Allison Wheeler
Biography Allison Wheeler
Allison Wheeler
A young vocalist & songwriter from California, Allison Wheeler has gotten her professional start in central Europe and is a budding talent on the Czech jazz scene. Wheeler is a versatile singer with a love for creative challenge. Her music seamlessly crosses genre lines, drawing influence from the likes of Regina Spektor, Norma Winstone, Fiona Apple, Aoife O’Donovan, and others. A storyteller at heart, Wheeler uses her jazz and visual art backgrounds to construct a world of her own imagination fueled by improvisation, nostalgia, and a love for impressionism.
Like many, Allison grew up singing in the local church. In high school, she was a part of the Monterey Jazz Festival’s honor vocal group; an experience that gave her the opportunity to perform twice at the famed festival as a student and that sparked in her a more serious interest in music. The vocal group was directed by Kerry Marsh and Julia Dollison, whom Wheeler later followed to Colorado to pursue a degree in jazz after dropping out of art school in 2015.
Allison finished her undergraduate studies in jazz voice in 2018 at the University of Northern Colorado, studying under Julia and Kerry. She was named “Undergraduate Vocal Soloist of the Year” by Down Beat Magazine in 2018 and in her years at UNCO was a member of the university’s top vocal ensemble, Vocal Lab, with whom she won three more Down Beat awards (2016, 2017, 2018). With Vocal Lab, she had the opportunity to perform at the annual Jazz Education Network (JEN) conference in 2016 and 2018 and alongside artists such as the New York Voices, Aubrey Logan, and Vertical Voices.
Right after graduating college, Wheeler took a teaching job in Prague, Czech Republic, where she is currently based and is regularly performing with her band. Her self-titled project was started with the young and talented pianist Daniel Bulatkin and his trio, with whom she has played throughout central Europe in notable settings including the Jazz Dock club in Prague, Jazzinec Festival in Trutnov and the Písek Jazz Festival. She also recently had the honor performing with Lizz Wright at the Prague Sounds Festival in September 2021 and has been the vocal clinician for the Czech Jazz Workshop for the last several years.
Allison and her band are currently preparing a debut release by the title of Winterspring, that will feature notable guests stars and a string quartet. The album set to release in summer 2022.
