A native of Auburn, Alabama, Allen was exposed to blues and R&B at an early age. Moving into jazz and fusion in his teens, he attended Berklee College of Music and shortly after, moved to Los Angeles to attend Musician’s Institute, where he has remained on staff to the present. Allen also teaches at a new school called Shepherd University where he teaches with Abraham Laboriel, Otmaro Ruiz and Jimmy Branley.

Allen has a touch that most guitarists would kill for. Utilizing influences ranging from Wayne Shorter to the Beatles,Duane Allman to Alan Holdsworth.. his style is exciting and eclectic.

He has performed and/or recorded with jazz and R&B luminaries including Patti Austin,  Roberta Flack, BeBe and CeCe Winan, Randy Crawford,   The Crusaders, Bobby Caldwell, James Ingram, Marilyn Scott, Eric Marienthal, Boney James, Marc Antoine, Gino Vannelli and many, many others.

On staff at “Musician’s Institute”, Allen offers a musical blend of jazz, blues, and rock with a “grassroots” style. Although one might hear guitar influences like Ry Cooder to Pat Metheny, Robben Ford to Alan Holdsworth.

Being an active studio musician as well as live performer, he has written songs for Larry Carlton, Patti Austin, Jeff Kashiwa as well as the long running T.V. show on C.B.S. “JAG”. His contributions were also heard on “Pawn Stars”,”Son’s of Guns”, “Sliced” and other cable shows.

Allen has 4 c.d.s under his name, the latest, “Monkeys and Slides” features Jimmy Johnson, Reinhardt Melz, Jeff Babko, Dave Hooper, J.V. Collier, Oscar Seaton, Dennis Hamm, Matt Rohdi and others.