For over 20 years, Slam Allen has been entertaining audiences with his unique blend of

soul and blues. Playing the famous Chitlin' Circuit as well as performing around the
world, Allen's music and enthusiasm has been shared with thousands of people. For the
past eight years he has played an important role, as the lead singer and guitarist, in the
legendary James Cotton Band. "It's one of the highlights and privileges of my life to play
with Cotton" says Allen, "He is one of the last living legends, and there's so much history
there. Cotton was directly connected to Muddy Waters -- who was a major factor in the
blues world as well as being one of my all-time favorites. Playing with Cotton is such a
great experience for me and there are things you can learn from him that you can't learn
from any school. It's a great honor." Music is in Allen's blood -- he got his start from his
father and uncles who were known as the Allen Brothers Band. Allen carries on the
family legacy wherever he goes. His music runs deep. "When I play," says Allen,
"People who may have never heard of me leave the show with a feeling that we're old
friends or family." From B.B. King to Otis Redding, Slam has a way of making you feel
the Soul of the Music. It's often difficult to tell if he's doing one of his originals or an old
blues or soul cover. Regardless, he makes all the music his own.
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Slam Allen by Bibiana Huang Matheis

Having the blues never felt so good. One doesn’t simply sit down with blues legend
Slam Allen and have lunch. It’s an event. Like everything else Allen does, what others
might perceive as a simple meal transforms into a shared experience, one that charges
the atmosphere with rarity, not unlike hearing this amazing, incredibly talented and
soulful singer perform. When I met up with Allen and his manager Mike Moss in Liberty,
NY, I was prepared to expect the unexpected, and Allen did not disappoint. This
particular interview presented me with a challenge, since it wasn’t my first, and
hopefully, far from the last.
After exchanging handshakes, hugs and pleasantries, we ordered and got down to
business. “Where have you been?” I asked “It’s been too long.” “I’ve been on the road”
Slam answered “or rather…the sea.” Back in 2010, Allen began his partnership with
Norwegian Cruise Lines, lining up a multi-year contract that no other performer has ever
scored. Now in his fourth year with the luxury floating resort, Allen headlines on their
newest flagship “The Breakaway” and tours six months out of every year playing six
nights a week in the “Fat Cats” blues club, specifically built around his act and band.
Manager Moss was quick to point out that Allen has been consistently voted “Best
Entertainment” against monster hits like the “Blue Man Group” and “Cirque Dreams” by
vacationers who can’t get enough of the “Blues Cruise” and return often to bask in his
presence and have another opportunity to hear the self-proclaimed “Soul Working Man”
belt out the blues, night after night. Japan, Argentina, Lebanon and Israel are but a few
of the stops along the way for Slam and company, who often have the opportunity to
perform on land as well. Norway, Tunisia, Africa and Spain have been highlights on his
tour, but Slam looked me in the eye before earnestly sharing that “there’s no place I’d
rather be than in Sullivan County - this place is my roots.”
Born and raised in Monticello, NY, Allen attended school and had a family here, recently
relocating to Liberty, NY to be closer to his son, who is still in high school. “My family
comes first”, he said. “Family is the spiritual center of my being, and without that, there is
no core from which to perform.” Being a hands-on dad is important, but Allen
understands that providing for his family, both spiritually and economically comes at a
price, which is why he tours.
“Now that he is growing up” Slam shared “my son’s desire to be a part of the music
business is cool. A few years ago, he wanted to be a professional skateboarder, and
that was okay, too.” They talk frequently while Slam is away and with technology being
what it is, they often converse face-to-face, which lets the miles melt away, no matter
how great the distance.
Knowing that Allen has been widely regarded as a force to be reckoned with in the
music world, the questions flowed. “Why stay in the Catskills?” I asked, “when you could
easily be recording with major labels?” Not that the man doesn’t have music out there -
he does. His albums “Soul and Blues” and “This World” are being enjoyed by his legions
of fans the world over, but Slam believes that fame is “just a word.” His roots emerge
again in conversation and Allen has a strong sense of community that he doesn’t want to
leave behind. “My definition of fame” he says “is not wrapped around money or awards”
but what others think of me. Am I a good father? Am I serving my community in the best
way possible? These are the true measures of success.”
