Biography
A solid swing drummer, Alvin Burroughs earned recognition as a reliable sideman throughout the big band years. Raised in Pittsburgh, he joined Walter Page’s Blue Devils in Kansas City from 1928 to 1929 and later performed with Alphonse Trent before establishing himself in Chicago. During the 1930s his affiliations included Hal Draper’s Arcadians in 1935, Horace Henderson from 1937 to 1938, and, most notably, Earl Hines’ Orchestra from 1938 to 1940, an ensemble with which he made numerous recordings. Additional work came with Milt Larkins and Benny Carter in 1942; he also led his own group before joining Red Allen’s jump ensemble for the 1945–46 period. After once more fronting a band of his own for several years, Burroughs—who never headed a recording session—belonged to George Dixon’s Quartet at the time of his fatal heart attack in 1950 at age 38.