Pianist Barclay Allen worked with Freddy Martin's orchestra before forming his own band in the 1940s. But his career was cut tragically short when he was paralyzed in a 1949 car crash.
Allen made relatively few recordings under his own name, including a handful of singles on the Hollywood-based Van-Es label, some of which were later re-released on Capitol. There were also at least two LPs -- Latin and American Piano Rhythms, released in 1957 on the low budget Tops label, and If You're Lonely on Warner Bros. in 1958. Both obviously consisted of tracks recorded in the previous decade.
Barclay's Boogie appeared on a Van-Es 78 in 1948 and was reissued on a Capitol 78 a year later. Capitol also pressed it on a 45 a couple of years after that. The MP3 below is taken from the 45.
Barclay's Boogie
Among Barclay Allen's recordings only If You're Lonely appears to have made the transition to digital formats. It was dubbed from vinyl onto CD by the British low-budget label Hallmark in 2009. The CD is no longer available but the album is obtainable as a download.
Used copies of Allen's single releases turn up fairly regularly on eBay and other auction sites and occasionally his LPs also are for sale.
From YouTube, here's another early Allen recording, Red Light Blues. Try to ignore the high level of surface noise and the fact that this 78 is pressed slightly off-centre and enjoy the wonderful music.
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