John Allee - Bardfly (2019)

"This truly is the ultimately hip(pest) spoken-word jazz I’ve listened to in several years…John just KICKS out the word jams on this splendid aural adventure...if you don’t purchase another album this year – GET this one…" - Contemporary Fusion Reviews

"A record that finds a sweet spot you didn’t know you were looking for, this is one of those cool diversions that slyly moves from appetizer to main course before you realize it." - Midwest Record

"An otherworldly, super-literate and supremely swinging realm that finds the veteran stage and TV actor, singer-songwriter and all-around creative hyphenate fusing his dual lifelong passions for all things Shakespeare and jazz." - Broadway World

A new collection of unconventional, humorous, and romantic songs inspired by the immortal Bard of Avon, Willy "The Shake" Shakespeare, composed, arranged, and adapted by John Allee based on lyrics from the plays of William Shakespeare.

Showcasing his wide array of talents as a vocalist, composer, lyricist and dramatic performer, the eclectic 13-track set – in which Allee assumes the persona of Feste “The Bardfly” Johnson – mines compelling verses from a wide swath of the Bard’s canon from Othello to Henry IV as a foundation for everything from blues, ballads and hymns to compelling spoken word and swingin’ ditties.