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. His was one of the most prolific black orchestras and his influence was vast. He was often known as “Smack” Henderson.[1]
Fletcher Henderson was born in Cuthbert, Georgia. He attended Atlanta University 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. After graduation, he moved to New York City to attend Columbia University for a master’s degree in chemistry. However, he found his job prospects in chemistry to be very restricted due to his race, and turned to music for a living.
He was recording director for the fledgling Black Swan label from 1921-1923. 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 African-American band in New York. 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. Henderson’s band also boasted the formidable arranging talents of Don Redman (from 1922 to 1927). It’s significant to note during the 1920s and very early 1930s, Henderson actually wrote few, if any, arrangements; most of his recordings were arranged by Don Redman (c. 1923-1927) or Benny Carter (after 1927-c. 1931). As an arranger, Henderson came into his own in the mid-1930s.
“I’ll See You In My Dreams”
His band circa 1925 included Howard Scott, Coleman Hawkins (who started with Henderson in 1923 playing the low tuba parts on bass saxophone and quickly moved to tenor and a leading solo role), Louis Armstrong, Charlie Dixon, Kaiser Marshall, Buster Bailey, Elmer Chambers, Charlie Green, Ralph Escudero and Don Redman.
In 1925, along with fellow composer Henry Troy, he wrote “Gin House Blues“, recorded by Bessie Smith and Nina Simone amongst others. He also wrote the very popular jazz composition “Soft Winds” among others.
1925 “Alabamy Bound”
“Hard Hearted Hannah”
Henderson recorded extensively in the 1920s for numerous labels, including:
- Vocalion,
- Paramount,
- Columbia,
- Olympic,
- Ajax,
- Pathe,
- Perfect
- Edison,
- Emerson,
- Brunswick,
- Plaza Records (Banner, Oriole, and the other Plaza labels).
“Sleepy Time Gal”
Benny Goodman 1935 -Fletcher Henderson arrangement, “Sometimes I’m Happy”
From 1925-1930, he primarily recorded for Columbia and Brunswick/Vocalion under his own name as well as recording 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 1930s, he recorded for Columbia, Crown (as “Connie’s Inn Orchestra”), 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. Lead saxophonists included Coleman Hawkins, Buster Bailey, Benny Carter and Chu Berry. Sun Ra also worked as an arranger during the 1940s during Henderson’s engagement at the Club DeLisa in Chicago. 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.
Bessie Smith, “Gin House Blues” Fletcher on piano.
Beginning in the early 1930s, Fletcher’s piano-playing younger brother, Horace Henderson contributed to the arrangements of the band. At different times in Horace’s career he was Billie Holiday’s and Lena Horne’s pianist. Later he led a band of his own that also received critical acclaim.
Although Fletcher’s band was very popular, he had little success managing the band. But much of his
lack of recognition outside of Harlem had to do more with the times in which he lived. After about 1931, he was well regarded as an arranger – 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. Henderson’s wife, Leora, said that a major turning point in his life was an auto accident which occurred in 1928. Henderson’s shoulder was injured and he apparently sustained a concussion. Leora claimed that Fletcher was never the same, and that after this point he lost his ambition and became careless. According to Leora, the accident was a major cause of Henderson’s diminishing success. She claims that John Hammond and Benny Goodman arranged to buy Henderson’s arrangements as a way to support Henderson, and points out that Goodman always gave Henderson credit for the arrangements and said that the Henderson band played them better than the Goodman band. In addition, Goodman and Hammond arranged broadcasts and recordings to benefit Henderson when he was ill.[2]
Fletcher’s immortal arrangement of “Sing Sing Sing”
Although Henderson’s music was popular, 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.
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. Many of Goodman’s hits from the swing era were played by Henderson and his own band in the late 20s and early 30s. In fact they usually were head arrangements that Fletcher transcribed from his own records and then sold to Goodman.
In 1939 Henderson disbanded his own band and joined Goodman’s, first as both pianist and arranger and then working full-time as the staff arranger. He reformed bands of his own several times in the 1940s, toured with Ethel Waters again in 1948 – 1949. Henderson suffered a stroke in 1950 resulting in partial paralysis that ended his days as a pianist. He died in New York City in 1952.
Benny Goodman in 1985 at the NY Marriott. “Don’t Be That Way” -another one of Fletcher’s unmistakable arrangements.
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 Atlanta, Georgia.[3]
Footnote: The success of each of the big bands was largely due to the band’s ability to distinguish itself by coming up with a “sound” of its own. While the band leader, musicians and vocalists were essential components of the band, the arranger, often overlooked, was a key element in establishing a recognizable style and was as important as the band leader’s ability to work with the best song writers in the business. Fletcher Henderson was perhaps the most prolific band arranger from the 1920’s through the 40’s. Benny Goodman once revealed in an interview that without Fletcher’s genius for arranging, things might have turned out completely different. Henderson’s style was so compelling that hints of his arranging can be heard in most of the other prominent arrangers of the time.
Quick Bio Facts:
Fletcher Henderson AKA James Fletcher Henderson
Born: 18-Dec–1897
Birthplace: Cuthbert, GA
Died: 29-Dec–1952
Location of death: New York City
Cause of death: Stroke
Remains: Buried, Old Cemetery, Cuthbert, GA
Gender: Male
Race or Ethnicity: Black
Occupation: Jazz Musician, Pianist, Conductor
Nationality: United States
Executive summary: Pioneering swing and jazz bandleader
Father: Fletcher Hamilton Henderson
Mother: Ozie Lena Chapman
Brother: Horace Henderson (musician)
University: BS Chemistry/Mathmatics, Atlanta University (1920)
University: Columbia University
Fletcher Henderson
The Fletcher Henderson Orchestra
The Dixie Stompers Bandleader/Pianist (1925-28)
The Benny Goodman Orchestra (1939 and 1947)
Sources: Wikipedia, YouTube, nndb.com
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