Search - Henry "Red" Allen :: Ride, Red, Ride

Glorious masterpiece of jazz

Nikica Gilic | Zagreb, Croatia | 10/19/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This "ASV" issue from a great series of classical jazz editions gives beautiful insight into career, style and musical mind of one of very few classical trumpet players that come quite close to the genius of Armstrong.



Imaginative and virtuoso performances he gives are recorded in the illustrious company of Luis Russell orchestra, Albert Nicholas, Fletcher Henderson orchestra, Coleman Hawkins, Billie Holiday, James P. Johnson, Sidney Bechet, J. C. Higginbotham...

Check out "Queer Notions" from 1933 (!) to see just how inovative this player and entire Henderson's orchestra were, but the number of less inovative and more virtuoso and musically coherent gems on this CD baffles me...



It is interesting how Allen, and for that matter great clarinetist Pee Wee Russell, shine and reach highest artistic level on their recordings (see them on Sound of jazz DVD!!!) and still lack the instant recognisability and great popularity of Coltrane or Miles Davis.

The latter two are also both great artists but somehow unnecesarily popular with the broader audiences who like rock and modern jazz (?!) but don't understand classical jazz... But so it goes with popularity."

Another bum steer

Samuel Chell | Kenosha,, WI United States | 04/17/2010

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Red frequently provokes passionate responses to his passionate and quite inventive solos. But this isn't the 1957 album, "Ride Red Ride in Hi Fi," that receives many of those accolades. Instead it's a history covering Red's career from the 20s through much of the 40s. Be prepared for a lot of banjo and not a lot of bass. And before ordering, be sure you know it's the recording you're looking for."