Tag: Saxophone

I’m sitting here with my headphones on and listening to this instrumental, Walking With Mr. Lee. This one makes me feel like I’m walking down a street in the 1950s, flushed with money. Not every classic needs a big chorus or a star singer; sometimes it’s a great musician taking a walk and inviting us all to follow…and follow I will. 

Allen grew up in Denver after being born in Pittsburg, Kansas, and headed to New Orleans on a combined athletics and music scholarship to Xavier University in the mid-1940s. He fell straight into the city’s music scene, working alongside Dave Bartholomew’s crew with Red Tyler, Earl Palmer, and company. He worked with the best, and that included Fats Domino (Allen played on many of his records), Lloyd Price, Huey “Piano” Smith, Professor Longhair, The Blasters, The Stray Cats, Allen Toussaint, The Rolling Stones, and, crucially, Little Richard’s 1955-1956 Specialty singles that were full of Allen’s saxophone.

So Mr. Allen wasn’t a guy who came out of nowhere. He rarely showed off; he guided the band, nudging Fats Domino forward, egging Little Richard on, and making every garage band probably think, “we need a sax.” As Chuck Berry’s guitar was so important to the 1950s, Lee Allen’s sax was in the thick of it as well.

I found a 1991 video featuring Lee Allen, Boots Randolph, Sil Austin, Hans & Candy Dulfer, and it’s definitely worth watching. Walking With Mr. Lee did become a minor hit, and it was played on American Bandstand constantly. The song passes my smile test…because when I hear it, I’m happy.

Lee Allen on sax with the Blaster.

No lyrics needed…just put some headphones on and enjoy.

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