Ben Allison
A bassist and composer who treats jazz not as a fixed genre but as an open field for melodic invention and collaborative discovery.
Born 1966 (age 60)·American double bassist, composer, and bandleader·Birthday: November 17·Generation X
Biography
Ben Allison approaches the double bass like a storyteller, using its deep resonance to anchor compositions that are as accessible as they are intellectually engaging. Emerging from the New York downtown scene in the 1990s, he rejected rigid genre boundaries, weaving elements of rock, folk, and world music into a cohesive and tuneful sound. His leadership extended beyond the bandstand; as a co-founder of the Jazz Composers Collective, he created a vital incubator for new work, fostering a community of artists dedicated to original expression. Allison's bands are workshops for democracy, often built around long-standing collaborators who share his curiosity. As an educator and former president of the New York chapter of the Recording Academy, he has consistently worked to expand the audience for creative music, arguing for its essential place in the cultural conversation.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Ben was born in 1966, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ben Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Ben's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1979Became a teenager
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-founded the Jazz Composers Collective, a musician-run non-profit that presented new music in New York for over a decade.
- Has released over a dozen albums as a leader on prestigious labels like Palmetto and Sonic Camera Records.
- Served as the President of the New York Chapter Board of the Recording Academy (Grammys).
- His composition 'Buzz' was used as the theme music for NPR's 'On the Media' for years.
Did You Know?
He composed the score for the 1924 silent film 'Peter Pan,' which he has performed live with ensembles.
Allison taught himself to play bass by transcribing Paul McCartney's Beatles lines.
He once performed a concert series in a New York City art gallery, playing alongside visual installations.
His album 'The Stars Look Very Different Today' was inspired by the music of David Bowie and Brian Eno.
“Music is a social art form. It's about communication, and the best communication happens when everyone is listening.”
