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Fletcher Hamilton Henderson, Jr. (December 18, 1897 – December 28, 1952) was an American pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer, important in the development of big band jazz and swing music. Events 218 BC - Second Punic War: Battle of the Trebia - Hannibal 's Carthaginian forces defeat those of the Year 1897 ( MDCCCXCVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Events 1065 - Westminster Abbey is Consecrated. 1308 - The reign of Emperor Hanazono, Emperor of Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the In Music, an arrangement refers either to a rewriting of a piece of existing Music with additional new material or to a fleshing-out of a compositional sketch such A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance A big band is a type of Musical ensemble associated with playing jazz music and which became popular during the Swing Era from the early 1930s until the late Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Swing music, also known as swing jazz, is a form of Jazz music that developed in the early 1930s and had solidified as a distinctive style by 1935 in the United

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Biography

Fletcher Henderson was born in Cuthbert, Georgia. Cuthbert is a city in and the County seat of Randolph County, Georgia, United States. His father was a former slave who was freed by General Sherman during the Civil War and who went on to become an educator during Reconstruction, and his mother taught piano. The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers He attended Clark College in Atlanta, Georgia and graduated in 1920, where he was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter organization established for African Americans. Clark Atlanta University (CAU is a private, historically black university in Atlanta, Georgia. Year 1920 ( MCMXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920 of the Gregorian calendar Alpha Phi Alpha ( ΑΦΑ) is the first intercollegiate fraternity established by African Americans Founded on December 4 1906 on the campus of Fraternities and sororities (from the Latin words la frater and la soror, meaning "brother" and "sister" respectively are fraternal After graduation, he moved to New York City to attend Columbia University for a master's degree in chemistry. The City of New York Columbia University is a private University in the United States and a member of the Ivy League. Chemistry (from Egyptian kēme (chem meaning "earth") is the Science concerned with the composition structure and properties However, he found his job prospects in chemistry to be very restricted due to his race, and turned to music for a living. His younger brother, Horace Henderson, was a pianist and bandleader also. Horace Henderson (1904&ndash1988 younger brother of Fletcher Henderson, was an American Jazz Pianist, Organist, arranger and Bandleader

His band circa 1925 included Howard Scott, Coleman Hawkins, Louis Armstrong, Charlie Dixon, Kaiser Marshall, Buster Bailey, Elmer Chambers, Charlie Green, Ralph Escudero and Don Redman. Coleman Randolph Hawkins ( November 21 1904 - May 19 1969) Nicknamed "Hawk" and sometimes "Bean" was a prominent Louis Armstrong (August 4 1901 &ndash July 6 1971 nicknamed Satchmo or Sachimo and Pops, was an American Jazz Trumpeter Charles Edward "Charlie" Dixon (1898(? Jersey City New Jersey - December 6 1940 New York City) was an American Jazz banjoist Joseph "Kaiser" Marshall (June 11 1899 Savannah Georgia - January 3 1948 New York City) was an American Jazz drummer William C "Buster" Bailey (born 19 July 1902 - died 12 April 1967) was a talented Jazz musician specializing in the Dallas Elmer Chambers, also called Frog and Muffle Jaws Chambers (1897 Bayonne New Jersey - ca Charlie Green was one of the early trombonists and the first strong Jazz soloist in the Fletcher Henderson orchestra (joining slightly before Rafael "Ralph" Escudero (July 16 1898 Manati, Puerto Rico - April 10 1970 Puerto Rico was a bassist and tubist active on the early American Jazz Donald Matthew Redman ( July 29, 1900, Piedmont, West Virginia - November 30, 1964, New York) was an American

In 1922 he formed his own band, which was resident first at the Club Alabam then at the Roseland, and quickly became known as the best "Colored" band in New York. Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. For a time his ideas of arrangement were heavily influenced by those of Paul Whiteman, but when Louis Armstrong joined his orchestra in 1924 Henderson realized there could be a much richer potential for jazz band orchestration. Paul Whiteman ( March 28, 1890 &ndash December 29, 1967) was an American orchestral Louis Armstrong (August 4 1901 &ndash July 6 1971 nicknamed Satchmo or Sachimo and Pops, was an American Jazz Trumpeter Year 1924 ( MCMXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Henderson's band also boasted the formidable arranging talents of Don Redman (from 1922 to 1927). Donald Matthew Redman ( July 29, 1900, Piedmont, West Virginia - November 30, 1964, New York) was an American (It should be noted that Henderson actually did few arrangements in the 1920s; most of the best 'hot' sides he recorded were arranged by either Don Redman or Benny Carter. Donald Matthew Redman ( July 29, 1900, Piedmont, West Virginia - November 30, 1964, New York) was an American Bennett Lester Carter (born August 8, 1907 in Harlem New York; died July 12, 2003 in Los Angeles California) was As an arranger, Henderson came into his own in the mid-1930s. )

Henderson recorded extensively in the 1920's and early 1930's, recording for nearly every label. He was recording director for the fledgling Black Swan label from 1921-1923. The Black Swan ( Cygnus atratus) is a large waterbird which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. For example, he recorded for Vocalion from 1923-1925 while also recording for Paramount, Columbia, Olympic, Ajax, Pathe, Edison, Emerson, Brunswick, as well as Banner and the other Plaza labels. Vocalion Records was a Record label historically active in the United States and in the United Kingdom. Paramount Records was an American Record label, best known for its recordings of African-American Jazz and Blues in the 1920s and Columbia Records is an American Record label founded in 1888 Columbia is the oldest surviving Brand name in pre-recorded sound being the first record company Ajax Records was a North American Record company, active in Canada and the United States from 1921 through 1926. This article deals with the Pathé movie company For their music business see Pathé Records. Brunswick Records is a United States based Record label. The label is currently distributed by Koch Entertainment. A banner is a Flag or other piece of cloth bearing a symbol logo slogan or other message From 1925-1930, he primarily recorded for Columbia and Brunswick/Vocalion under his own name and a series of acoustic recordings under the name The Dixie Stompers for Columbia's Harmony and associated dime store labels (Diva and Velvet Tone). During the 1930's, he recorded for Columbia, Crown, ARC (Melotone, Perfect, Oriole, etc. ), Victor, Vocalion and Decca.

