Music has always been part of Allison’s story.

Born into four generations of musicians, she was surrounded by music from the very beginning. Her grandmother was an orchestra violinist and conductor, her grandfather a first-chair cellist, her father taught jazz theory, and her mother is a celebrated composer and concert pianist. Growing up on a steady diet of artists like the Beatles, Elton John, Ray Charles, Billie Holiday, and Bessie Smith, Allison developed an early love for songwriting and performance.

She wrote her first songs at nine years old and joined her first band by thirteen. By high school she was already playing paid gigs, from private parties to late-night dive bars. During college she teamed up with Dino Soldo, Bryan Head, and David J. Carpenter to form Barebones, her first professional band. The group signed with Monster Music and released their debut album For the Mind, Body, and Soul… in 1996.

Though the band was short-lived, those musical relationships endured. In 2016 Allison reunited with Carpenter, Head, and Soldo to record Holy Water, a soulful blues album inspired in part by Little Feat’s Paul Barrere, who played on the project alongside artists like Coco Montoya, Greg Liesz, Josh Smith, and Lance Lopez.

Her 2025 release August Moon, produced by Grammy Award–winner Tony Braunagel, features longtime collaborators Bryan Head and David J. Carpenter along with an all-star group of musicians including Billy Watts, Phil Parlapiano, Jimmy Z, Teresa James, Gregg Sutton, and Maxanne Lewis. A standout duet with blues powerhouse Sugaray Rayford showcases Allison’s powerful voice and commanding presence.

Rooted in blues and Americana but influenced by R&B, country, jazz, and funk, Allison’s music reflects the full range of human experience. Drawing from her own life—including love, loss, motherhood, illness, and resilience—her songs are honest, soulful, and deeply human.

Through it all, one thing remains constant: a lifelong devotion to music and the stories it can tell.