ABOUT ALYSSA

Alyssa Allgood is a jazz vocalist, songwriter, bandleader and 3X DownBeat Magazine Critics Poll Rising Star based in Chicago, praised for her "force, clarity and jazz integrity" (NYC Jazz Record). Drawing from both the vocal and instrumental jazz traditions, Allgood performs heartfelt originals and contemporary arrangements of standards with a voice that moves from tender to bold, and "improvisational prowess" (DownBeat) that puts her at the center of the band's conversation.

The inaugural winner of the Ella Fitzgerald Competition, Allgood has commanded stages across North America and beyond, including the Chicago and Hyde Park Jazz Festivals, Dizzy's, Birdland, Mezzrow, Blues Alley, the Jazz Showcase, the Green Mill, Rudy's Jazz Room and the Century Room in the US, the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, Frankie's and Yardbird Suite in Canada, and Jazz at Lincoln Center Shanghai.

As a recording artist, Allgood has released four full-length albums and two EPs, including her 2026 release, Leap, which received a 3.5 star review from DownBeat Magazine. Driven by a desire to reflect the full spectrum of contemporary life, Allgood has built a body of original work that is both jazz-rooted and emotionally honest. Her album, From Here, features original music recorded with internationally renowned musicians Geoffrey Keezer, John Patitucci, Kendrick Scott and Greg Ward, with two songs selected as finalists in both the John Lennon Songwriting Contest and the International Songwriting Competition. Critics have consistently praised Allgood's lyrical expression and instrumental-like improvisation.

Allgood's sophisticated artistry has earned her recognition from highly respected jazz institutions. A semifinalist in the Shure Montreux Jazz Voice Competition, where jazz legend Al Jarreau led the jury, she has also received the David Baker Memorial Scholarship through the Jazz Education Network, a Jazz Improvisation Fellowship from the Luminarts Cultural Foundation, and recognition as 2X Chicago Reader Poll Best Individual Jazz Musician, a testament to her deep roots and devoted following in her hometown.

Dedicated to mentorship, Allgood teaches jazz voice at Loyola University and offers private voice lessons online, empowering students to develop authentic expression and musical freedom. She holds a Master of Music in Jazz Studies from DePaul University and is a highly sought-after clinician, ensemble director and adjudicator and Grammy U mentor. Her teaching work has taken her to the Jazz Education Network Conference, the University of North Texas's Jazz Lecture Series, the Illinois Music Educators Association, the Iowa Choral Directors Association, Anchor Music's Vocal Jazz Academy, jazzvoice.com and the University of Chicago.

Her next album is scheduled to release in Spring 2027. Co-produced by 2X GRAMMY-winning artist Nicole Zuraitis and developed through the Chamber Music America Performance Plus Grant, it represents Allgood's most powerful work to date. Featuring her working Chicago quintet of Greg Ward on alto saxophone, Julius Tucker on piano, Ethan Philion on bass and Jon Deitemyer on drums, the album solidifies Allgood's place as a vital force in the modern vocal jazz movement.