Henry James “Red” Allen was born on January 7 1908 in Algiers, Louisiana. An
American jazz trumpeter, singer, composer, and bandleader, Allen was known for
playing Dixieland, trad jazz, and modern swing. Allen's father was a trumpet
player and he spent time playing drums, ukulele, violin before settling on the
trumpet. His career began in 1924 playing with the Excelsior Brass Band and on
riverboats along the Mississippi River before relocating to New York City in
1929. After three years spent with Luis Russell's Orchestra, Allen went on to
join Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra in 1...