The David Allyn Big Band, March 1992

Vocalist David Allyn led a superb big band in New York in the early 1990s. Which makes sense, given the bands he sang for, starting in the 1940s. His career list included bands led by Jack Teagarden, Boyd Raeburn, Lyle Griffin, Johnny Mandel, Bill Holman, Johnny Richards, Dave Terry and Bob Florence. Fortunately for us, Paul Cammarata, who produced David's big band gigs at New York's Red Blazer Too, videotaped or audiotaped Allyn and the band's appearance in March 1992. [Photo above of David Allyn at Dizzy's in New York in the 2009 by Olivia Myers]

Last week, Paul sent along a bunch of these clips so that I could share them with you:

Here's pianist Barry Harris with the band, playing Billy Byers's arrangement for Count Basie of All of Me...

Here's the band playing Bill Potts's arrangement for Buddy Rich of Big Swing Face...

Here's David singing Memphis in June...

Here's David singing Change Partners...

Here's audio of David singing Until I Left Chicago...

Here's audio of David singing Where You At...

And here's David singing Bill Holman's Bright Eyes...

Bonus: Why do I rave about David Allyn? Two tracks of David in his prime should explain everything you need to know. Here's David singing Johnny Mandel's arrangement of Jerome Kern's A Sure Thing in 1957...

And here's David singing Bob Florence's arrangement of Love Is a Serious Thing in 1962. The definition of finger-snapping swing...

To read my JazzWax interview with David, start here.