Ride Red Ride !!!

[EKE BBB]

I haven´t seen much previous discussion on this marvellous trumpet player (and vocalist)!

From redhotjazz:

Trumpet player, Henry "Red" Allen Jr. was the son of Henry Allen who was the leader of the Allen Brass Band of Algiers, Louisiana. Algiers is directly across the Mississippi River from New Orleans. As a teenager he played in his father's band, with George Lewis, the Excelsior Band and with the Sam Morgan Band.

In 1926 he left New Orleans to play with Sidney Desvigne's Southern Syncopaters on the riverboat Island Queen which ran between St. Louis and Cincinnati.

In 1927 he joined King Oliver's Dixie Syncopators while they were on tour in St. Louis. The tour didn't go well for Oliver, and the band kind of fell to pieces in New York, but Red made his first recordings while there with Clarence Williams.

Allen returned to New Orleans and played with Fats Pichon and then joined Fate Marable on the Strekfus riverboat Capitol where he would remain until 1928.

After being offered a Victor recording contract and jobs by both Duke Ellington and Luis Russell, he returned to New York. He made several recordings under his own name in 1929 for Victor, before joining Luis Russell and his Orchestra, staying with them until 1933.

He then joined the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra, replacing Rex Stewart as the group's featured soloist. During this time period Allen made several popular recordings with Coleman Hawkins, where he sang and played trumpet.

Starting in 1934 he joined Mills Blue Rhythm Band until he left them in 1937 to rejoin Luis Russell's band which was fronted by Louis Armstrong at that time. He stayed with them until 1940 when he began leading small groups in New York nightclubs and played on records by Jelly Roll Morton, and Sidney Bechet.

He continued to record his own records, as well as tour with Billie Holiday, and others throughout the 1940s.

In the 1950s and 1960s Red would continue to lead an active career recording with his old friends George Lewis, Coleman Hawkins, and with Kid Ory.

Red continued playing up until his death in 1966 from pancreatic cancer.

[EKE BBB]

From libertyhall.com:

Henry James Allen, Jr. "Red"

January 7, 1908 - April 17, 1967

Red Allen is one of the jazz immortals that migrated North from New Orleans in the 1920's. During an exceptional musical career that spanned six decades, he set many standards for big band trumpet soloists and, during the fifties and sixties, was the elder statesman of jazz. He is remembered for his highly creative and individualistic style which, as it developed and matured, anticipated many of the innovations introduced by younger generations of musicians. Many of his early recordings had a profound influence on musicians of the 1930's and must be assigned a significant place in the development of jazz. In a career that produced hundreds of recordings, it is a tribute to his dedication to the music, and his personal growth, that recordings made in the 1957-59 period are often cited as his best.

Henry Allen, Jr., an only child, was born to Henry and Juretta Allen, in Algiers, Louisiana (1908), the home base of his father's well known marching band which was formed in 1907 and continued to perform into the early 1950's. He wasted no time in making a career choice; at 8 he was marching with his dad's band and, at age 15, playing with The New Orleans Stompers led by jazz great George Lewis. In 1924 he played in the venerable Excelsior Band and in 1925 co-led a group with John Casimir. Captain John Handy led the house band at the Entertainers' Club and Red joined him for a while ('26) before departing for St. Louis and the St. Louis-Cinncinati riverboat Island Queen. Here he joined The Southern Syncopaters led by Sidney Desvigne.

During the winter of 1926-27 Treasury agents were successful in shutting down the major Chicago speakeasies and, consequently, put many musicians out of work. This included King Oliver's orchestra which in March, 1927 left Chicago to embark on a series of one-nighters. This road trip did not go well and the band, after several defections, wound up stranded in St. Louis. At this juncture, King Oliver sent for Red - recommended by Kid Ory and Paul Barbarin - who returned from New Orleans and joined the band. Fortunately, Oliver was offered a short stay at the Savoy Ballroom in New York: Red was to get his first trip to New York and, on the last days of his stay there, make his first recordings - with Clarence Williams for Victor. After two months at the Savoy, Oliver was offered a residence at the Cotton Club which he turned down (money), and which Duke Ellington accepted. Red returned home and played with Walter 'Fats' Pichon at the Pelican Cafe (summer 1927), and in the fall joined Fate Marable on the Strekfus riverboat Capitol where he would remain for more than a year.

