Henry "Red" AllenHenry Allen learned trumpet in his father's New Orleans based brass band. After making the rounds in New Orleans, Henry went to St. Louis in 1927 and hooked up with King Oliver.
After a brief stint with oliver, Allen
left to play in
Fate Marable's Mississippi riverboat bands, where he was discovered by
the Victor record company. Victor signed Allen in an attempt to
counter the success Okeh records was enjoying with Louis Armstrong.
The initial Victor releases were well received and Allen became lead
trumpeter in Luis Russell's band, another act on the Victor label. He
spent 1929-1932 with Russell, 1933-1934 with Fletcher Henderson's
band, and 1934-1937 with the Miles Blue Rhythm Band.
