Fletcher Henderson (1897-1952)
Fletcher Henderson was a bandleader, musician, composer, and arranger. His great talent lay in his ability to take a melody and arrange parts for a big band, dividing the and into parts and creating interplay between musicians. He made other people’s bands sound great.
The first bands
Fletcher Henderson and his father c1923 (source.)
Born in Georgia in 1897, Henderson came from a middle class black family and studied chemistry and mathematics at university. He was also a talented pianist, and by 1923 had moved to New York and was recording regularly with artists such as Bessie Smith, Buster Bailey, Don Redman, and Coleman Hawkins. Henderson was the musical director of the black-owned and run Black Swan Records between 1921 and 1923, and by 1924 had founded his first band.
Fetcher Henderson's band in the 1920s, including Louis Armstrong third from left back (source.)
This Henderson band included the 24 year old Louis Armstrong, and the inestimable composer and musician Don Redman. Over the years Henderson’s band attracted some of the greatest musicians of the day: Coleman Hawkins, Rex Stewart, Henry Red Allen, Benny Carter, Chu Berry, Buster Bailey and more. Henderson’s band didn’t just sound good. It looked good too. Henderson insisted the musicians dressed well, were clean and tidy, and were professional on stage. This made a difference in the 1920s in the heart of the Harlem Renaissance.
Henderson's orchestra (source.)
Arranger and Composer
A jazz band’s arranger takes a song and arranges parts for all the musicians in the band. A good arranger can take an old favourite and make it truly sing. A good arranger provides parts for musicians that lets them really stretch and show off their talents. Henderson’s bands were home to some of the finest arrangers and composers of the jazz age. Benny Carter followed Don Redman as composer and arranger for the band, and by 1931 Henderson had begun arranging music for his popular band.
Hard Times
Henderson’s orchestra had disbanded by 1934, the victim of difficult times and perhaps mismanagement. But Henderson continued in the music industry, starting new bands, abandoning them, composing and arranging for band leaders, and eventually settling into arranging. He arranged music for the biggest names in jazz, including Count Basie.
With Benny Goodman
Buck Clayton, Lester Young, Charlie Christian, Benny Goodman and Count Basie with Hammond (source.)
On John Hammond’s urging, Benny Goodman began buying arrangements from Henderson, and eventually used him in his band as a pianist. This was revolutionary: in these days of American segregation, Goodman’s all-white band was the first to employ a black musician on stage. Henderson’s arrangements for Goodman’s band in the mid to late 30s were instrumental to that band’s huge success. His music was inspired, Goodman’s leadership strict, and his band talented. Henderson rewrote some of his own band’s hits for Goodman, including King Porter Stomp and Down South Camp Meeting. He even played with Goodman’s Sextet in the late 30s.
In 1950 Henderson suffered a massive stroke, and eventually passed away in 1952.
Listen
Our Fletcher Henderson Spotify Playlist:
- Young Woman's Blues 1926 Bessie Smith with Joe Smith, Buster Bailey, Fletcher Henderson
- I'm Coming Virginia 1927 Fletcher Henderson and his Orchestra (Benny Morton, Don Redman, Buster Bailey, Coleman Hawkins, Fats Waller)
- St. Louis Stomp 1927 The Dixie Stompers (Fletcher Henderson, Benny Morton, Don Redman, Buster Bailey, Coleman Hawkins)
- King Porter Stomp 1928 Fletcher Henderson and his Orchestra (Russell Smith, Joe Smith, Bobby Stark, Jimmy Harrison, Benny Morton, Buster Bailey, Jerome Don Pasquall, Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Dixon, June Cole, Kaister Marshall
- I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby (And My Baby's Crazy 'Bout Me) 1931 Connie's Inn Orchestra (Fletcher Henderson)
- Sugarfoot Stomp 1931 Fletcher Henderson and his Orchestra
- Honeysuckle Rose 1932 Fletcher Henderson and his Orchestra (Rex Stewart, Russell Smith, Bobby Stark, J.C. Higginbotham, Sandy Williams, Russell Procope, Hilton Jefferson, Coleman Hawkins, Fletcher Henderson, Freddie White, John Kirby, Walter Johnson, Katherine Handy)
- Yeah Man! 1933 Fletcher Henderson and his Orchestra (Russell Smith, Bobby Stark, Henry 'Red' Allen, Dicky Wells, Hilton Jefferson, Russell Procope, Coleman Hawkins, Horace Henderson, Fletcher Henderson, Bernard Addison, John Kirby, Walter Johnson)
- Big John's Special 1934 Fletcher Henderson and his Orchestra (Henry 'Red' Allen, Buster Bailey, Ben Webster, Benny Carter)
- Down South Camp Meeting 1934 Fletcher Henderson and his Orchestra (Henry 'Red' Allen, Buster Bailey, Ben Webster, Benny Carter)
- Blue Skies 1935 Benny Goodman Orchestra (Bunny Berigan, Nate Kazebier, Jerry Neary, Red Ballard, Jack Lacey, Toots Mondello, Hymie Schertzer, Arthur Rollini, Dick Clark, Frank Froeba, George van Eps, Harry Goodman, Gene Krupa, Fletcher Henderson, Horace Henderson)
- Stompin' At The Savoy 1936 Benny Goodman and his Orchestra (Nate Kazebier, Harry Geller, Ralph Muzillo, Red Ballard, Joe Harris, Hymie Schertzer, Bill DePew, Arthur Rollini, Dick Clark, Jess Stacy, Allan Reuss, Harry Goodman, Gene Krupa, Jimmy Mundy, Fletcher Henderson, David Rose)
- Blue Lou 1936 Fletcher Henderson and his Orchestra
- Christopher Columbus 1936 Fletcher Henderson and his Orchestra (Roy Eldridge, Buster Bailey, Chu Berry, Horace Henderson, John Kirby)
- Chris And His Gang 1937 Fletcher Henderson and his Orchestra (Chu Berry)
- Honeysuckle Rose 1937 Count Basie and his Orchestra (Joe Keyes, Buck Clayton, Carl Smith, George Hunt, Dan Minor, Caughey Roberts, Jack Washington, Lester Young, Herschel Evans, Claude Williams, Walter Page, Jo Jones, Jimmy Rushing, Fletcher Henderson, Don Redman, Buster Smith)
- Honeysuckle Rose 1939 Benny Goodman and his Orchestra (Jimmy Maxwell, Johnny Martel, Ziggy Elman, Ted Vesely, Red Ballard, Vernon Brown, Toots Mondello, Buff Estes, Jerry Jerome, Bus Bassey, Fletcher Henderson, Charlie Christian, Artie Bernstein, Nick Fatool)
- Moten Stomp (Moten Swing) 1938 Fletcher Henderson and his Orchestra
- Boy Meets Horn 1939 Benny Goodman and his Orchestra (Ziggy Elman, Chris Griffin, Corky Cornelius, Bruce Squires, Red Ballard, Vernon Brown, Toots Mondello, Buff Estes, Jerry Jerome, Bus Bassey, Fletcher Henderson, Arnold Covey, Artie Bernstein, Nick Fatool)
- Soft Winds 1939 Benny Goodman Sextet (Fletcher Henderson, Charlie Christian, Artie Bernstein, Nick Fatool, Lionel Hampton)
- Seven Come Eleven 1939 Benny Goodman Sextet (Fletcher Henderson, Charlie Christian, Artie Bernstein, Nick Fatool, Lionel Hampton)