Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Out and About: Jamiel Allen's Groove Diggers
Courtesy Jamiel Allen
Podcast
Jamiel Allen
- We talk about Allen's latest project, Groove Diggers, and stream some new tunes.
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The details
Who: Jamiel Allen’s Groove Diggers
Where: Martin’s Downtown Bar & Grill, 413 First St. S.W., Roanoke
When: Thursday
How much: Free
Contact: 985-6278, martinsdowntown.com, myspace.com/jamielrallen
Over the past few years, keyboardist/singer Jamiel Allen has focused a lot on Alliens, a smoking hot, Floyd-based act that combines reggae with funk, jazz and world music.
Alliens -- with his brother Janiah, cousin Zeph Allen and bassist Cameron McLaughlin -- is still his main gig. But these days, he's branching out on his own, with a solo project called Jamiel Allen's Groove Diggers.
He's doing all the writing and recording most of the instruments. Allen said it's a way to move beyond Alliens' more cooperative songwriting and see what he can make happen on his own.
"The thing I like most about it, the reason I'm doing it is I have complete control, allowing me to get stuck at times and not be able to rely on anybody else to help me finish a song or a verse," said Allen, who brings the Groove Diggers to Martin's Downtown Bar & Grill on Thursday. "It's really helping me develop my growth, my mental growth, inside and outside of music."
Live, he requires some help, and he gets it in the form of such players as guitarist Richie Ursomarso, bassist Jake Dempsey and either Janiah Allen, "Drummie" Wayne Shorter or George "King" Penn on the traps.
-- Tad Dickens