Not that he’s against notoriety or the trappings of adulation that can follow. “I’m on my
own path,” he claims, “when it’s right, I’m ready for the Big Time!” In between cruises,
Allen can be spotted at local venues scattered throughout the region, supporting his
friends and playing sets that routinely bring the crowds to their collective feet. “Slam is
very community-oriented” Moss interjects “always has been” and Allen heartily agrees.
Sullivan County is going through a transition, from negative energy to positive…and I
want to be a part of that.”
Having spent years working with the legendary James Cotton Band, which is ongoing,
Allen credits Cotton with being a source of inspiration. “It’s one of the privileges and
highlights of my life to play with Cotton” he says, humbly concluding that “It’s a great
honor.”
Other influences abound and Slam is quick to point them out. B.B. King and Otis
Redding are among them but it’s often difficult to discern where the “covers” end and the
original tunes begin because at the end of the day, it’s the music that drives the man.
Deeply committed to the genre, when Slam picks up his guitar, he comes alive.
“My audience is everything to me,” Allen says, “and while I feel that I’m hopefully giving
them something when I’m on stage, what they give back cannot be measured.” The
energy in the room is electric and while the men nod, stomp, hoot and applaud, it’s the
women who literally swoon. “I have a great love and respect for all human beings,” Allen
informs but blushes a bit when stating that “Yes, I love the women-folk.” That they adore
him in return is evident at every show and Allen credits his years on the cruise ship with
allowing him the opportunity to relax with the crowd, working his way into the audience
and serenading the ladies from time to time.
“Listen,” he says, “these hard working people are giving me their time. Many of them
have scrimped and saved all year long to have a vacation opportunity like this. It’s the
least I can do to give back. If I can add to their good time simply by singin’ the blues,
then that is what I’m gonna do. Music is supposed to be a shared experience, and
without the audience, why am I here?”
Allen is slightly concerned that the younger generation will lose sight of the ‘Birth of the
Blues’ with the constant onslaught of catchy, ephemeral pop music and attention spans
that are often being compromised by the glut of “distractions out there today” so a part of
his mission is “bringing back what was never gone.”
Elucidating his point, Allen adds that “a huge part of the music world has always been
Blues and Soul” and that it always will be. “If I can serve as an instrument of that, then I
have done what I was put on earth to do. Yes, there are many other things that play an
important role in my life, but music is my soul and soul is my world.” Sharing lunch with
Slam is always a treat, but it was important to share some feelings as well. “I love being
in the house when you play,” I said, “but don’t I have to be in a certain frame of mind to
hear you sing the blues? I don’t always want to feel depressed and forlorn.” Allen
laughed and gave me a soulful look. “You’re not alone my friend, but one of the reasons
that I’m here is to clear up this point. Singing the blues is often misunderstood. We don’t
do it to make you feel bad. The real definition of the blues is singing a sad song that
makes you feel good."
Source: greendoormag dot com
==
Meet Slam Allen by Frank Matheis © 2000

Slam Allen couldn’t help but play the blues. His folks had the blues down home in
Alabama, and when they came to the cold north with the great migration of African
Americans, they brought it up with them. The blues’ve always been there, like a member
of the family, through good and hard times, passed on through generations like an
heirloom. The family couldn’t shake the blues, just like their distinct Southern way of
talking that still carries through today.
When Slam greets his audience with “How are ‘ya’ll tonite” it comes straight from the
deep south and deep from within the heart. His daddy, Harrison Allen Sr., a superb
blues bassist and guitarist and the greatest influence on Slam, taught him how to play.
When Slam was growing up, the blues and all other African-American music was all
around. His uncle, his cousins, everyone played it. Slam Allen was born with the blues.