At one time or another, in addition to Armstrong, lead trumpeters included Henry "Red" Allen, Joe Smith, Rex Stewart, Tommy Ladnier, Doc Cheatham and Roy Eldridge on trumpet. Henry "Red" Allen ( January 7, 1906 or 1908 (see talk &ndash April 17, 1967) was a Jazz Trumpeter whose style Rex Stewart ( 22 February 1907 &ndash 7 September 1967) was an American Jazz Cornetist best known for his work Tommy (Thomas J Ladnier ( May 28, 1900 &ndash June 4, 1939) was an American Jazz Trumpeter. Adolphus Anthony Cheatham, much better known as Doc Cheatham ( 13 June, 1905 &ndash 2 June, 1997) was a Jazz Trumpeter Roy David Eldridge ( January 30, 1911 &ndash February 26, 1989) nicknamed "Little Jazz" was an American Lead saxophonists included Coleman Hawkins, Buster Bailey, Benny Carter and Chu Berry. Coleman Randolph Hawkins ( November 21 1904 - May 19 1969) Nicknamed "Hawk" and sometimes "Bean" was a prominent William C "Buster" Bailey (born 19 July 1902 - died 12 April 1967) was a talented Jazz musician specializing in the Bennett Lester Carter (born August 8, 1907 in Harlem New York; died July 12, 2003 in Los Angeles California) was Leon "Chu" Berry ( September 13, 1908 – October 30, 1941) was an American swing tenor saxophonist Sun Ra also worked as an arranger during the 1940s during Henderson's engagement at the Club De Lisa in Chicago. Sun Ra (born Herman Poole Blount, Legal name Le Sony'r Ra; Sun Ra himself said that on first hearing Henderson's orchestra as a teenager he assumed that they must be angels because no human could produce such beautiful music.

Beginning in the early 1930s, Fletcher's piano-playing younger brother, Horace Henderson contributed to the arrangements of the band. The 1930s were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression. Horace Henderson (1904&ndash1988 younger brother of Fletcher Henderson, was an American Jazz Pianist, Organist, arranger and Bandleader He later led a band of his own that also received critical acclaim.

Although the band was very popular, Henderson had little success managing the band. He was well regarded as an arranger - he started arranging around 1931, or so - and his arrangements became influential. In addition to his own band he arranged for several other bands, including those of Teddy Hill, Isham Jones, and most famously, Benny Goodman. Teddy Hill ( December 7, 1909, Birmingham Alabama - May 19, 1978, Cleveland Ohio) was a big band leader and the manager Isham Jones ( 31 January, 1894 &ndash 19 October, 1956) was a United States bandleader violinist bassist and Songwriter

While Henderson's music was loved by the masses, his band began to fold with the 1929 stock market crash. The loss of financial stability resulted in the selling of many arrangements from his songbooks to the later-to-be-acclaimed "King of Swing" Benny Goodman.

Benny Goodman

In 1934, Goodman's Orchestra was selected as a house band for the "Let's Dance" radio program. Since he needed new charts every week for the show, his friend John Hammond suggested that he purchase some Jazz charts from Henderson. John Henry Hammond II ( December 15, 1910 – July 10, 1987) was a Record producer, musician and music critic from the 1930s to the Many of Goodman's hits from the swing music were arranged by Henderson for his own band in the late 20s and early 30s. The Swing Era was the period of time (1935&ndash1946 when Big band Swing music was the most popular music in America.

In 1939 he disbanded his own band and joined Goodman's, first as both pianist and arranger and then working full-time as the staff arranger. Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He reformed bands of his own several times in the 1940s, toured with Ethel Waters again in 1948 - 1949. The 1940s decade ran from 1940 to 1949 Events and trends The 1940s was a period between the radical 1930s and the conservative 1950s which also leads the period to be Ethel Waters ( October 31, 1896 &ndash September 1, 1977) was an American Blues and Jazz Vocalist Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Henderson suffered a stroke in 1950 resulting in partial paralysis that ended his days as a pianist. A stroke is the rapidly developing loss of brain functions due to a disturbance in the blood vessels supplying blood to the brain Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He died in New York City.

Contributions to Jazz

Henderson, along with Don Redman, established the formula for Swing music. The two concocted the recipe every swing band played from (i. e. sections 'talking' to one another, 'hot' swing). Swing, its popularity spanning over a decade, was the most fashionable form of Jazz ever in the U. S.

Henderson was also responsible for bringing Louis Armstrong from Chicago to New York, thus flipping the focal point of jazz in the history of the U. S.

A museum is being established in his memory in his birthplace town, Cuthbert, Georgia. [1]

Selected Discography

As arranger for Benny Goodman orchestra

Bibliography

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