Chicago, IL
Alyssa Allgood is a Chicago-based jazz vocalist, bandleader, educator, and composer who has been described as “assured and daring” by DownBeat Magazine and a “model of sophisticated song interpretation” by the Chicago Tribune. She brings a modern flair to the jazz tradition with her engaging arrangements, infectious swing feel, and lyrical focus of self-love, and human connection.
Wielding her instrument with extraordinary nuance and depth, Allgood has established herself as a leading voice in Chicago’s vibrant jazz scene and beyond. She has appeared at such distinguished venues as the Jazz at Lincoln Center Club in Shanghai, Birdland Jazz Club, the Chicago Jazz Festival, the Green Mill, the Jazz Showcase and Winter’s Jazz Club. Allgood won the Inaugural Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Voice Competition (2017) and the David Baker Memorial Scholarship through the Jazz Education Network (2022). She was also named Best Jazz Entertainer in the Chicago Music Awards (2019), a Jazz Improvisation Fellow through the Luminarts Cultural Foundation (2016) and a Semifinalist in the Shure Montreux Jazz Voice Competition (2015), where she performed for a jury presided by jazz legend Al Jarreau.
Allgood has released three albums to critical acclaim from publications such as DownBeat Magazine, All About Jazz, the Huffington Post and the New York City Jazz Record. Critics have praised Allgood for her lyrical depth, instrumental approach and accomplished scat and vocalese singing. Her most recent release, "What Tomorrow Brings" (Cellar Music 2021), received grant funding from the Illinois Arts Council and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.
Allgood is a passionate educator who empowers her students to learn with intention, vulnerability, and curiosity. She is currently pursuing her M.M. in Jazz Studies at DePaul University, where she is serving as a Graduate Assistant. She teaches private lessons through the Allgood Jazz Studio, and has previously taught at Elmhurst University, the Chicago Academy for the Arts and Merit School of Music. She is also a sought-after clinician and has presented masterclasses at many esteemed institutions including Drake University, the University of Chicago, the Illinois Music Educators Association, Illinois Wesleyan University, and the Valley Vocal Jazz Summit.
Friday, January 6, 2023
12:00 PM – 12:50 PM US EST