"Great playing…beautiful…a real guitar player"

Pat Martino

Chris Allard is a freelance guitarist based in London. He has performed at major venues including the Royal Albert Hall, the Pyramids and Great Sphinx (Cairo), the Barbican, Montreux Jazz Festival, Ronnie Scott’s, Nuremberg Festival, Hackney Empire, O2 Arena London, Midem Festival Cannes, Friends of Jordan Festival, The Queen Elizabeth Hall, Beiteddine Arts Festival (Lebanon), Edinburgh Festival, Bahrain Spring of Culture Festival, Duoro Jazz Festival (Portugal), The Royal Festival Hall. He has also played live on TV and radio, and appeared on numerous albums.

Chris has performed/recorded with Jacqui Dankworth, Sheridan Smith, Charlie Wood, Gwyneth Herbert, Dave O’Higgins, Dame Cleo Laine, Sir John Dankworth, Omar Kamal, Jamie Cullum, Mike Walker, Lea Salonga, Steve Furst, Gwilym Simcock, the BBC Big Band, Steve Waterman to name a few.

He also leads his own group, which has performed at festivals and respected venues in the UK and Europe including the International Guitar Festival, Ronnie Scott’s, Bonington Theatre, Maison Musique Torino Italy, the Pizza Express Jazz Club Soho, London, has had press and radio-play as far afield as Portugal and Los Angeles and received critical acclaim including four stars in Guitarist.

Invisible Landscape was released in July 2016 on independent label Perdido Records, with a launch gig at Pizza Express Dean St in London. Chris’s fourth album as a bandleader, it received excellent reviews; praised for impeccable performances, and a distinctive melodic gift.

‘a non-cliched linear improviser of great originality and talent…an excellent recording of modern music full of variety, intensity and interest.’ Jazzviews

‘In an age of instant downloads and short attention spans, ‘Invisible Landscape’ is a brave album built on artistic integrity, framed by Allard’s inventive musical vision and realized by the band’s technical and improvisational excellence’ ★★★★ Get Ready to Rock

"One of the great guitarists in this country"

Jamie Cullum

News

Chris Allard Ross Stanley duo album Tortugas to be released 08th July

New piano/guitar duo album to be released on Perdido records - more on this very soon...

Roth Academy Guitar Masterclasses

Very pleased to return to the amazing Roth Academy - in some extremely prestigious company - to do a series of 6 online guitar classes over November/early December https://www.rothacademy.co.uk

Ocean Mirage video

My composition 'Ocean Mirage' from the brand new Secret Sessions album 'Hoop' video now on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L37wRq-kFbg It features a fantastic saxophone solo by the one and only Paul Booth, and the monstrous playing of: Tom Walsh (Tpt), Nichol...

Date	Artist	City	Venue
25/05/22	BBC Big Band	Perth	Perth Festival
	Time: 7:30pm.
31/05/22	Sebastiaan de Krom	London	The Troubadour
	Time: 8:00pm.
11/06/22	BBC Big Band	Harrow	Harrow Arts Centre
	Time: 7:30pm. Buy Tickets
22/07/22	Charlie Wood	London	Jazzlive at the Crypt
	Time: 8:00pm. Address: St. Giles Church, Camberwell Church St, Camberwell.
25/09/22	Ben Crosland Quintet	Wigan	Wigan Jazz Club
	Time: 7:30pm.