Geri Allen

The embodiment of what a modern-day jazz pianist should be, Geri Allen was one of the most respected, versatile improvisers of her generation. Emerging in Detroit in the 1970s, she was mentored by trumpeter Marcus Belgrave and pianist Kenny Barron. She was also a noteworthy collaborator, exploring electric jazz and funk with Brooklyn's "M-Base" collective, leading a trio with Charlie Haden and Paul Motian, and working on projects with maverick performers like Betty Carter and Ornette Coleman. Allen garnered widespread acclaim in the '90s with albums like The Nurturer, Maroons, and The Gathering. She won the Downbeat Readers Poll two years in a row and formed a close creative partnership with trumpeter Wallace Roney. While Director of Jazz Studies at her alma mater, the University of Pittsburgh, Allen recorded a series of fine later-career albums, including 2012's Motown-inspired Grand River Crossings and 2015's Perfection, before her 2017 death from cancer.