Fletcher Henderson | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Henderson in 1943 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | "Smack" Henderson |
| Born | James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson (1897-12-18)December 18, 1897 Cuthbert, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | December 29, 1952(1952-12-29) (aged 55) New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz,swing |
| Occupations |
|
| Instrument | Piano |
| Years active | 1921–1950 |
James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson (December 18, 1897 – December 29, 1952)[1] was an American pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer, important in the development ofbig bandjazz andswing music. He was one of the most prolific black musical arrangers and, along withDuke Ellington, is considered one of the most influential arrangers and bandleaders in jazz history. Henderson's influence was vast. He helped bridge the gap between theDixieland and the swing eras. He was often known as "Smack" Henderson (because of smacking sounds he made with his lips).[2][3]
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James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson was born inCuthbert, Georgia.[4] He was raised in a middle-classAfrican-American family. His father, Fletcher Hamilton Henderson (1857–1943), was the principal of the nearby Howard Normal Randolph School from 1880 until 1942.Their home is a historic site.[5] Henderson's mother, a teacher, taught him and his brotherHorace to play the piano. He began lessons by age six. His father would occasionally lock Fletcher in his room to practice for hours.[6] By age 13, Henderson possessed a keen ability to read music and sense pitch.[1] He pursued the studies with his mother and further engaged himself in lessons on European art.[7]
Although a talented musician, Henderson initially dedicated himself to mathematics and science. At age 18, he moved toAtlanta,Georgia, and changed his name to Fletcher Henderson, giving up James, his grandfather's name.[8] He attendedAtlanta University[4] (where he was a member of the fraternityAlpha Phi Alpha) and graduated in 1920 with a bachelor's degree in chemistry and mathematics.[7]
After graduation, Henderson moved toNew York City with the intention of attendingColumbia University for a master's degree in chemistry. However, there is no evidence that he actually enrolled. He did land a part-time job as a lab assistant in a downtownManhattan chemistry firm, but this only lasted a year.[9]
In New York City, Henderson shared an apartment with a pianist who worked as a musician in ariverboat orchestra. When his roommate was too sick to perform, Henderson substituted, and this soon led to a job as a full-time replacement. In late 1920, he found work as a song demonstrator with the Pace and Handy Music Co.[4] Henderson now found that music would be more profitable than chemistry and left his job as a laboratory chemist to begin a life in music. WhenHarry Pace left the company to startBlack Swan Records, he took Henderson with him to be musical director, a job which lasted from 1921 until 1923.[4] From 1920 to 1923, he primarily played piano accompaniment for blues singers.[10] Henderson toured with the Black Swan Troubadours featuringEthel Waters from October 1921 to July 1922.[11] After hearing cornetistLouis Armstrong (then around 20 years old) inNew Orleans while on tour in April 1922, Henderson sent him an offer, but Armstrong refused because Henderson would not hireZutty Singleton as well.[12]
Henderson's activities up to the end of 1923 were mainly recording dates for Black Swan and other labels.[4] His band at this point was only a pick-up unit for recordings, not a regular working band. In January 1924, the recording band became the house band at the Club Alabam at 216 W. 44th St.[4] Despite many erroneous publications indicating otherwise, this 1924 band was Henderson's first working band.[13]
In July 1924, the band began a brief engagement at theRoseland Ballroom. Although only meant to stay for a few months,[4] the band was brought back for the autumn season. Henderson called on Armstrong for a second time to join the band. On October 13, 1924, history was made when Henderson's band began their re-engagement at Roseland, with Armstrong now in the orchestra. The band quickly became known as the best African American band in New York. By late 1924, the arrangements byDon Redman were featuring more solo work.[4]
Redman arranged Armstrong's repertoire with theKing Oliver's Creole Jazz Band, such as turning "Dippermouth Blues" into "Sugar Foot Stomp".[14] Armstrong played in the band for only a year,[4] because he could not grow accustomed to the arrangements and to the "pretension" of the other band members.[15][16]
Henderson's band boasted the formidable arranging talents of Don Redman.[4] After Redman's departure from the band in 1927, Henderson took on some of the arranging, butBenny Carter was Redman's replacement as saxophone player and arranger from 1930 to 1931, and Henderson also bought scores from freelance musicians (including John Nesbitt fromMcKinney's Cotton Pickers).[17] Henderson developed his arranging skills from 1931 to the mid-1930s.[18]
His band around 1925 included Armstrong, Howard Scott,Coleman Hawkins (who started with Henderson in 1923, playing the tuba parts on a bass saxophone, and quickly moving to tenor saxophone and a leading solo role),Charlie Dixon,Kaiser Marshall,Buster Bailey,Elmer Chambers,Charlie Green, andRalph Escudero. In 1925, with Henry Troy, he wrote "Gin House Blues", recorded byBessie Smith andNina Simone, among others. His other compositions include "Soft Winds". Henderson recorded extensively in the 1920s for nearly every label, includingVocalion,Paramount,Columbia,Ajax,Pathé,Perfect,Edison,Emerson,Brunswick, and the dime-store labelsBanner,Oriole,Regal,Cameo, andRomeo. From 1925 to 1930, he recorded primarily for Columbia and Brunswick/Vocalion under his own name and a series of acoustic recordings as the Dixie Stompers forHarmony Records and associated dime-store labels (Diva andVelvet Tone). Besides playing at the Roseland, Henderson played at theSavoy Ballroom inHarlem, playing until 3:30 in the morning.[19]
During the 1930s, he recorded for Columbia,Crown (as "Connie's Inn Orchestra"),ARC (Melotone, Perfect, Oriole, Vocalion),Bluebird,Victor, andDecca. Starting in the early 1920s, he recorded popular hits and jazz tunes. In 1924, he and his band recorded 80 sides. His version of the pop tune "I Can't Get the One I Want", recorded about June 19, 1924, was issued on at least 23 labels.
