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Lee Allen

Lee Francis Allen (July 2, 1927 – October 18, 1994) was an American tenor saxophone player. Phil Alvin, Allen's bandmate in The Blasters, called him one of the most important instrumentalists in rock'n'roll. Allen's distinctive tone has been hailed as "one of the defining sounds of rock'n'roll" and "one of the DNA strands of rock."

Allen was a key figure in New Orleans rock and roll of the 1950s and recorded with many leading performers of the early rock and roll era. He was semiretired from music by the late 1960s, but in the late 1970s returned to performing intermittently until the end of his life.

Birth and Death Data: Born (Crawford County (county in Kansas, United States)), Died October 18, 1994 (Los Angeles (seat of Los Angeles County, and largest city in California, United States) )

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1949 - 1958

Roles Represented in DAHR: tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 123 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia CO48559 10-in. 11/17/1952 Yes you do, yes you do Paul Gayten Orchestra Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
Columbia CO48560 10-in. 11/17/1952 Time is a-passin' Paul Gayten Orchestra Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
Columbia CO48561 10-in. 11/17/1952 Don't worry me Paul Gayten Orchestra ; LaVerne Smith Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
Columbia CO48562 10-in. 11/17/1952 It ain't nothin' happenin' Paul Gayten Orchestra Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
Columbia CO50489 10-in. 11/23/1953 Sweetheart of all my dreams (I love you, I love you, I love you) Paul Gayten Orchestra Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
Columbia CO50490 10-in. 11/23/1953 Creole alley Paul Gayten Orchestra Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
Columbia CO50491 10-in. 11/23/1953 Mule face Paul Gayten Orchestra Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
Columbia CO50492 10-in. 11/23/1953 It's over Paul Gayten Orchestra Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
Atlantic 1073 10-in. 5/12/1953 Honey hush Joe Turner instrumentalist, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone  
Atlantic 1074 10-in. 5/12/1953 Crawdad hole Allen Lee ; Joe Turner instrumentalist, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone  
Atlantic 1173 10-in. November 1953 In the night Professor Longhair and his Blues Scholars instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
Atlantic 1174 10-in. November 1953 Tipitina Professor Longhair and his Blues Scholars instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
Atlantic 1308 10-in. 8/8/1954 Jam up Tommy Ridgley instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
Mercury 7804 10-in. 8/19/1949 Her mind is gone Roy Byrd's Blues Jumpers instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
Mercury 7805 10-in. 8/19/1949 Bald head Roy Byrd's Blues Jumpers instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
Mercury 7806 10-in. 8/19/1949 Hey now baby Roy Byrd's Blues Jumpers instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
Imperial IM-341 10-in. 9/13/1951 When night falls James Wayne instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
Imperial IM-343 10-in. 9/13/1951 Home town blues James Wayne instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
Imperial IM-345 10-in. 9/19/1951 Ageable woman James Wayne instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
Imperial IM-346 10-in. 9/19/1951 Vacant pillow blues James Wayne instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
Imperial IM-451 10-in. 6/3/1952 The bells are ringing Smiley Lewis instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
Imperial IM-452 10-in. 6/3/1952 Lillie Mae Smiley Lewis instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
Imperial IM-455 10-in. June, 1952 Lavinia Tommy Ridgley instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
Imperial IM-456 10-in. June, 1952 I live my life Tommy Ridgley instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
Imperial IM-457 10-in. June, 1952 Good times Tommy Ridgley instrumentalist, tenor saxophone  
(Results 1-25 of 123 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Allen, Lee," accessed January 8, 2026, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/377397.

Allen, Lee. (2026). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 8, 2026, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/377397.

"Allen, Lee." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2026. Web. 8 January 2026.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/377397

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