Red Allen - The Jazz Archive

discos & books:
Brian Rust: Jazz Records 1897-1942
Codrich & Dixon: Blues & Gospel Records
Grunnet Jepsen: Jazz Records 1942-1962
Walter C.Allen: Hendersonia
Tom Bethell: Ceorge Lewis
Egino Biagioni: Herb Flemming
J. Chilton: Who´s Who Of Jazz / S.Bechet
Eddie Condon: Scrapbook of Jazz
Driggs & Lewine: Black Beauty,White Heat
Jan Evensmo: Solography-series
William Gottlieb: Golden Age Of Jazz
Tom Lord: Clarence Williams
Albert McCarthy: Big Band Jazz
David Meeker: Jazz In The Moovies
M.Selchow & K.Lohmann: Edmond Hall
Dr.Klaus Stratemann: Negro Bands On Film
dito: Duke Ellington-day by day,film by film
Ken Vail: The Life Of Billie Holiday
Bozy White: Eddie Condon Town Hall Conc.
HENRY ALLEN by Alun Morgan-Jazz Monthly 11/66
IN THE COURSE OF working with Henry "Red" Allen
on an autobiographical volume, the Editor took the opportunity
of raising a number of discographical points.
Henry Allen has an unusually retentive memory and
was able to clear up many outstanding matters.
In the Walter Allen-Brian Rust King Oliver discography
(Sidgwick and Jackson edition-page 110) it is suggested
that Allen might have beeen present on an Oliver date of
July 8th, 1927 wlich produced an unissued version of
Aunt Jemina. Allen states quite categorically that he was
not on this session and that he did not record with
Oliver prior to January 1930. His first session was that
of January 28, 1930, for Victor, and he agrees with the
personnel given in the Allen-Rust book (page 155)
except that he says there were only three saxes and not
four. He gives the third “unknown” sax as Walter
Wheeler (ten). For the session of April 10, 1930 that
produced Edna, Boogie woogie and Mule face blues
(Allen-Rust pages 158-9) he again agrees with the listed
personnel but says that the pianist was definitely
Norman Lester. For the September 10, 1930 session that
produced Shake it and break it and Stingaree blues he
claims that Arthur Taylor is the banjoist while the unknown
tuba player is Lawson Buford, but says that
Bubber Miley was on trumpet along with himself and
Oliver. He can recall little on the September 12, 1930
date (Allen-Rust page 162) but thinks that vocalist
George Bias was the leader.
Henry Allen is insistent that he made a number of
titles with the Rev. J.M.Gates and recalls Dead Cat on
the line as one of the titles. He says that the session was
for Victor and that it took place in New York City. The
title was first recorded in Atlanta on March 18, 1929
and was issued on Okeh 8684, but despite a note to the
effect that he was present, in Blues and Gospel Records
1902-1942 no trumpet can be heard. The title was
recorded again by Gates inNew York City – as Dead cat
on the line No.2,
- VIII -
REFERENCES
press papers 1910-1967
BAA=Baltimore Afro American(weekly)
CD= Chicago Defender (weekly)
LAT=Los Angeles Times (daily)
NYA=New York Age Defender (weekly)
NYAN=New York Amsterdam News (weekly)
NYT=New York Times (daily)
PC =Pittsburgh Courier (weekly)
VV = New York Village VOICE (weekly)
record-magazins:
Micrography (Dick Backer-NL)
Collector´s Items (John Holley)
Meritt Society (Jerry Valburn)
jazz magazines:
Down Beat;; Bulletin DHCDF; Jazz Information
Jazz Beat; Jazz Hot (Delauney); J. Journal Intern;
Jazz ; Jazz Monthly.; Jazz Records (Art Hodes);
Melody Maker (M.Jones); orkestra journalien;
Storyville (Laurie Wright, J.R.T.Davies, How.Rye);
sample source for the RED ALLEN DISCO
issued on Okeh 8799- in Oct.1930 and yet again as New
dead cat on the line (Bluebird B-5627) in August 1934.
The latter, according to Blues and Gospel Records, was
recorded in Atlanta. Any readers having Okeh 8799 or
Bluebird B-5627 might check as to whether a trumpet is
present and we would welcome information on this.
Allen made numerous records under his own name
and cleared up various doubtful points. On the Allen-
Hawkins Someday sweetheart and I wish I could
shimmy like my sister Kate, issued on Pirate MPC513,
he lists the unknown guitarist, bassist and drummer as
Lawrence Lucie, John Kirby and Walter Johnson
respectively.For the session of August 31, 1936, titles
being Darling, not without you / Out where the blues
begins (Vocalion 3305) and I´ll sing a thousand love
songs / Picture me without you (Vocalion 3306), he says
that the disco-graphies are wrong in giving Ted McRae
on tenor as the musician was in fact Cecil Scott. For the
session of No-vember 17, 1936-Did you mean it?/ In the
chapel in the moonlight (Vocalion 3377) and Here´s
love in your eyes / When my dreamboat comes home
(Vocalion 3389)- he says that the personnel is as for the
October 12 session except that Cecil Scott replaces Ted
McRae. To the pub-lished personnels of the December
29, 1936 sessions he adds John Williams (bs) and
Alphonse Steele (d), while he confirms that Bingie
Madison and Paul Barbarin were definitely present in
the session of June 19,1937.
Finally, Henry Allen mentioned that he had never recorded
with Haven Johnson(see below) but in referring to a
Putney Dandridge session of August2, 1935, the titles
being I´m in the mood for love / That´s what you think
(Vocalion 3007), Isn´t this a lovely day / Cheek to cheek
(Vocalion 3006) and Shine (Vocalion 3024), said that
Buster Bailey was on other titles than Shine and that on
Isn´t this a lovely day he took a solo on alto sax. Henry
Allen told the editor that when he recently mentioned
this to Bailey the latter denied knowledge of it but is
absolutely certain that he (Allen) is right.