In 1929 Red accepted a recording contract with Victor which was looking for someone to counter the immense success of Louis Armstrong's Okeh records. He returned to New York in the spring of that year - having been offered jobs with the Ellington and Russell bands - and, in addition to his own recordings, recorded with Walter Pichon and Teddy Bunn, The Luis Russell Band (which he joined), Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers, Victoria Spivey, and The Louis Armstrong Orchestra. These 1929 recordings were well received by the public and musicians alike, especially the July recordings with the Russell band. But it was several recordings cut during 1930 that revealed the depth of Red's talent, originality and creativity - Louisiana Swing, Saratoga Shout, and Stingeree Blues. In late 1931 Red filled in for Sidney de Paris at a Don Redman recording session (Brunswick) and contributed his memorable solo on Shakin' the African. In 1932 vocalist Billy Banks and Irving Mills organized a recording group that included Pee Wee Russell, Tommy Dorsey, Pops Foster, Coleman Hawkins, Fats Waller, Zutty Singleton, Gene Krupa, Al Morgan, Red Allen and others. The recordings, done in several sessions, are available under Billy Banks name as The Henry Allen Collection, 1932, Vol. 1 (Collector's Classics CD-1). As one might expect from such talented musicians, these are excellent recordings with some exceptional performances by Russell, Dorsey, Hawkins and Allen.

In early 1933 Red left the Luis Russell Orchestra and spent several months with Charlie Johnson's band, then joined The Fletcher Henderson Orchestra (June) replacing Rex Stewart as the group's leading soloist. Also, at this time, in partnership with Coleman Hawkins, he signed a recording contract with the American Record Co. (Columbia) and recorded many popular tunes of the day, almost all with Allen vocals.

Many would argue that the 1933-34 Henderson orchestra was the premier swing band of the 1930's. The group's superb personnel, combined with the extraordinary arranging talents of Fletcher and Horace Henderson, led to a number of jazz's most influential and important recordings, many featuring Hawkins and Allen solos. Many an improvised Allen solo was written into, and became a permanent part of, an Henderson arrangement. Much of Red's work on these sides is analyzed extensively in Schuller's The Swing Era. Financially, 1934 was a tough year for jazz bands and the Henderson orchestra was disbanded in late summer. In October, the Benny Goodman band was in a similar position and Goodman, along with John Hammond and Benny Carter, attempted to organize a European tour featuring more than a dozen well-known American musicians, including Red. The all-star group was to include personnel selected from a number of the best bands of the day, both black and white. However, according to down beat (Dec. 1934) problems with British booking agents could not be worked out and the tour never materialized.

In the fall of 1934 Red - along with his colleague, the great trombonist J.C. Higginbotham - joined Irving Mills' Blue Rhythm Band where he would remain until October 1936. The Mills Blue Rhythm Band often served as backup for Mills' other two major bands - Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington - and also accompanied several popular vocalists of the day. The band recorded for Columbia and in spite of the commercial nature of the sessions produced several notable recordings. The band consisted of top musicians and included a great brass section(22k jpeg). During this period Red also made many recordings under his own name, and some of the sides on the Collector's Classics label (CC13) - Henry Allen and His Orchestra, 1934-35, Volume 1 - are considered by many to represent some of his finest. From October through December, 1936 he often played at NYC's Hickory House with a group led by Eddie Condon and Joe Marsala. This quintet - which also included Joe Bushkin and Morty Stuhlmaker - was one of the first racially integrated groups to perform on 52nd street. Earlier in 1936, Red had recorded with Condon and Marsala, backing vocalist Putney Dandridge.