On his telephone answering machine, Slam Allen has a simple, but poignant message,
“… and remember”, he says, “…there is no black, no white, only the blues”. Actually, his
musical repertoire includes far more than “only the blues”.
He comfortably encompasses the entire African-American musical spectrum he grew up
on, including blues, soul, R&B, funk and even a bit of hip-hop. “I am foremost an
entertainer”, says Allen, “I play music, all kinds of music. Not just the blues. My job is to
make my audience happy, and I do it well”. That he does, indeed.
Since he first lead his own band in 1994, the musical persona that is Slam Allen has
been multi-faceted. A soulful singer, a versatile guitarist with lightning fast speed when
he wants it, he prefers a warm feeling and a tight groove over show-off guitar theatrics.
His emphasis lies more in a good overall band sound- cohesive, full and exciting. Slam
Allen is equally at home in a variety of styles and he reflects the entire range from
Memphis to Chicago, from blues to soul, from the gritty inner city to the heart of the
country blues on which it is all based.
For Slam Allen, it’s all about the show for the people. When he talks about “entertaining”
he means it. They call Slam Allen “The Working Man” for a reason. He works harder
than anyone to please an audience. He knows how gives it all up for his listeners as he
coaxes, caresses and charms the crowd with his earnest ear-to-ear smile that comes
from truly and totally enjoying what he does.
He works the crowd as if he was the reincarnate of Louis Armstrong; he solicits their call
and response, and he sings and plays until the sweat pours off him profusely- always
with a giant smile on his face. He loves what he does and it shows, as he spins out
buoyant, cheerful melodies, with a tinge of funky blues and pop, soul, gospel and R&B.
Slam’s walks out to the audience for the personal, up-close and intimate portion of the
program moving people with his lilting harmonies and irresistibly snappy, knee slapping
rhythms.
He shakes hands and touches hearts while kicking out some of the best blues
imaginable. His sound is fresh and eminently listenable both for the hard core blues
audience and newcomers. Another reason for his appeal maybe that Slam Allen’s songs
are of the “happy blue” variety. No heavy torment and pain, no gut-wrenching deep
wailing moans, no death letters or killing floors. Slam Allen makes an impression, and
the prevailing response is overwhelming. People love his show. They know that they’ve
enjoyed a world-class act, equal or better than anyone they’ve ever heard, worthy of
comparison to the biggest acts in the blue scene , today or yesterday. Put him next to
B.B. King, Freddie King, Albert King, Albert Collins, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett or
James Brown and Slam Allen would not be intimidated. He delivers!
He knows how to work hard and he has the right stuff. Slam Allen puts on as good as a
show can get. Period. Nobody who’s ever seen his show will deny that.
Audiences all over the country will attest that Slam brings down the house, be it in
festivals, clubs and concert halls from Chicago’s ‘Rosa’s Lounge’ to ‘Warm Daddy’s’ in
Philadelphia, ‘B.B. King’s Blues Club’ in Memphis, as he spreads his good-news sound
all the way down to key West, Florida. His combination of showmanship and guitar
virtuosity, heartfelt entertainment and superb musicianship is Slam Allen’s trademark,
but his legacy may well be the substance of his songs – the strength of his songwriting.
In 1995 he was voted “Best New Soul Blues Artist” by the Manhattan Blues Alliance. His
critically acclaimed 1998 release on the RaveOn label “Things Sho’ Done Changed”
raised eyebrows among blues aficionados and established Slam Allen as the blues act
to watch, a singer/songwriter and bandleader destined to ascend.
His new release “Still Working” on the Level B label, has Slam Allen fronting a new band
and touting a new sense of independence. As brilliant and heartfelt as Slam Allen’s past
work was, this new record surpasses even Slam’s highest expectations. Here is a
musician in his prime, one of the most exciting and promising contemporary blues
players with the sparkle in his eyes. Slam Allen is his own man, charting his own destiny
and believing in the inevitable success that is due to a man who has paid his dues, over
and over, and who puts out 110% for everything he does. He’s still waiting for the big
train to pull into the station, but he can already hear that whistle blowing. ==