From great-grandmother to grandfather to father to son. That’s the musical legacy of the Allred family.
John Allred’s great-grandmother was born near New Orleans in Franklin, Louisiana. His grandfather John was a jazz pianist and banjoist who played on the steamboats of the famed Streckfus Line that plied the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. Father Bill is a highly-regarded trombonist—still active—who has had a 45-year career at Disney World and venues in Florida and heading his own band.
John knew at an early age that he wanted to carry on the family jazz legacy. Born in Rock Island, Illinois and growing up in a musical environment, he soon developed a deep appreciation for jazz. "My Dad collected instruments, and he was always listening to his father's early jazz records," John recalled. "He had a huge respect for traditional jazz, which made a big impression on me."
The virtuosic John Allred in performance, as photographed by Hungarian jazzman Béla Szalóky
The family moved to Florida in 1971 when Bill was one of the first musicians hired at Disney World. Rehearsals were held at the Allred home after which the musicians would sit around, drink beer and tell stories. John learned the vocabulary of jazz by listening and was surprised at the number of tunes he knew.
John's first opportunity to go on stage was at Rosie O'Grady's Goodtime Emporium on Church Stree
