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Henry "Red" Allen

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.

Joe Satriani Bass Sideman & Mermen Co-Founder Allen Whitman Releases 4th Ambient Soundtrack "The Eternal City'

Source: Glass Onyon PR - William James
November 10, 2024

Allen Whitman, former bassist with legendary virtuoso guitarist Joe Satriani and co-founder of the influential San Francisco-based instrumental surf-rock trio The Mermen, announces the digital-only release (through label Squeakey Studios) of his 4th soundtrack/ambient travel log album The Eternal City. The album, his 4th in a series, continues the artist’s predilection for incorporating acoustic guitar-driven sonic environments with samples and synths—and this time out forwarding the in-your-face pace of that Grande Dame of cities, Rome. The sounds, making use of ...
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Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Henry "Red" Allen

Source: Michael Ricci
January 7, 2023

All About Jazz is celebrating Henry “Red" Allen's birthday today!

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 ...
read more