Search - Henry Allen :: Henry Allen Collection 1: 1932

Best introduction to this artist; great small group swing

Iconophoric | 03/13/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In this set, comprised of pickup sessions from 1932 (known for years as The Rhythmakers sessions), we catch one of the great jazz trumpeters at the height of his considerable powers. The atmosphere is freewheeling, but these guys were clearly serious about their music. (Fats Waller, clarinetist Pee Wee Russell, drummer Zutty Singleton, bassist Pops Foster, pianist Joe Sullivan and trombonist Tommy Dorsey are among the floating personnel assembled for these dates). This is jazz in its most agitated period of transition; part of the delight of this CD is in feeling traditional jazz evolving into Swing before our very ears. The vocals are a bit of a damper on the proceedings, most of them probably seeming corny even at the time to those involved. But we are compensated many, many times over by the fiery, endlessly inventive playing by Allen and Russell, and a thumping rhythm section. I prefer this Allen to the relatively hemmed-in Allen of the Fletcher Henderson recordings from about the same time. It's even somewhat of a toss-up for me as to which shows Allen at his absolute best, these sessions, or his passionate, rocking work with the Luis Russell from a couple of years earlier.If you want to experience firsthand all the excitement that early jazz could generate, you owe it to yourself to own this CD."