Hall of Fame Honorees - Marty Allen

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Marty Allen
Inducted: 2008
(1948 - 2003)

Marty Allen was born on April 4, 1948, in Houston, Texas. He grew up in Corpus Christi where he began his lifelong musical career, studying piano under Red Camp. Marty graduated from Southern Methodist University in 1971 with a bachelor's degree in music. Marty played in jazz bands and toured across the country. He lived briefly in Seattle and then in the San Francisco Bay Area where he played jazz for 18 years before moving to Austin, Texas. Some of the groups he played with included jazz greats, Lionel Hampton, Pee Wee Ellis, Eddie Henderson, and Bobby McFerrin.

In 1995, Marty came to Austin where he became a top call piano player at play at the Elephant Room, Sullivans, and other Austin jazz venues. He performed with Hope Morgan, Pamela Hart, Martin Banks, and was in regular rotation with James Polk, Sandy Allen and Jeff Hellmer as the Monday Night Jazz Jam house pianist where he was scheduled to play the night after he passed away.

Marty loved the members of the Austin Jazz community and left instructions to his lifetime companion, William Kirchner to donate his estate to the creation of the Austin Jazz Society.

AUSTIN JAZZ SOCIETY

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