In March of 1937 Red began a 3+ year tenure with the Luis Russell band which featured Louis Armstrong. In recordings made by this band, he is buried in the brass section, but for performances he often received billing as well as a moderate amount of solo time. He continued to make his own recordings as well as some with Billie Holiday and Teddy Wilson, James P. Johnson, Lionel Hampton, Ida Cox, and others. The Armstrong-Russell band was dissolved in late summer 1940 following a grueling schedule of one night engagements. After gigs with Benny Goodman's sextet (10/40), Red formed his own sextet.

During the 1930's, Red had composed three numbers: Biffly Blues('29), Feeling Drowsy, and Ride Red Ride, the later being a derivative of Tiger Rag.

A comprehensive discography and forthright analysis of Red's early recordings is found in the Evensmo and Borthen reference. This book is highly recommended.

In late 1940 the new sextet opened a one year residence at Cafe Society in New York where, at various times, the group featured Billie Holiday, Lena Horne and Art Tatum. After a long stay at the Ken Club in Boston, often visited by Sidney Bechet, the group traveled to the Downbeat Room, Garrick Stage Lounge in Chicago in mid-1942, to Kelly's Stable, and then back to Chicago in October 1943 for a year and a half. After a short trip to San Francisco the sextet returned to the Onyx in New York (10/45 until 6/46). Billie Holiday was often featured at the Chicago and New York engagements. The next several years would continue to see the group's time divided primarily between Chicago, Boston, and New York. Occasionally Red, who was influenced to some degree by the boppers, would stop at Minton's Playhouse to join a be-bop jam session. To dispel any idea that this influence got out of hand, one is referred to a description of one such session. The Red Allen-J.C. Higginbotham Orchestra performed at the Carnegie Hall 'Poll Winners Concert' in March of 1947 and, Red participated in the 'Cavalcade of Jazz' broadcast (NBC Chicago) in May of '47 along with Dinah Washington, Hot Lips Page, Jack Teagarden, J.C. Higginbotham, and others.

During the forties Red's recording activity was limited when compared to his 1930's output. He recorded with Jelly Roll Morton ('40), Sidney Bechet ('41), and his own sextet ('42/43,'44,'46). The '42/43 recordings were made for the Armed Forces Radio network and played overseas. Live radio broadcasts were recorded in New York in 1947 (WNEW Saturday Night Swing Session) and, Red and Bobby Hackett were recorded live from Bill Green's Rustic Lodge, No. Brunswick, N.J., on several occasions ('49-'51). In 1951 he returned to New Orleans for a vacation and, also, for a recording session with clarinetist George Lewis with whom he had played nearly 30 years earlier.

From 1952-54 Red played at Nick's, the Stuyvesant Casino, and enjoyed long engagements at the Central Plaza Cafe (NY) and the Savoy Cafe (Boston). From the Central Plaza Red's band, with Willie 'The Lion' Smith, participated in the WMGM 'Dr. Jazz' broadcasts in 1952. Their broadcasts are preserved on Dr. Jazz, Vol. 9: a Storyville CD (STCD 6049). In 1954 he became the house bandleader at the Metropole Cafe (NYC), beginning what he later referred to as the seven year gig. The Metropole had two bands which played continuously from 7:30 p.m. 'til 3:30 a.m., and for several years there were even matinees (1:30 - 7:30). Other resident players at the Metropole included Cozy Cole, Charlie Shavers, J.C. Higginbotham, Buster Bailey, and Claude Hopkins. For several years, the 'other' band was co-led by Coleman Hawkins and Roy Eldridge. Also, in August 1954 Red Allen's Metropole All-Stars appeared on CBS-TV with Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey and their orchestra. During fall 1956 Red Allen and an all star sextet - The Natural Giants - appeared on the Steve Allen Show.

On July 4, 1957 Red's group, joined by Jack Teagarden and Kid Ory, was recorded live from the Newport Jazz Festival and, in December, he appeared on CBS's TV-special The Sound of Jazz which featured Billie Holiday and included a number of jazz greats. This excellent performance, directed by Whitney Balliett and Nat Hentoff, is available on videocassette. A rehearsal held four days before the TV show is also available as a Columbia CD, The Sound of Jazz. The Allen All Stars' two numbers - Wild Man Blues and Rosetta - are available from the show's soundtrack on Phoenix(LP24) and Pumpkin(116) records.

