Red Allen's hot session
Nikica Gilic | Zagreb, Croatia | 06/08/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Brilliant music made by old friends from the era when swing was still forming but at the same time the foundations of modern jazz were layed in Fletcher Henderson's orchestra ("Queer Notions" and some other songs).
This is a really hot and swinging Henry "Red" Alllen's slightly dixielandish date, featuring Coleman Hawkins (tenor sax) J. C. Higginbotham (trombone), Buster Bailey (clarinet), Cozy Cole (dm), as well as some younger but still hot players.
However, the leader is particularly expressive in the ballad "I Cover the Waterfront" - no wonder I found it cited as one of the classical Allen's performances. Late fifties were good not only for modern explorations: this hot hi fi session gives great joy to us fans of classical jazz who sometimes whish that the recording technology in the 20's and 30's was a bit more advanced..."