Artist description With his debut release, "King Kong Serenade," critics are already raving about Allen Shadow, calling him "a true rock poet in the tradition of Nick Cave, Tom Waits, and Dylan". His gritty, literate New York City style has critics comparing him to early Lou Reed, Bruce Springsteen, Jim Carroll and even Walt Whitman.

Music Style Alternative, Rock, Avantgard

Musical Influences Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Lou Reed

Similar Artists Lou Reed, Nick Cave, Jim Carroll

Artist History Shadow (a.k.a. Allen Kovler) began his writing career as a poet. Two books of his poetry - "Harlem River Baby" and "A Heart in the Anteroom" - were published by Quick Books (Pueblo, Colo.) during the 1980s, and his work was included in many small and university press publications nationwide. Also during the 1980s, Shadow co-edited a literary magazine and directed a reading series in upstate New York that included the poets Robert Creeley, Robert Kelly and Gary Snyder. As a performance poet, Shadow toured college campuses in the 1980s with a staged version of "Harlem River Baby," which included the doo-wop group the Phantoms. The show played to rave reviews at the same time Shadow's writing was singled out by such literary publications as Library Journal, which called his imagery "startling." His music interests led him to a stint in commercial songwriting. He spent much of the 1990s as a songwriter in Nashville, writing for PolyGram, SONY, and Mel Tillis' music publishing company, among others. Despite working with such artists as Trisha Yearwood, Shadow, like many literary songwriters before him, ultimately decided Nashville's formulaic canon was too limiting. Consequently, he returned fully to his poetic voice, this time marrying it with music as he had always intended. During the four years it took to write and produce "King Kong Serenade," Shadow was encouraged by fellow poets, including Allen Ginsberg who had spent much of his career working with the convergence of poetry and music. Ironically, Shadow recorded his offbeat rock album "King Kong Serenade" in Nashville with a cadre of alternative-music veterans. Included were Bob Dylan and Lucinda Williams guitar alumnus John Jackson, John Prine drummer Paul Griffith, and Janis Ian keyboard player Randy Leago. Shadow received a 2001 New York State Council on the Arts grant to support his work as a rock poet.

Group Members Allen Shadow, John Jackson Paul Griffith, and Randy Leago.

Instruments Rock poet Allen Shadow, guitar, vocals; Bob Dylan/Lucinda Williams guitar alumnus John Jackson; John Prine drummer Paul Griffith, and Janis Ian keyboard player Randy Leago.

Albums Allen Shadow

Press Reviews The Daily Freeman November 16, 2001 ARTIST: Allen Shadow ALBUM: "King Kong Serenade" LABEL: Blue City Records RATING: 5 (out of 5) Stars ***** 'King Kong Serenade' lovely, poetic missive to NYC By Terry Ross Allen Shadow is a true rock poet, in the tradition of Nick Cave, Dylan, Tom Waits and Walt Whitman, a rock poet who believes rock music is still in its infancy, and hopes his current work will add to the development of the art. On his new CD, "King Kong Serenade," he throws out baby, bath and car seat along with competition for the best nursery schools, singing songs from the seedy, lovely bottom of newly purchased baby dishes, which might have seen duty as ashtrays. Along the way he delves deep in the akashic plain of lore about New York City, a city once filled with opium dens; where lions fought grizzly bears in rat-stomping stadiums on 14th street; anarchists blew up Wall Street and the Bowery Boys established the New York style. At a time when many are wondering about the future of New York City, Shadow's work is a lovely repast, truly--an abnormally poignant journey--through yellow bejeweled images and the splendid squalor of one of the world's greatest microcosms. The album's songs invoke spirits past of Times Sqyare, the Beat writers, jazz greats, the Lower East Side, Coney Island, and the Bronx. For instance, in "Empress of Night," Shadow sings a prophetic love letter to NYC. "she makes sure we see her shadow from the street in the cracked Brooklyn glass Mohammed's face does dance in bomb ticks from time past star-sickened romance eyes, heat, life, chance the subway snakes the tenements." Shadow (a.k.a. Allen Kovler) cut his teeth on the poetry circuit, writing two books of verse: "Harlem River Baby" and "A Heart in the Anteroom", published by Quik Books during the 1980's. His music interests led him to a stint in music city, Nashville, where he wrote for Polygram, Sony, and Mel Tillis' music publishing company. Despite working with such artists as Trisha Yearwood, Shadow, like many literary song writers before him, ultimately decided Nashille's formulaic canon was too limiting. Consequently, he returned fully to his poetic voice, this time marrying it with the music as he had always intended. The Berkshire Eagle November 25, 2001 Allen Shadow "King Kong Serenade" (Blue City) By Seth Rogovoy Perhaps not since Lou Reed immortalized his cast of street-punks and vagabonds in garage-rock arrangements have images of New York life, from the sidewalks to the subways to the squatter tenements, from Coney Island to the Bronx, been so aptly paired with the sound of crunching guitars, bass and drums. Like Reed, Shadow has the poet's gift for imagery ("Platform cheek to cheek/The paper hides the morning geeks/Signs read in shock speak/Sunglassed to the knees"). Charles Mingus haunts the proceedings, as do Allen Ginsberg, Thelonious Monk and Jack Kerouac, but Shadow is an original storyteller, painting vivid portraits of the romance and terror of life in the world's greatest city. WAMC-FM Radio Roundtable November 15, 2001 Seth Rogovoy, Culture Czar (from program transcript): I wanted to say something about Allen Shadow. He's a poet rocker and recording artist. He's got an album called "King Kong Serenade," which really reminds me of some early Lou Reed, Jim Carroll, early Bruce Springsteen. It's New York, Lower East Side street poetry with rock music. This record is a lovely, poetic passionate missive written to the city of New York. At a time when she has received many love letters, this is one of the most eloquent of them all. Written before the recent troubles, "King Kong Serenade" meets the new standard of poetry that seems to be developing, which is--how does it play after Sept. 11? The music of Allen Shadow is not affected by infamy--steeped in history and mental reality programming which afflicts every human being right between the eyes. Shadow was truly authentic in the first place. Allen Shadow will be performing unplugged and solo at the Catskill Gallery, Greene County Council on the Arts, 398 Main St., Catskill, on Saturday at 6 p.m. For details, call (518) 943-3400.

Additional Info Allen Shadow, a rock poet in the tradition of Nick Cave, Tom Waits, and Dylan, features Dylan guitar alum John Jackson and John Prine drummer Paul Griffith.

Location Catskill, NY - USA

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