In March-April 1957 Red reunited with Coleman Hawkins (their last recording had been in 1933) to record 11 tunes for RCA-Victor, subsequently re-issued on a Bluebird CD - World On A String. An excellent rhythm section led by Marty Napoleon(p) provides the foundation for some great Allen and Hawkins solos. For Red, his solos on I Cover The Waterfront and Love is Just Around The Corner are often cited by critics as among his best. Also, check out 'SWonderful, played at a blistering tempo.

More excellent recordings were made with Coleman Hawkins on December 16,1957 (Standards And War Horses) and August 8, 1958 (Stormy Weather) under the Jazz Groove label. These sessions have been re-issued on Jass CD-002 (USA). In March of 1958 Red traveled to San Francisco to accompany Langston Hughes in a reading of his poetry. At this time the 'Jazz and Poetry' movement was in full revival. This Leonard Feather-Charles Mingus production, Weary Blues, is available on CD from Polygram-Verve,1990. In 1959 Red recorded 14 sides with Kid Ory which were also well received.

In the fall of 1959 Red accompanied Kid Ory and his Dixielanders to Europe - it was Red's first visit and he enjoyed it immensely, as did European audiences, reviewers, and critics. Red was particularly well-received in Britain and would return again in 1963 and 1964, this time to play with the Alex Welsh Band. During the '64 tour, he received an award in Manchester for his contributions to jazz music.

In the early sixties Red continued to play at the Metropole, as well as other NYC jazz spots - particularly The Embers, and made occasional trips to Boston and Chicago. In September, 1961 the Allen Quartet had two live recording sessions at the London House in Chicago, followed by a third early the following year, and a fourth in March, 1963. Red's orchestra also produced 12 sides for Verve Records in late 1960. In October 1962 Red's All-Stars opened the fall jazz season at the Caton Inn, Brooklyn.

In July of 1964, a benefit to help with medical expenses was held for Eddie Condon at Carnegie Hall. Eddie was upset that the event featured two 'big bands' (Bob Crosby's and Woody Herman's) rather than his favored dixieland ensembles. However, Red Allen's moving vocal on I Ain't Got Nobody -- backed by Pee Wee Russell, J.C. Higginbotham, Willie 'The Lion' Smith -- turned out to be the highlight of the concert, removing some of the salt from Condon's wounds. In 1965 Red played at the Monterey Jazz Festival and then began a residence at the Blue Spruce Inn on Long Island with a quartet that included Lannie Scott/Sammy Price (p), Benny Moten (b), and George Reed (dr). Live recordings were made at the Blue Spruce Inn during June and August of 1965. In late 1965 Red's quartet moved to the L'Intrigue Club and then, in early 1966, to Jimmy Ryan's, on 54th Street.

Sadly - at age 58 - Red was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in late 1966. Nevertheless he embarked on another tour of Britain with the Alex Welsh Band, returning home only six weeks before his death, April 17, 1967.

On June 4, 1967 a Jazz Tribute to the Late, Great Henry 'Red' Allen was held at The Riverboat in the Empire State Building. Some of Red's friends who performed were Coleman Hawkins, Earl Hines, J.C. Higginbotham, Roy Eldridge, Bobby Hackett, Vic Dickenson, Pee Wee Russell, Zutty Singleton, Wilber de Paris, Tyree Glenn, Sonny Greer, Tom Gwaltney, Lou Metcalfe, 'Big Chief' Russell Moore, Bud Freeman, Charlie Shavers, Tony Parenti, Buddy Tate, Clark Terry, Yank Lawson, Sol Yaged, Jonah Jones, and Jo Jones.

