Roderick Allen is an American-born music composer, producer, arranger, songwriter, & recording artist. Although versatile, he has a strong preference for the urban-contemporary chemistry of smooth jazz. As a juvenile, Mr. Allen was greatly influenced by the likes of Stevie Wonder, James “D -Train” Williams, & George Duke. Mr. Allen took an interest in playing keyboards as a teenager, just prior to enlisting in the United States Marine Corps in 1990. Although his skills as a musician earned him positions in countless bands and performing groups, it is his ability to compose and arrange original music that has gained him notoriety, with fans as far away as The Netherlands. Recently, one of his songs, JUST ME & MY BABY, was used as the closing theme for a fledgling television sitcom. In 2004, an online radio station facilitated his climb to the #13 position on its Top 100 Jazz Artists of 2004, a chart largely occupied by some of the biggest names in smooth jazz. Since then, he has been hard at work building his brand and bolstering his repertoire of quality smooth jazz compositions as heard on his official debut CD entitled ELEVATION MUSIC. The album is a formulation of tranquil smooth jazz songs and sultry up-tempo grooves featuring award-winning saxophonists Marcus Anderson & Eric Marienthal. Also featured on the album is sensational jazz pianist Bob Baldwin and a host of other very talented instrumentalists including Quamon Fowler (saxophone), Richard Boulger (trumpet), Russ Corvey (guitar), Ashley “Aluv” Doe (electric bass), & vocal powerhouse Stanley Thompson