Henry ‘Red’ Allen was an American trumpeter and singer,. He was the first to incorporate Louis Armstrong’s trumpet innovations and he was a Downbeat poll winner for both trad and modern trumpet. He’s your Phantom Dancer featured artist this week.

The Phantom Dancer is your weekly non-stop mix of swing and jazz from live 1920s-60s radio and TV every week.

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HENRY

Born in New Orleans, Henry James “Red” Allen, Jr was the son of the bandleader Henry Allen Sr. His first trumpet lessons were with Peter Bocage and Manuel Manetta.

Starting in Sidney Desvigne’s Southern Syncopators, Allen was playing professionally at age 15 (in 1924) with the Excelsior Brass Band and the jazz dance bands of Sam Morgan, George Lewis and John Casimir.

He played on riverboats on the Mississippi River, then went to Chicago in 1927 to join King Oliver’s band. He made recordings in the band of Clarence Williams.

Returning briefly to New Orleans, he worked with the bands of Fate Marable and Fats Pichon, and was offered a recording contract with Victor Records. This took him to New York City in 1929, where he joined the Luis Russell band and was a featured soloist until 1932.

Allen played on recording sessions organized by Eddie Condon, some of which featured Fats Waller and Tommy Dorsey. He also made a series of recordings in late 1931 with Don Redman. In 1932 he recorded with the Rhythmakers in New York City. In 1933 he joined Fletcher Henderson’s Orchestra. He played with Lucky Millinder’s Mills Blue Rhythm Band from 1934 to 1937, when he returned to Russell for three more years, by which time Russell’s orchestra was fronted by Louis Armstrong.

Allen seldom received any solo space on recordings with Armstrong, but was prominently featured in the band’s live performances, even getting billing as a featured attraction.

BAND LEADER

Allen recorded with his own band for Victor from 1929 – 1930. He made records as co-leader with Coleman Hawkins in 1933 for ARC. He was as an ARC recording artist till 1935. He was moved to ARC’s Vocalion label for a popular series of swing records from 1935 – 1937. He did a session for Decca in 1940 and two sessions for OKeh in 1941.

After World War II, he recorded for Brunswick in 1944, Victor in 1946, and Apollo in 1947.

Allen made many records under his own name and with Fats Waller and Jelly Roll Morton. He accompanied singers Victoria Spivey and Billie Holiday. After a short stint with Benny Goodman, Allen lead his own band at the Famous Door in Manhattan which he toured around the United States into the late 1950s.

In December 1957, Allen appeared with Pee Wee Russell on tTV in Sound Of Jazz.

In 1959, he made his first tour of Europe when he joined Kid Ory’s band.

He led the house band at New York’s Metropole Cafe from 1954 – 1965. We hear a broadcast from thr Metropole of Henry ‘Red’ Allen from the Metropole on this week’s Phantom Dancer.

New Orleans City Council renamed “Slidell Street” in his birth place Algiers to “Red Allen Way”, in 2022.