- John Ciccolo, 11/96 - 

[EKE BBB]

[EKE BBB]

[EKE BBB]

Henry Allen, Onyx, N.Y., ca. May 1946

(William P. Gottlieb)

[EKE BBB]

Luis Russell's Orchestra

Left to Right: Red Allen, Greeley Walton, Paul Barbarin, Charlie Holmes, Luis Russell, Albert Nicholas, Will Johnson, Pops Foster, J.C. Higginbotham, Otis Johnson

[EKE BBB]

On his style:

(from duke.edu pages)

At first, like most of the other trumpeters of the swing era, Allen's style was modeled after Louis Armstrong, one of the most reknowned trumpet style pioneers. Allen developed his technical skills to the same extent. Actually it has been said that when playing a solo from I ain't got nobody (1929), Allen sounds exactly like Armstrong and an expert listener would not be able to tell the two apart. Allen began truly distinguishing himself with his own style as he continued growing as a musician in Russell's and Henderson's respective bands.

Allen developed a personal manner characterized by a fluid, legato articulation, a remarkably free concept of rhythm in which he seemed to ingnore the fixed pulse, a wide dynamic range, and above all a large arsenal of timbral effects (lip trills, smears, rips, glissandos, spattered notes, and growls).

In the sixties, free-jazz players took note of all of this as they searched for options beside playing trumpet in the normal bop style.

Although famous in the 1930's for his flamboyant middle- and high-register solos, in the 1950's, he cultivated an expressive, quasivocal manner in the low register as a complement to his jazz singing. Gradually he came to reject his swing legacy and concentrate on the New Orleans ensemble format and repertory, particularly the blues, of which he was an outstanding interpreter.

[Clunky]

I recently picked up an LP of Vol 1 of Red Allen on RCA France. Stuff from 1929/30 from around the same period he was with Russell.

It's astonishingly modern sounding , really invigorating and therefore highly recommeded. I keep on promising myself to get the Russell 2CD set on Retrieval- one day soon....

[LAL]

This disc is highly recommended for his later work and has Hawk in the lineup.

...and the music of Luis Russell's band is just wonderful, uplifted no doubt by Red's playing.

[jazzbo]

I have all the volumes in the Collector's Classics series with J. R. T. Davies remastering and treasure them!

Red was one of a kind!

[EKE BBB]

Another big for the music he recorded with Luis Russell (under the latter´s name or as Henry Red Allen and his New York Orchestra).

And for the Hawk-Red pair, check their 1933 recordings for Brunswick (rejected at the time) and Banner labels.

As an aside note:

I find Satchmo´s influence in early Red Allen to go further than simply trumpet playing. Allen´s vocals (very remarkable, IMHO) come directly from Armstrong´s singing style (and even tone, sometimes). Check "Hush my mouth (if I ain´t goin´ south)" or "The river´s taking care of me" (1933), as an example.

[P.D.]

I haven´t seen much previous discussion on this marvellous trumpet player (and vocalist)!

EKE.. you should visit the other joint a bit more often

The greatest recording debut.

[EKE BBB]

I haven´t seen much previous discussion on this marvellous trumpet player (and vocalist)!

EKE.. you should visit the other joint a bit more often

The greatest recording debut.

I was meaning on this board but....

.... yes, I should!

[EKE BBB]

I haven´t seen much previous discussion on this marvellous trumpet player (and vocalist)!

EKE.. you should visit the other joint a bit more often

The greatest recording debut.

BTW: I´ve been listening to that session this morning. I have it on Classics label. So, no alternate takes.

I don´t know if that is the greatest recording debut, but it´s rough enough for me!

Edited September 29, 2004 by EKE BBB

[P.D.]

You should invest in theJSP.. ( I have all the Classics too), and I'm not particularily an Audiophile.. but the collection is first class, and the extra music is really worthwhile...

I'll take all the Red I can get

Edited September 29, 2004 by P.D.

[Dr. Rat]

Allen was defintiely something else. I really liked the self assurance of his playing on "Queer Notions" with Henderson. I used to have a collection of his stuff he did for Columbia? or RCA when they were running him as their version of Armstrong, and those recordings struck me as rather self-conscious and uncomfortable.

It's too bad Allen didn't get to play more in the sort of context Eldridge had with the small band he put together with his brother Joe.

