What we need during this cold month of January is the warm presence of jazz vocalist Alyssa Allgood. She is appearing at Robert’s West Side on Jan. 31. I’ve followed Alyssa throughout her career and am thrilled she’s finally coming to Forest Park.
This isn’t just any concert. It’s the first in a series of four quarterly concerts titled, “WDCB Jazz on Madison,” sponsored by WDCB 90.9 FM at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn. Alyssa has long graced the airwaves of “Chicago’s Jazz Station.”
For a young singer, Alyssa has had a noteworthy career. Downbeat Magazine said, “She sings with a depth beyond her years.” She doesn’t just sing selections from “The Great American Songbook.” She is a composer and arranger in her own right.
At Robert’s, she’ll be singing selections of original material from her upcoming album, which features a “dream team” of renowned jazz artists, including John Patitucci, a protégé of Wayne Shorter, on bass; Grammy Award winner Geoffrey Keezer on piano; Blue Note recording star Kendrick Scott on drums; and internationally acclaimed Greg Ward on alto sax.
Alyssa raised the money from a successful Go Fund Me campaign to assemble this team in New York. They completed the recording sessions this summer and the album is due out in spring. She also performs with the Alyssa Allgood Quartet, which will accompany her at Robert’s, featuring Ethan Philion on bass, pianist Julius Tucker, and Jon Deitemyer on drums.
The quartet has evolved into a modern style of jazz, just as Alyssa evolved into a modern kind of singer. She started out studying jazz vocals at North Central College and continued her studies at DePaul, earning a master’s degree in Jazz Studies.
It was around this time that the pandemic hit, a horrible time for many performers, but Alyssa turned it into a positive. Spending so much time alone helped her develop a better relationship with herself.
She also returned to teaching, becoming an adjunct professor in UIC’s Jazz Department. Teaching helped Alyssa’s singing and forced her to be clear about how she thinks of music. She uses her voice to demonstrate and continues to mentor and build a community with her students.
Meanwhile, she continues to tour professionally, performing at the Jazz Showcase and the Chicago Jazz Festival. She also performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and has released four albums of mostly original material.
Alyssa regularly performs at Winter’s Jazz Club in downtown Chicago. She is starting a residency there in 2024, playing the first Sunday of every month throughout the year. Among the highlights, she will be performing the complete Ella Fitzgerald Songbook.
When she performs, she is not just a singer. Her voice is an instrument that becomes part of the band. She is entertaining and uplifting. Audience members can hear themselves in her music. And she is spontaneous and generous with her fellow musicians.
Alyssa continues to grow as a singer. She deserves all these accolades because she works hard at composing, arranging and teaching. She is also happy to be performing in Forest Park. Her mom, Nicole, is a longtime resident and a familiar face at our cultural events.
So don’t miss this cultural event at Robert’s West Side. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and Alyssa takes the stage at 8. Tickets are $10 general admission and $15 reserve seating.
If you have any doubts about whether Alyssa has arrived as an artist. Just ask your smart speaker to play Alyssa Allgood.
Then sit back and bask in the warmth of her voice.
