CrapCook's video: Henry Red Allen - A Recorded Documentary Not the full album

Strange one this - a 'LIMITED EDITION for Collectors Only' release from some people called the Meritt Record Society of Kansas City Missouri. I'd never heard of "Red" Allen, but he was clearly a well-regarded trumpeter in the Louis Armstrong mould - and at about the same time. These recordings come from 1933, '34, '39 & 1940, and feature too many other musicians to list here, most of whom I've never heard of. (The first few tracks, eg, feature Fletcher Henderson, Russell Smith, Bobby Stark, Dicky Wells, Russell Procope and others.) There are a few familiar names - Coleman Hawkins & Benny Carter, eg - but as I say, most are new to me. I've cut the double album down to about 45 minutes, largely by leaving out numerous aborted tracks - the original records feature several examples of individual tracks in four more-or-less complete versions. Mostly it's Armstrong/Bechet type stuff - am I right in thinking Basin St Blues? - tightly and vigorously played. Standouts for me include 'One Hour Mama' and 'Harlem Susie-Q' sung by someone called Victoria Spivey - the former in particular a wry remnant of an era when everything had to be implied rather than said. I enjoyed it; hope you do too!