(Who, by the way, is another guy who I really like on "swing modernism" sort of pieces.)

--eric

[Chuck Nessa]

Do not overlook the Billy Banks/Jack Bland Rhythmakers sessions. Wonderful Red and Pee Wee too.

[jazzbo]

Yes, that Billy Banks/Jack Bland stuff is great!

[Dr. Rat]

Do not overlook the Billy Banks/Jack Bland Rhythmakers sessions. Wonderful Red and Pee Wee too.

Oh yeah! I've even developed a real taste for Billy Banks, whom I hated on first listening.

But I've since come to terms with show biz, and now I'm all about "Oh, Peter."

Yet another conversion story!

--eric

[BERIGAN]

This disc is highly recommended for his later work and has Hawk in the lineup.

...and the music of Luis Russell's band is just wonderful, uplifted no doubt by Red's playing.

Another for this one! The JSP's are great!

[EKE BBB]

Are there any volume for Red Allen on Neatwork label? That would complement my Classics (though not with JRT Davies remasters).

[EKE BBB]

Are there any volume for Red Allen on Neatwork label? That would complement my Classics (though not with JRT Davies remasters).

Gotcha!

HENRY "RED" ALLEN Neatwork 2031 The Alternative Takes, Vol. 1 : 1929-1941

24 tracks , 75 min, highly recommended. Though it says "29-41" only a rejected OKeh take of KK Boogie from '41 is later than '35, with 22 tracks from '29-33. The first 11 tracks are Red with His New York Orch (actually Luis Russel's mostly New Orleans orch. with such greats as Albert Nicholas, JC Higginbotham & Pops Foster, on a series of initially unissued Victor sides from '29-30. The next sessions find Red as a sideman with various bands with vocalist Billy Banks, with such greats as Gene Krupa, PeeWee Russel, Eddie Condon & Joe Sullivan, along with a ARC session as The Rhythmakers from 7/26/32 with Banks, Peewee, Condon, Fats Waller et al, & a 10/8/32 sessions as by Jack Bland & his Rhythmakers with Peewee, Condon, Tommy Dorsey. A rejected Call Of The Delta by Buster Bailey & His Seven Chocolate Dandies was done for Vocalion & includes Higginbotham, Bennie Carter & arranged by Fletcher Henderson. (GM)

Tracks:

1. It should be you / 2. It should be you / 3. Feelin' drowsy / 4. Feelin' drowsy / 5. Swing out / 6. Make a country bird fly wild / 7. Singing pretty songs / 8. I fell in love with you / 9. Oh! Peter (You're so nice) / 10. I would do anything for you / 11. Mean old bed bug blues / 12. Yes, suh! / 13. Who stole the lock (On the hen house door)? / 14. A shine on your shoes / 15. A shine on your shoes / 16. Believe it, beloved

I´m afraid this will be my first Neatwork! -_-

[Clunky]

I got Billy Banks's Rhythmakers (1932), CBS LP yesterday and it is astonishingly hot jazz of the highest order, highly recommended, although Banks is a vocalist it's really the instrumentalists who shine here. If only there was more like this !!!

[Harold_Z]

I got Billy Banks's Rhythmakers (1932), CBS LP yesterday and it is astonishingly hot jazz of the highest order, highly recommended, although Banks is a vocalist it's really the instrumentalists who shine here. If only there was more like this !!!

And how!

I had to look back through this thread - I'm surprised I haven't posted here yet. Red is one of those guys who've made my "get everything you can" list.

The Rhythmakers records are terrific. Lots of great players here and lots to listen to. I often wonder if this session set the blueprint for the Fats Waller and his Rhythm dates to follow.

Another high point - Pee Wee Russell's tenor solo on "I Would Do Anything." Pee Wee could have been an R&B honker in the 50s, and Red consistently adds to and pushes the heat on every tune.

Tis is one of the great recording bands in Jazz history. I think it's somewhat overlooked.

[jazzbo]

I just HAVE to say. . . .

WOMP! WOMP!