Search - Henry Red Allen :: Henry Red Allen 1933-1935

The magnificent Red Allen

Bomojaz | South Central PA, USA | 03/13/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This, I think, is the best of the 6 volumes to appear on Classics so far covering the complete recordings of Allen (it is the second volume). Basically recording with pick-up bands, these are among Red's finest early sides. Such gems as "You're gonna lose your gal," I wish I were twins," "Rug cutter swing," and "Rosetta" are included. Red was required to plug pop hits of the day, and some songs are just so bad not even Red Allen can save them. But some others aren't too bad at all, and Red does marvels with them; he sings on quite a few sides, usually to good effect. Recommended."

Classic Small Group Jazz

Nathan C. Larson | Los Angeles, CA USA | 10/11/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"During the classic period of Jazz from which these recordings come (mid 30's-early 40's), there were a handful of artists who produced there own extended series of small group recordings. First and foremost on this list are the great series that Billie Holliday & Teddy Wilson did for Brunswick, Vocalion and Columbia between 1935 & '42, and the the famous "Fats Waller And His Rhythm" recordings for RCA from 1934 until 1943. Beginning in 1937 Lionel Hampton began his own very important series of All Star small group recordings for RCA that would extend for several years. Aside from these, it seems that Red Allen's series for ARC and Vocalion, which began in 1934, is the only other such series from this most luminous period in Jazz that is comparable in both volume and stature.



This is not to say that there are not plenty of other sources of great small group Jazz from this period elsewhere, but rather that given the length of these groups of of recordings, and their importance to our understanding of Jazz style, they have an especial status within the cannon of Classic Jazz. I do not mention the great small group recordings by Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Bob Crosby etc. within this context because their recordings were almost entirely made with personnel within there own respective orchestras, and can be seen as supplemental to the larger scope of their recorded output."