Geri Antoinette Allen was born on June 12, 1957, and passed away on June 27, 2017. She was an American jazz pianist, composer, and teacher. She worked as a teacher at the University of Michigan and the University of Pittsburgh.
Early life and education
Allen was born in Pontiac, Michigan, on June 12, 1957, and grew up in Detroit. Her father, Mount Allen Jr., was a school principal, and her mother, Barbara, worked as a government administrator in the defense industry. Allen attended Detroit Public Schools. She began playing the piano at age seven and decided to become a jazz pianist during her early teenage years.
Allen graduated from Howard University’s jazz studies program in 1979. She continued her education by studying with pianist Kenny Barron in New York and later earned a master’s degree in ethnomusicology from the University of Pittsburgh in 1982. After completing her studies, she returned to New York.
Career
Allen joined the M-Base collective in New York. Her first album as the leader was released in 1984, titled The Printmakers. This album, which included bassist Anthony Cox and drummer Andrew Cyrille, also included some of Allen's original compositions. In 1996, Allen received the Jazzpar Prize. That same year, she recorded two albums with Ornette Coleman: Sound Museum: Hidden Man and Sound Museum: Three Women.
In 2006, Allen created "For the Healing of the Nations," a musical piece honoring the victims and survivors of the September 11 attacks. She was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2008. Allen lived in Montclair, New Jersey, for many years. She taught jazz and improvisational studies at the University of Michigan for 10 years. In 2013, she became the director of the jazz studies program at the University of Pittsburgh.
Personal life
Allen married trumpeter Wallace Roney in 1995. They had a daughter and a son; the marriage ended in divorce. Allen died on June 27, 2017, two weeks after her 60th birthday, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after suffering from cancer.
Accolades
- Received an Honorary Degree in Music from Berklee College, 2014
- Awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship, 2008
- Received the African American Classical Music Award from Spelman College, 2007
- Honored with The Benny Golson Jazz Master Award, 2005
- Received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Howard University, 1996
- Won the Danish Jazzpar Prize (first woman to receive this award), 1996
- Received Soul Train’s Lady of Soul Award (first person to receive this award) for the jazz album Twenty-One, 1995
Filmography
In the film Kansas City, directed by Robert Altman, Geri Allen plays the role of Mary Lou Williams, a famous jazz pianist. She also performs with the jazz band in the movie.