 “I don’t think
I’m your cookie cutter sideman guitar player. I
think I have a quirky little style. My style is a little
bit left of a lot of people’s style, and that’s
either good or bad. I do what I do, and I take pride
in my quirkiness, my originality.”
Allen Hinds grew up in Alabama and began playing musical instruments
at the age of 15. His first instrument was the French
horn. He switched to the guitar when he realized that
the French horn was not conducive to attracting girls. With
the encouragement of his friends, he began teaching himself
to play. “I used to play a little bit of guitar
around the house. I knew a few chords, and then I just
picked up a few more, and a few more.” He attended
Berkley School of Music in Boston, then moved to LA and attended
the Musician’s Institute on a scholarship. Upon
graduating, his relationship with the Musician’s Institute
didn’t end. Allen continues his work there. He
has been on staff for nearly 20 years, working there when he
comes off the road and between gigs. While he doesn’t
necessarily come from a musical family, his siblings exposed
him to many different kinds of music in his early years, especially
soul and blues music.
 Allen’s resume is long and impressive. He is currently
a member of Down To The Bone, (DTTB) and has played with some
of the finest musicians in the smooth jazz, jazz, rock, soul,
country and gospel genres, including Marc Antoine, Patti Austin,
Mary J. Blige, Bobby Caldwell, Natalie Cole, Randy Crawford,
The Crusaders, Richard Elliott, Roberta Flack, Vince Gill,
Amy Grant, James Ingram, Boney James, Eric Marienthal, Marilyn
Scott, and Bebe & Cece Winans.
His style is unique and, in his own words, quirky. That
quirkiness has enabled him to move easily between genres. Playing
different styles of music “keeps things very fresh, and
its fun.”
In addition to being a talented musician, Allen is a prolific
songwriter as well and loves to work with good songwriters. “The
older I get, the more I like someone who can write a good song. If
you can play a good solo, that’s great too. I like
someone who can construct, from A to B, a great song. Of
course, I think the epitome for me would be James Taylor, Paul
McCartney, Joanie Mitchell, or Stevie Wonder – someone
who can put together a great song, lyrics and all…I
like the songwriter mentality.” He has written
music for TV shows, and his songs have been performed by Patti
Austin and Larry Carlton, among others.
One of the things a side musician is required to do is to
put a big part of his or her own personal style aside to accentuate
whoever they’re playing with. This can sometimes
be hard to do, but a good side musician knows how to do it
without sacrificing too much. “I like to do things
my way; but on the other hand, I’ve done a lot of sideman
work for people on the road. I’ve learned how to
compromise the way I play and what I play. I learned
to let loose of my ego in my own stuff.”
 Allen has released his first CD, Fact of the Matter,
which, true to Allen Hinds form, is a musical compilation of
several different genres. It’s got smooth jazz,
world beat, blues, Cajun, country, and a very quirky tune, “Left
Field.” He’s got a talented list of musician
friends playing on this CD, including Larry Kimpel, Alex Al,
Smitty Smith, Roberto Vally (who also plays with Michael Lington
and Bobby Caldwell), Rogerio Jardin, Mark McMiller, and Dave
Karasony (of The Rippingtons).
When not making music, Allen, a self proclaimed tennis nut,
can be found on the courts playing and competing in local tournaments. “I
love it! I’m ready to retire and play tennis. It’s
just a great sport and there are so many ways to do it.”
Allen remains an in demand player and songwriter. In
November, he and his band, The Allen Hinds Group, will be performing
in Japan. He worked on Warren Hill’s new CD and
is set to work on recording a CD with Dan Siegel and Jeff Kashiwa. Allen
is also producing some undiscovered singers. He’s
writing more music for television and continues to write songs
for his next album. Look for Allen on tour with DTTB
or with just about any smooth jazz headliner you can name. Chances
are he’s played with them… or will very soon.
www.allenhinds.com
- Mary Bentley
|
