Moses Allen (musician)
Encyclopedia
Moses Allen was an American
jazz
bassist born in Memphis, Tennessee
.
Allen began professionally playing music in 1927 after he joined Jimmie Lunceford
's band, where he played the tuba
. He switched to bass
in 1932, remaining with Lunceford's orchestra until 1942. Allen's bass playing was a key element in the highly influential Lunceford ensemble. Allen was also an early experimenter with the electric bass
. Among his best-known recordings with Lunceford is the tune "In Dat Mornin'".
After leaving Lunceford's orchestra, Allen opened a music store in New York City
, playing occasional gigs until the 1960s. Allen died in New York City in 1983.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
bassist born in Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
.
Allen began professionally playing music in 1927 after he joined Jimmie Lunceford
Jimmie Lunceford
James Melvin "Jimmie" Lunceford was an American jazz alto saxophonist and bandleader in the swing era.-Biography:...
's band, where he played the tuba
Tuba
The tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
. He switched to bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
in 1932, remaining with Lunceford's orchestra until 1942. Allen's bass playing was a key element in the highly influential Lunceford ensemble. Allen was also an early experimenter with the electric bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
. Among his best-known recordings with Lunceford is the tune "In Dat Mornin'".
After leaving Lunceford's orchestra, Allen opened a music store in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, playing occasional gigs until the 1960s. Allen died in New York City in 1983.