Barclay Allen Rhythm Four

Jazz quartet, formed by pianist, composer and bandleader Barclay Allen in the 1940's. Allen was on the piano, Stan Black on guitar, Merle Mahone on drums, and Sid Fridkin on bass. In February of 1948, Allen formed his own 12-piece orchestra, using the Rhythm Four as the nucleus of the group. Barclay maintained his small group as an integral band-within-a-band. A 1949 car crash left Allen paralyzed from the neck down and ended his career and the group's while it was still on its rise.