Allen, Lee
(1927–1994)
Allen, Lee 2 July 1927; Pittsburg, KS – 18 October 1994; Los Angeles, CA One of the foremost tenor sax players in R&B, and part of the nucleus of the classic New Orleans R&B sound, Allen was not a Louisiana native. Raised in Denver, he came to the Crescent City to attend Xavier University in 1943, but got his music education in the city’s clubs and by 1947 had joined the Paul Gayten Band. This association led to a long-running association with Dave Bartholomew’s band, regularly backing artists…