max allard
"A new mature and poetic voice on the 5 string banjo. Beautiful compositions and a very nice touch.”
— Béla Fleck
Max Allard is a banjoist, multi-instrumentalist and composer from Chicago. Max has always been interested in harmony, and he brings the influences of many genres, cultures and styles of music to his compositions, which are an unclassifiable mix of bluegrass, jazz, new acoustic, classical, and pop.
Max received a Bachelor of Music in Composition from Oberlin Conservatory, where he performed the world premiere of his banjo concerto with the Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble, under the direction of Tim Weiss.
Max’s solo debut album, Odes / Codes was released in January 2022 and produced by Jayme Stone. He released his project March Maxness in 2023, which was 31 tracks written in 31 days of March 2021.
Max is currently the full time banjo player for the progressive bluegrass band Full Cord. He is a founding member of the bluegrass chamber ensemble EZRA. Max regularly performs as a solo artist and in a duo with his brother Otto Allard. He also tours with the Michigan based band Westbound Situation and the Virginia based band Hackensaw Boys.
Founded by award-winning composer and multi-instrumentalist Jesse Jones, EZRA is Jacob Jolliff (mandolin), Max Allard (banjo), Craig Butterfield (double bass), and Jones (guitar and piano).
With a focus on collaboration, the group has performed and recorded with musical polymath and instrument inventor Mark Stewart, composer Elizabeth Ogonek, pianist/Moog-master Xak Bjerken, and has been in residence at several universities, including Cornell, Oberlin College, University of South Carolina, UNC Chapel Hill, Appalachian State University, and East Carolina University. EZRA has released four albums, the debut album EZRA (March 2024), Earth to EZRA (September 2024), Froggy’s Demise (May 2025), and Whippersnap (April 2026).
Visit the EZRA website for more information on all of these albums.
photo by Tanya Rosen Jones
“…what I can only call an acoustic supergroup.”
"The kind of overwhelming talent that doesn’t need a crew behind him to fill your ears with sound..."
—chris spector
midwest record
"It’s a beast of an album…a testament to Max's versatility and musicianship."
—Rick Stuart
Roots & Fusion, UK
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