In addition to Armstrong, lead trumpeters includedHenry "Red" Allen,Joe Smith,Rex Stewart,Tommy Ladnier,Doc Cheatham andRoy Eldridge. Lead saxophonists includedColeman Hawkins,Buster Bailey,Benny Carter andChu Berry.Sun Ra also worked as an arranger during the 1940s, during Henderson's engagement at theClub DeLisa in Chicago. Other jazz musicians who also played with Henderson included trumpeterCootie Williams and trombonistBenny Morton.[19]
Although Henderson's band was popular, he had little success in managing it and was still little-known outside of New York.[4][19] His lack of recognition outside of Harlem had to do more with the times in which he lived, apparently lackluster management, and the hard times that resulted after the 1929 stock market crash. Henderson had a knack for finding talent, but he did not have much luck keeping it.[4] On many occasions he lost talented members to other bandleaders. He also had trouble with finances. When the band split up in 1934, he was forced to sell some of his popular arrangements toBenny Goodman to keep them together.[7]
After about 1931, his own arrangements became influential. In addition to arrangements for his band, he wrote arrangements forTeddy Hill,Isham Jones and Benny Goodman. His shoulder was injured in an auto accident in 1928. His wife, Leora, blamed the accident for his diminishing success.[4] She said thatJohn Hammond and Goodman bought Henderson's arrangements to support him, that Goodman always gave Henderson credit for the arrangements and said that he played them better than his own. In addition, Goodman and Hammond organized broadcasts and recordings to help Henderson when he was ill.[20]
In 1935, Goodman's Orchestra was selected as a house band for theNBC radio programLet's Dance. Since Goodman needed new charts every week for the show, his brother-in-law John Hammond suggested that he purchase some from Henderson.[4] Many of Goodman's hits from theswing era were played by Henderson and his own band in the late 1920s and early 1930s, usually as head arrangements, which he transcribed from his own records and then sold to Goodman. However, his brotherHorace Henderson recounted that the clarinetist made heavy demands on Henderson for fresh charts when his band was engaged for theLet's Dance show in 1934–1935, and that he himself helped his brother complete some of them.[21] The singerHelen Ward also stated that Henderson was delighted to hear the Goodman Orchestra realize his creations with such impeccable musicianship.
In 1939, Henderson disbanded his band and joined Goodman's,[4] first as pianist and arranger and then working full-time as staff arranger.[18] Henderson re-formed bands of his own several times in the 1940s and toured withEthel Waters again in 1948 and 1949.
Henderson suffered astroke in 1950,[4] resulting in partial paralysis that ended his career as a pianist.[18] He died in New York City in 1952, 11 days after his 55th birthday.[4]
Henderson, along with Don Redman, established the formula forswing music.[4] The two broke the band into sections (sax section, trumpet section, etc.). These sections worked together to create a unique sound. Sometimes, the sections would play incall-and-response style, and at other times one section would play supporting riffs behind the other.[17]
Henderson was also responsible for bringingLouis Armstrong from Chicago to New York City in October 1924, thus flipping the focal point of jazz in the history of the United States (although Armstrong left the band in November 1925 and returned to Chicago).[4] He also played a key role in bringing improvisatory jazz styles fromNew Orleans and other areas of the country to New York, where they merged with a dance-band tradition that relied heavily on arrangements written out in musical notation.[22]
Henderson created a band that was capable of playing dance music and complex arrangements.Louis Metcalf said: "The sight of Fletcher Henderson's men playing behind music stands brought on a learning-to-read-music kick in Harlem which hadn't cared before it. There were two years of real concentration. Everybody greeted you with 'How's studying?'"[23]
A museum was established in Henderson's memory in his native Cuthbert, Georgia.[24]
