He has performed live and recorded with Scott Hamilton, a tenor saxophonist to whom Allen has frequently been compared.

[2] In high school he was an exceptional talent able to play tunes such as Body and Soul in the style of tenor players Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, and Flip Phillips.

[3] While in high school Allen was also influenced by recordings of Scott Hamilton.

[2] Allen was described by C. Michael Bailey as "the 'Frank Sinatra' of the tenor saxophone: a master interpreter of standards" in 2008.

[4] Along with Scott Hamilton, Allen was considered by British critic Dave Gelly in 2004 to be one of the "finest exponents of swing tenor alive today" in a review of their album Heavy Juice.