Biography of Chris Allard

'Great playing...beautiful...a real guitar player' Pat Martino

'Beautiful playing' Jacqui Dankworth

'An excellent guitarist' Joe Cohn


Drawing on various influences, including Brad Mehldau, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Pat Metheny, and Radiohead, the Chris Allard Band play in a dynamic and subtle way, sometimes with a rockish edge, always with lots of improvising.
Debut album 'Tundra' features six original tunes, a Radiohead cover, and a Kurt Rosenwinkel cover.

Chris Allard electric and acoustic guitars

Sam Bullard alto sax

Ross Stanley piano

Johnny Brierley bass

Richard Barr drums

Chris has performed at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, Montreux Jazz Festival, Camden Jazz Cafe, Pizza Exress Jazz Club Dean St, Giverny Festival, Edinburgh Festival, Brecon Jazz Festival, Midem Festival (Cannes), the Astoria2, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, and many other venues in the UK and around Europe.
Joint-winner of the Ovation guitar prize 2000, he also received an award of a guitar from the Barbarolli foundation 2002. He was a finalist in the Gibson Guitar Competition at Montreux Jazz Festival 2004.
Chris has performed with Jacqui Dankworth, Dave O Higgins, John Helliwell(Supertramp), Julian Joseph, Gwyneth Herbert, Jamie Cullum, the BBC Concert Orchestra, amongst others.He has supported/performed alongside Manu Di Bango, Jeremy Pelt, Amy Winehouse, The Drifters, Skin(Skunk Anansie), Harry Allen, McFly.