Red Allen Chapters 9 - The Jazz Archive

quickly - particularly in the case of the
Welsh and Turner bands, where the
various musicians fitted in as though they
had been led by Red for twenty years.
Once Red took the stage it became
obvious that he is a thorough professional
as well as one of the most telling
weapons in the jazz armoury.
It is possible that there are better jazz
trumpeters than Red, but I can think of
none, traditional or modern, who can play
such an unwavering stream of tasteful and
apparently limitless jazz. For there is no
question that Mr. Allen is one hundred
per cent a jazz musician.
AUDIENCE REACTION
It was remarkable also to watch the
way in which Red handled his audience.
Hardened jazz fans usually sit stonyfaced
and glassy-eyed with awe in the
face of one of their idols, but on these
nights Red had everyone involved and
singing to his requirements with no
trouble at all. I don't believe I have seen
any artiste give such a concentrated and
yet relaxed performance - and I don't
think any one member of the audience
would have thought for one second of
asking for a penny of their money back.
Red mixed with his audience, too. He
is one of the most likeable and
appreciative Americans - his only worry
during his stay was that no one would let
him buy drinks for anyone. His delightful
asides (for instance, his repeated yells to
Jack Swinnerton in mid-number - "How's
my man Jack") and his immediate
compliance with any requests for
numbers or auto-graphs endeared him in a
way which will never be forgotten. ("He
just sat there and talked to me!" said
someone in ecstatic delight after Red had
signed his shirt during the interval.
What were the highlights ? It was ALL
highlights, but my own personal
thermometer blew over on hearing the
Alex Welsh band entirely integrated
behind Allen's lead - Roy Crimmins
always amazes on these occasions, and
other outstanding individual performances
came from Alex, Lennie
Hastings and Ronnie Mathieson. But the
Welsh band succeeded as a group, and
were probably the ideal European group
for the job. A CHALLENGE
Saturday brought Red the challenge of
Sandy Brown's very creative and
unorthodox settings. In this group, Red's
pithy and sometimes almost saxlike tone
stood out very clearly. Danny Moss, for me
our finest tenorist, reverted
subconsciously to early Ben Webster
sounds and blew with great heart and
taste-shades of the late 'thirties and
memories of Chuck Berry's records with
Red in all this.
But the individual who reacted most of
all to the Allen stimulus was predic-tably
Bruce Turner. After due thought, I am
convinced that this was Bruce's finest
hour and the way in which Red enthused
over him had no basis in flattery.
Suddenly the scene was 52nd Street in
1940, and one found that Red, whose
musical associates over the years have
- 127-
Jack Swinnerton-Red Allen-“Jenks“ Jenkins, at the MSG
Red Allen with a tankward from the Welsh band and a silver tea set for
Pearlie Mae from the MSG
usually been Coleman Hawkins, Jay C.
Higginbotham and Buster Bailey, was
suddenly home.
Pete Strange, already a convincing
threat to Roy Crimmins as a trombonist,
followed through as indeed did Ray
Crane and the superb rhythm section led
by Johnny Armitage and Jim Bray.
Jenks and Jack Swinnerton are already
discussing who to bring over next. As
far as I'm concerned they can keep on
bringing Red Allen. At the moment I
don't really think I want to hear anyone
else - unless they have Red Allen with
them ! This has been a brave experiment
which has been an enor-mous success in
jazz terms.
But the real honours must go to Jenks,
one of the most talented organisers I
have encountered; to Jack Swinnerton,
who is one of the people who really
likes jazz; to Betty, who debts for Jenks
and who did such a good job in washing
Red's shirts, and to the staff who pulled
God knows how many different kinds of
muscles in keeping us all supplied by
the finest bar service in many miles.
I think it is true to say that everyone
involved in the operation was in it for
the sake of jazz and not for financial
gain. When you think about that, you
will realise that this is something
remarkable. It is only right that such
efforts should be tnet with a success
which will stay, in my memory at least,
for ever.
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