Fletcher Henderson
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Biography
Fletcher Henderson was very important to early jazz as leader of the first great jazz big band, as an arranger and composer in the 1930s, and as a masterful talent scout. Between 1923-1939, quite an all-star cast of top young black jazz musicians passed through his orchestra, including trumpeters Louis Armstrong, Joe Smith, Tommy Ladnier, Rex Stewart, Bobby Stark, Cootie Williams, Red Allen, and Roy Eldridge; trombonists Charlie Green, Benny Morton, Jimmy Harrison, Sandy Williams, J. C. Higginbottham, and Dickie Wells; clarinetist Buster Bailey; tenors Coleman Hawkins (1924-1934), Ben Webster, Lester Young (whose brief stint was not recorded), and Chu Berry; altoists Benny Carter, Russell Procope, and Hilton Jefferson; bassists John Kirby and Israel Crosby; drummers Kaiser Marshall, Walter Johnson, and Sid Catlett; guest pianist Fats Waller; and such arrangers as Don Redman, Benny Carter, Edgar Sampson, and Fletcher’s younger brother Horace Henderson. And yet, at the height of the swing era, Henderson’s band was little-known.
Fletcher Henderson had a degree in chemistry and mathematics, but when he came to New York in 1920 with hopes of becoming a chemist, the only job he could find (due to the racism of the times) was as a song demonstrator with the Pace-Handy music company. Harry Pace soon founded the Black Swan label, and Henderson, a versatile but fairly basic pianist, became an important contributor behind the scenes, organizing bands and backing blues vocalists.
Featured tracks
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Blue Rhythm
2:35
Top Tracks
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Fletcher Henderson Sugar Foot Stomp (Original Artist Original Songs)
0 listeners25 tracks
New Release
Released:
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Yeah Man!
23,402 listeners23 tracks
Released:
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Fletcher Henderson - Ken Burns' Jazz
16,369 listeners25 tracks
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The Fletcher Henderson Story
33,845 listeners62 tracks
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jazzthieve
Spotify playlist Jazz: Bebop, Cool, Swing, Vocal, Fusion, Modal, Stride, Dixieland, Third Stream, Big Band, Hard Bop
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Druid66
A guy my dad grew up digging, who I suspect played a big role turning him on to Swing and Big Band. Now I am getting into it, too, also in thanks to him.
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garoto36
that's only a question of nomenclature...
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johntardsbaby66
Swing didn't exist in the 20's. Maybe primitive versions of it, like Paul Whiteman-dance band-ish kinda stuff. But swing didn't really exist until the 30's.
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BigBam2012
Fletcher was the swingin' cat who set the scene, daddy-o--he was the ready-freddy with the jump-up jive & the bee-bop bounce!
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cheruj
shanghai shuffle and the stampede... LOVE.
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CentralDoctor
I far prefer 20's Swing to 30's Swing. I'm not really sure why. I guess I prefer the raggier sound it has.
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staytooned
A TRUE PAINTER
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lstusr
great big band!
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S0leil
amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Rage_For_Order
This guy is great :)
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BlindWilliam
If you know that Fletcher Henderson was reincarnated as Sun Ra, then you may want to join up w/ Great Black Music. Like bread to the butter... bw
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SYL2Oh
In the early 30, the jazz played by the Grand Fletcher Henderson Orchestra anticipated ten years the swing of Count Basie !
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schizodanny
Radio Rhythm has to be one of the greatest bouncy tunes in history! I love it!
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zrsullivan
He does have it, doesn't he?
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Phil-between
Fletcher have the soul of the gold age
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