Jim Allard is heavily involved in the music scene in Central Massachusetts, primarily in Worcester, MA. His work ranges from teaching and conducting band comprised of students of all ages, ensemble performances with other professional musicians in the area, and his own independent composition/arranging.

Jim's Writing and Arranging:

The main focus of Jim's current work is his independent composing and arranging projects. Jim has written and arranged many compositions that have been recorded on jazz albums. One such arrangement is his work on the tune "One For Brother Benny." Written in dedication to Benny Golsen, the composer of famous song "Killer Joe," Jim arranged parts for the saxophone section of the big band chart. Working out of his own studio, he is in the process of self-producing an album consisting entirely of his own original work.

Jim the Performing Artist:

As a performing musician, Jim is extremely versatile, playing flute, all saxophones, and piano. When its comes to showtime, he can swing and bop his way through jazz favorites, groove to rock and funk, display sensitivity in classical music, or turn up the heat with a latin flavor. In essence, there are no limitiations to Jim's performances. In ensemble playing and soloing, Jim's sounds are sure to stand out.

Jim is currently affiliated with a number of actively performing ensembles. These groups include jazz quartet, The Jay Tyer Group, jazz quintet, Hey Rim and Friends, and the Worcester Jazz Orchestra, a big band comprised of musicians local to the Worcester, MA area.

Below is a discography of albums that Jim has been featured on. These albums can also be found on iTunes:

Jim, Conductor and Teacher:

Jim is a musical educator for students of all ages in the Worcester area. His work in this area involves teaching private lessons and conducting jazz ensembles of local schools. Some of his greatest achievements in teaching involve is high school students at Worcester Academy. A number of his saxophone students have qualified for placement in the Central Massachusetts District, and Massachusetts All-State Concert and Jazz Bands. Massachusetts is regarded as one of the most competitive states for high school musicians, where any teacher/director is honored to have just one of their students qualify for District and All-State Bands. Jim has had several in his career.

Besides Worcester Academy, Jim is a faculty member at the Joy of Music program in Worcester, a public institution for musical instruction, and currently conducts the Clark University Jazz Workshop and Jazz combo.

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