Home » Jazz Musicians » John Allee

John Allee

John Allee is a multi-faceted performer whose acting and music credits include both stage and screen.  He is perhaps best known for playing the role of Pasha on the Golden Globe nominated Starz limited series "Flesh and Bone," created by acclaimed executive producer Moira Walley-Beckett, and for his stage work in Los Angeles, CA.

Recording under the nom-de-pop, Johnnye Allee, he released his debut CD Unless it Isn't in 2007, a collection of folk-pop/roots-rock originals which American Songwriter magazine called "a stunning suite of songs." His follow up to that was Expect Delays and featured John live at the piano performing another new set of tunes. John's first straight-ahead jazz release was Bardfly, an album of jazz interpretations of songs from the plays of Shakespeare. "It is Allee's slick composing, dramatic delivery, and acting chops that make this recording a standout" (All About Jazz). His latest jazz-pop-blues album is Past Imperfect, "a splendid, alternately heartfelt, charming, gently reflective and incisively pointed fictionalized chronicle of colorful characters...a powerhouse ensemble" (Jonathan Widran, JW Vibe).

John's life in the theatre has taken him to audiences from Off-Broadway to Pre-Broadway to Europe, the Soviet Union and the West Coast, including such top venues as the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, The Wiltern Theatre, The Mark Taper Forum, Pasadena Playhouse, Arizona Theatre Company, San Francisco's War Memorial Opera House and Houston's Wortham Theatre Center. He has been called "a brilliantly adept physical comedic actor" and one who "brings a command to each and every character he carves out — a joy to watch" (Broadway World).

Theatre credits include "The Tempest," "The Cripple of Inishmaan," "Cloud 9" (Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award winner for Best Production, Best Revival, and Best Ensemble), "Uncle Vanya," "The Crucible," "Peace in Our Time" (Ovation Award winner for Best Production of a Play in an Intimate Theatre) "You Can't Take it With You," "The Malcontent" at Antaeus Theatre Company, "The Mystery of Irma Vep," "A Man for All Seasons," "The Man Who Came to Dinner," "33 Variations" (Los Angeles Stage Alliance Ovation Award winner for Best Production of a Play in an Intimate Theatre, Nominee for Best Acting Ensemble) at Actors Co-op, "Much Ado About Nothing," "Romeo and Juliet" at Kingsmen Shakespeare Company, "My Wife's Husband" at Little Fish Theatre, "Little Shop of Horrors" at Arizona Theatre Company, "Assassins" at Los Angeles Theatre Center, "Alone Together" at Pasadena Playhouse, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at LA Opera, San Francisco Opera and Houston Grand Opera, "One Thousand Cranes" at the Mark Taper Forum, "Dandelion Wine" at the Colony Theatre, "Tigers Wild" at the Zephyr Theatre in LA and Playhouse 91 (Off-Broadway), and Anthony Newley's Pre-Broadway "Chaplin."

John is also an award winning author and composer of musical plays, including an adaptation of Kin Platt's The Boy Who Could Make Himself Disappear and Poet's Garden, the latter of which premiered in Los Angeles at The Matrix Theatre and won the Backstage West Garland Award for Best Musical Score.

Read more

Tags

9
Album Review

John Allee: Bardfly

Read "Bardfly" reviewed by Nicholas F. Mondello


Overshadowed by the notoriety of Shakespeare's works, it is less known that accompanying music was regularly incorporated into his Globe Theatre productions. The music of William Byrd, Thomas Morley et al, was played there on lutes, hautboys (oboes), recorders and, for more martial and ceremonial aspects, trumpets. Conversely, the Bard's words have been used in more modern music productions by artists such as Cleo Laine (Shakespeare and All that Jazz Fontana Records, 1964) , Duke Ellington (Such Sweet Thunder Columbia/Legacy, ...

Read more articles

"John Allee has a way of painting pictures with his words, as though we are watching a film...he has that same magic as an exceptional songwriter.” - Dee Dee McNeil, Musical Memoirs

Allee has a light voice that has soft, slightly sandy edges and a natural lilt. In another era, one might have called him “hip." - Alix Cohen, Cabaret Scenes

​Whether he is singing with jazz-infused buoyancy, in a sweet reflective side, in a laid-back pop groove or with dizzying scatting, Allee does it all in surprising ways." - Paula Edelstein, Sounds of Timeless Jazz

Read more

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Past Imperfect

Portuguese Knees Music
2023

buy

Bardfly

Portuguese Knees Music
2019

buy

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.