926