Kimmel Center Jazz Residency: David Allen / Raquel Salas Rivera / Diane Monroe World Premiere at Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

Special BYOB Performance!

The world premiere performance is the grand finale of the jazz residency program when the artist presets their new project to the audience. This is a special BYOB performance.

David Allen, composer, guitarist, and educator, will “develop a series of jazz compositions that incorporate poetry and spoken-word to tell a story of Philadelphia as a multi-cultural safe-haven” and to “represent the diversity of Philadelphia in both music and language.” This new work is focused on multi-culturalism and the idea of what people think of as "home". It will explore Philadelphia as a safe-haven and sanctuary city for immigrants and migrants alike. Pulling inspiration from his firsthand experience, Allen is enlisting the help of 2018-19 poet laureate of Philadelphia Raquel Sala Rivera, violinist Diane Monroe, drummer Matt Scarano, and bassist Madison Rast to develop the project and tell the story....

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Special BYOB Performance!

The world premiere performance is the grand finale of the jazz residency program when the artist presets their new project to the audience. This is a special BYOB performance.

David Allen, composer, guitarist, and educator, will “develop a series of jazz compositions that incorporate poetry and spoken-word to tell a story of Philadelphia as a multi-cultural safe-haven” and to “represent the diversity of Philadelphia in both music and language.” This new work is focused on multi-culturalism and the idea of what people think of as "home". It will explore Philadelphia as a safe-haven and sanctuary city for immigrants and migrants alike. Pulling inspiration from his firsthand experience, Allen is enlisting the help of 2018-19 poet laureate of Philadelphia Raquel Sala Rivera, violinist Diane Monroe, drummer Matt Scarano, and bassist Madison Rast to develop the project and tell the story.

Allen has traveled and lived around the world: growing up in Philadelphia before moving to New York City, and then relocating to Istanbul, Turkey in 2013. In 2016 he moved his family back to Philadelphia, as they needed a safe environment after the deterioration of the situation in Turkey. “We were living in Turkey during a very turbulent time and witnessed a military coup first hand. After witnessing such chaos and hostility, we needed a safe haven where we could begin again and we chose Philadelphia."

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