Saxophonist J.D. Allen is an adept soloist who is steeped in the acoustic post-bop tradition, but whose playing is open to an array of sounds, both mainstream and avant-garde. Following his early work with Betty Carter and Winard Harper, he garnered critical acclaim for his albums, including 1999's In Search Of..., 2002's Pharoah's Children, and 2008's I Am I Am. He leads a long-running trio with bassist Gregg August and drummer Rudy Royston, releasing albums like 2015's Graffiti and 2016's Americana: Musings on Jazz and Blues. He also introduced a second trio with bassist Ian Kenselaar and drummer Nic Cacioppo, delivering 2019's Barracoon and 2020 Toys/Die Dreaming before reuniting with August and Royston for 2022's Americana, Vol. 2. Along with his small group work, Allen recorded a solo saxophone album, Queen City, and explored electronic soundscapes on This. in 2023.