Jackie’s self-produced CD, "Never Let Me Go" brought outstanding reviews. Her holiday album with jazz veteran Judy Roberts, paired two of the city's most popular female performers and inspired a series of standing-room concerts.
Jackie's work as a jazz educator has made her one of Chicago's most influential and respected vocal instructors.
Jackie Allen is a Midwestern native who grew up surrounded by music. Her father, Gene Allen, plays Dixieland jazz tuba, and she and her four siblings all played brass instruments. Her choice was the French horn. At the University of Wisconsin at Madison, she studied music with an eclectic mix of teachers including renowned jazz bassist Richard Davis and pianist/theoretician Joan Wildman; as well as studying voice with Lois Fisher and John Gilmore.
Jackie formed her first jazz quartet in the mid-1980s. It was while performing five nights a week as a duo with Mel Rhyne (the original keyboardist for jazz legend Wes Montgomery) that she began to develop her distinctive, sophisticated style . In Chicago, she performs regularly in clubs such as Lush Life, Andy’s, Green Mill, Pops for Champagne, and Toulouse.
"Never Let Me Go" (Lake Shore Jazz) received glowing reviews in Down Beat, Jazz Times, and the Chicago Tribune, making the national top-twenty and remaining on the charts for thirteen weeks. "Santa Baby," her holiday album, co-produced with pianist Judy Roberts, was named "the most endearing of the holiday albums" by the Chicago Tribune.
Jackie Allen's second solo album entitled "Which?," released on the Naxos Jazz label, was produced by Ralph Jungheim, producer of Grammy Award winners for Joe Williams and Ruth Brown. Jackie is featured on the acclaimed recording "Women Who Swing Chicago" (Big Chicago Records).
Jackie Allen has performed in Europe at the North Sea Jazz Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Her performance with bassist Hans Sturm at the International Bass Festival in Edinburgh was highly acclaimed. Jackie has also been featured on the main stage of the Chicago Jazz Festival and the Ravinia Festival.
Jackie has performed and recorded with jazz artists such as Patricia Barber, Bill Cunliffe, Richard Davis, Von Freeman, Eddie Higgins, Red Holloway, Roy McCurdy, and Ira Sullivan.
She has written songs recorded by major artists including Nnenna Freelon.
Jackie Allen is a popular and inspiring educator who has been the jazz vocal instructor at the Old Town School of Folk Music for many years. She has also been featured with a number of university jazz ensembles as a guest performer and clinician.
Jackie produced concerts for the Disney Institute in Florida, including a tribute to Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. She is a Governor of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences’ Chicago Chapter.
Neil Tesser, author of the Playboy Guide to Jazz, comments on her debut recording "With this recording, Jackie does more than debut. She arrives. And as the title suggests, she’s worth hanging on to."
Living Without You
Jackie Allen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can hear the faucet drippin' in the kitchen down the hall
I just sit here wishin' there was something I could say
To the one that I keep missing every night and every day
There's things you learn to live with, now that's all I ever do
But I'll never get used to living without you
And I got used to happiness, we'd make love day and night
And I'll get used to mornings, eating breakfast all alone
Sitting in the evenings, when there's no one else at home
But there's things you learn to live with, now that's all I ever do
But I'll never get used to living without you
Without you the sun still rises, without you the rivers run
I thought by now that I'd be realizing, what's done is done
I accept the notion that there's things you can't control
The changing of the seasons or the fact we're growing old
And I know I'm the reason that you had to go away
But I will keep believing that's the price I have to pay
But there's things you learn to live with, now that's all I ever do
But I'll never get used to living without you
Oh there's things you learn to live with, now that's all I ever do
But I never get used to livin' without you, without you, without you
The lyrics of Jackie Allen's song "Living Without You" express the difficulty of moving on from a past relationship. The imagery of the ticking clock and dripping faucet create a sense of loneliness and isolation, as the singer sits wishing for things to be different. She acknowledges that there are some things that can never be controlled or changed, such as the passing of time and the inevitability of growing old. Despite trying to adjust to her new life without her partner, she admits that she will never truly get used to living without them.
The repetition of the phrase "there's things you learn to live with" highlights the idea that we often have to adapt to difficult circumstances, even when we don't want to. The verses detailing the things the singer has learned to live with - eating breakfast alone, sitting in an empty house - paint a picture of a life that feels incomplete without the presence of the person she loved. The chorus, however, shows that she can never fully accept this new reality.
Overall, the lyrics of "Living Without You" capture the raw emotion and heartache of trying to move on after the end of a relationship. The singer recognizes that life will never be the same without her partner, but she also acknowledges her own role in their separation. It's a poignant and relatable song that many people will be able to connect with on a deeply personal level.
Line by Line Meaning
I can hear that old clock ticking, passing time up on the wall
I am painfully aware of the time passing by and how much I miss you
I can hear the faucet drippin' in the kitchen down the hall
Every little sound in this empty house brings back memories of when we were together
I just sit here wishin' there was something I could say
I feel helpless and powerless to express how much I miss you and how much I need you
To the one that I keep missing every night and every day
You are constantly on my mind and in my heart, no matter what I do or where I go
There's things you learn to live with, now that's all I ever do
I have accepted that some things in life are beyond my control and that all I can do is learn to live with them
But I'll never get used to living without you
No matter how much time passes, I will never be able to accept or get used to the fact that you are not here with me
Without you the sun still rises, without you the rivers run
The world around me keeps moving on without you, but it feels empty and meaningless without your presence
I thought by now that I'd be realizing, what's done is done
I thought that with time, I would come to terms with the fact that you are gone, but the pain and longing remains strong
I accept the notion that there's things you can't control
I have come to terms with the fact that life is unpredictable and some things are beyond my control
The changing of the seasons or the fact we're growing old
Whether it's the passing of time or the aging process, I have no control over these natural changes
And I know I'm the reason that you had to go away
I accept the responsibility for the mistakes I made that led to the end of our relationship
But I will keep believing that's the price I have to pay
Even though it hurts, I believe that the pain and loneliness is the price I must pay for my mistakes and losing you
Oh there's things you learn to live with, now that's all I ever do
I have learned to live with the pain and loneliness, but it's not something I will ever fully accept or get used to
But I never get used to livin' without you, without you, without you
No matter how hard I try, living without you will never feel right or normal
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JAMES RYAN BLACK, RICK JACKETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind