Jazz history is full of innovators, interpreters, and individualists. The innovators change the way that the music is played and influence both their contemporaries and future generations while the interpreters perform the mainstream of the day or earlier styles, contributing fresh ideas to the music. The individualists are unique players who have their own sound and/or style. While they may not be major influences on others, they add to the legacy of jazz through their colorful musical personalities. Henry “Red” Allen was an individualist.
The last great trumpeter to emerge from New Orleans in the 1920s and arguably the most advanced of all of them. Allen’s playing remained unpredictable throughout his career. He was mostly heard in Dixieland, trad jazz and swing settings but the trumpeter tended to be more modern than his repertoire and his bands. His playing was quite speechlike and conversational, his phrasing sometimes almost ignored the beat, and he had a wide array of sounds, smears, and growls that sounded unlike anyone else. Allen was also an underrated vocalist who sang a bit like his trumpet playing and was a natural and masterful showman.
Henry "Red" Allen And His Orchestra - 1929-1933 {The Chronological Classics, 540} [71:35]
01. It Should Be You (3:10)
02. Biff'ly Blues (3:26)
03. Feeling Drowsy (3:37)
04. Swing Out (3:18)
05. Make A Country Bird Fly Wild (3:27)
06. Funny Feathers Blues (2:58)
07. How Do They Do It That Way? (3:20)
08. Pleasin' Paul (2:54)
09. Sugar Hill Function (3:03)
10. You Might Get Better, But You'll Never Get Well (3:07)
11. Everybody Shout (2:28)
12. Dancing Dave (3:12)
13. Roamin' (3:39)
14. Singing Pretty Songs (3:20)
15. Patrol Wagon Blues (3:22)
16. I Fell In Love With You (3:30)
17. Someday, Sweetheart (2:57)
18. I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate (2:45)
19. The River's Takin' Care Of Me (2:40)
20. Ain'tcha Got Music? (2:48)
21. Stringin' Along On A Shoe String (2:47)
22. Shadows On The Swanee (2:44)
23. Hush My Mouth (If It Ain't Goin' South) (3:01)
Henry "Red" Allen And His Orchestra - 1935-1936 {The Chronological Classics, 575} [71:43]
01. I Found A Dream (3:15)
02. On Treasure Island (2:57)
03. Red Sails Into The Sunet (2:59)
04. Take Me Back To My Boots And Saddle (3:15)
05. The Touch Of Your Lips (2:56)
06. Lost (3:07)
07. I'll Bet You Tell That To All The Girls (3:16)
08. Every Minute Of The Hour (3:02)
09. You (3:00)
10. Tormented (3:07)
11. Nothing's Blue But The Sky (2:37)
12. Would You? (2:44)
13. Take My Heart (3:03)
14. Chloe (Song Of The Swamp) (3:04)
15. You're Not The Kind (2:47)
16. On The Beach At Bali-Bali (2:38)
17. When Did You Leave Heaven? (3:06)
18. Am I Asking So Much? (3:00)
19. Until Today (3:11)
20. Algiers Stomp (2:55)
21. Darling, Not Without You (3:15)
22. I'll Sing You A Thousand Love Songs (2:49)
23. Picture Me Without You (2:45)
24. (Trouble Ends) Out Where The Blue Begins (2:57)
Henry "Red" Allen And His Orchestra - 1936-1937 {The Chronological Classics, 590} [53:48]
01. Midnight Blue (2:59)
02. Lost In My Dreams (2:43)
03. Sitting On The Moon (2:49)
04. Whatcha Gonna Do When There Ain't No Swing? (3:01)
05. Did You Mean It? (2:31)
06. In The Chapel In The Moonlight (2:44)
07. Here's Love In Your Love (2:40)
08. When My Dream Boat Comes Home (2:40)
09. I Adore You (2:44)
10. He Ain't Got Rhythm (2:42)
11. This Year's Kisses (2:52)
12. Let's Put Our Heads Together (2:46)
13. After Last Night With You (2:47)
14. Goodnight, My Lucky Day (2:59)
15. There's A Kitchen Up In Heaven (2:18)
16. I Was Born To Swing (2:30)
17. Sticks And Stones (2:25)
18. Meet Me In The Moonlight (2:53)
19. Don't You Care What Anyone Says? (2:21)
20. A Love Song Of Long Ago (2:25)
Henry "Red" Allen And His Orchestra - 1937-1941 {The Chronological Classics, 628} [59:03]
01. Till The Clock Strikes Three (2:30)
02. The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down (2:49)
03. You'll Never Go To Heaven (If You Break My Heart) (2:54)
04. The Miller's Daughter, Marianne (2:50)
05. I Owe You (2:41)
06. Have You Ever Been In Heaven? (2:27)
07. (Is It) Love Or Infatuation? (2:37)
08. Can I Forget You? (2:44)
09. Down In Jungle Town (2:50)
10. Canal Street Blues (3:08)
11. King Porter Stomp (2:36)
12. Shim Me Sha Wabble (3:12)
13. K. K. Boogie (3:09)
14. Sometimes I'm Happy - Part 1 (3:17)
15. Sometimes I'm Happy - Part 2 (3:12)
16. Ol' Man River (3:08)
17. A Sheridan ''Square'' (3:22)
18. Siesta At The Fiesta (3:14)
19. Indiana (3:15)
20. Jack The Bellboy (3:09)
Henry "Red" Allen - 1944-1947 {The Chronological Classics, 1067} [74:42]
01. The Theme (6:01)
02. Ride! Red! Ride! (2:32)
03. Just A Feeling (3:25)
04. Dark Eyes (2:57)
05. Dear Old Southland (3:31)
06. Red Jump (3:08)
07. Get The Mop (3:40)
08. The Crawl (2:57)
09. Buzz Me (2:45)
10. Drink Hearty (2:45)
11. Get The Mop (2:45)
12. Count Me Out (2:40)
13. Check Up (3:05)
14. If It's Love You Want (2:53)
15. Let Me Miss You (2:55)
16. Dark Eyes (3:34)
17. Sweet Lorraine (3:27)
18. Indiana (8:39)
19. Mr. Wamp Walks (2:57)
20. Old Fool, Do You Know Me? (2:36)
21. Bill's Downbeat (2:27)
22. A Shanty In Old Shanty Town (3:05)
