Gwyn Jay Allen
No one can dispute that Gwyn Jay Allen isn’t a natural born entertainer. Born in the UK to Sierra Leonean parents, he served his musical apprenticeship singing and playing guitar on London trains and in 1992 he landed a residency at the Park Lane Hilton and later at the world famous The Dorchester Hotel.
His vocals and percussion playing talent has graced performances and recordings with music giants such as soul diva Diana Ross, reggae heavy weight Maxi Priest, Herbie Hancock and dance icon Jamiroquai and Basement Jaxx. He independently released his first solo album ‘Land of Milk and Money’ in 2001 whilst touring and supporting American gospel giant Kirk Franklin at London’s renowned Royal Albert Hall.
Gwyn went on to star as Cab Calloway in the smash hit West End Musical ‘The Blues Brothers’ and his lifelong work and love for Louis ‘Satchmo’ Armstrong propelled him to TV stardom when he became a finalist on the UK’s popular TV show ‘Stars in Their Eyes’.
He released his second album ‘I Love Louis’ - a Creole Tribute to Louis Armstrong which has toured all corners of the world and features European Jazz Artist of the Year pianist Alex Wilson and the late Grammy Award winner trumpeter, Roy Hargrove. A stella performance at Louis Armstrong’s New York House Museum together with performing Louis classics live on the Sir Michael Parkinson’s show at The London Palladium with the infamous 60-piece BBC Orchestra and Big Band just sealed it! Gwyn continues to tour the world with his ‘I Love Louis’ stage adaptation of the extravagant life of Louis Armstrong.
Gwyn Jay Allen is currently working on the release of his third solo album ‘Freetown – The Return’. We await a blend of spiced up contemporary treat of songs with a mixture of Soul, Blues, Jazz and West African Folk flavours
"It`s been quite a ride but Gwyn Jay Allen's debut album proves that he is a man with a testimony of God moving in his past, and a future that beckons brightly”
Mike Rimmer
“Allen is an accomplished musician with a great voice”
Gary Cardinez
"It seems that the threads of Louis and Gwyn’s lives are destined to ravel out together for quite some time to come – and they both have quite a story to tell”
Helen Pearse
