Christopher Allis
Independent
Having a father who is a drummer/percussionist and a mother who sings and acts has its advantages. Christopher grew up being exposed to everything from Frank Zappa, John Coltrane and Igor Stravinsky, to King Crimson, The Who, Weather Report, The Beatles, and Mahavishnu Orchestra. By the age of 5 or 6, the budding drummer showed enough interest to have his dad show him some basics. "I would play along to records at first and I just got more and more into it. At first, it was just fun. But, I remember points early on when I knew I found exactly what I wanted to be doing. Music hit me so deeply. It really wove itself through me. I feel really lost without it now."
Throughout his formative years; school concert bands, show bands, and jazz ensembles occupied most of his time. He was also able to study with some of the best drummers in the area (including Frank Briggs and Jimmy Johns), and sit in with local rock and jazz groups. It wasn't long before he began getting his own calls for gigs. With his diverse musical background (he has experience in rock, jazz, ska, reggae, funk, blues, r&b, folk, middle eastern, and traditional Greek music), he was able to participate in several great bands throughout the Syracuse area including Zoo Trip, (Moon Records artist) Too Hectic, and the highly regarded Heavy Metal Be-Bop.
With all of these experiences under his belt, Christopher made the decision to relocate to Los Angeles about 8 years ago in order to gain a new perspective and immerse himself in a different musical environment.
Through the help of friends, 'good karma', and a bit of networking, he landed himself a variety of gigs and began to make a name for himself as a chameleon that was comfortable and confident in the many styles of music he grew up listening to. It was also around this time that began to do studio work with Russell Pope (of Super Tramp fame) and Hank Linderman (America, Timothy B. Schmidt, Joni Mitchell).
Christopher's time is currently split between a variety of artists including Amilia K. Spicer, Circe Link, Deb Tala, Lea Herman, Sarah Schweppe, Lee Ferris, and Bart Ryan. He has also appeared on record with Jenna Music, Daniel Fabiano, Fran Lucci, Amilia K. Spicer, Susan Barth, Cindy Alexander, Circe Link, subthunk, Parade, Lea Heman, Dudley Saunders, Lee Ferris, and Dave Robyn, as well as on tracks for country artist Ty Herndon's Christmas album "A Not So Silent Night". Film recording has recently been added to his resume when he was called for overdub work by Brant Biles and Bob Margouleff (MiCasa Multimedia) for the soon to be released re-mastered James Bond film collection. Christopher has also been active doing commercial jingle work through Elias Arts. His drumming can be heard on TV spots for Coca-Cola, Discovery Channel, Hanes, and Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion. If all of this isn't enough, Christopher is also a "conspirator" in the Jon Mattox and Dave Raven fronted, Drum Choir.
When asked about where he feels he is as a musician, it's apparent that Christopher strives to always continue learning: "I enjoying taking lessons when I can and love to do the hang with other drummers. It helps me to grow and focus on moving forward." He continues, "I've been spending a lot of time honing all of the skills and ideas I've developed in the rehearsal room, in the studio, and on the stage. My interests are in continuing to progress as a drummer and overall musician. I've gained a lot of knowledge and experience by being out here and it's very inspiring to know I can carve a niche for myself in this music scene. I know that there is a lot here for me musically."
Some of the drummers Christopher looks to for inspiration include: Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, Terry Bozzio, Vinnie Colaiuta, Chad Wackerman, Zach Danzinger, Joey Baron, Billy Martin, Jim Keltner, Bill Bruford, Danny Carey, Matt Chamberlain, Billy Ward, Pat Mastelotto, and Alex Cline (among countless others). But says the drummer; it's not just about focusing on drums. It's about focusing on music: "I've learned to focus on what's happening with the music as a whole and see how the drumming fits into that overall picture. One of the things I learned early on from my dad was always listen to and experience as much as you can and learn from it all. That sums it up for me. The whole point is to grow and evolve as a musician. It's all a process a journey. I'm glad I'm on it."
www.christopherallis.com
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