Fletcher Henderson And His Orchestra - 12 Releases {The Chronological Classics} (1990-1992)

James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson Jr. (December 18, 1897 – December 29, 1952) was an American pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer, important in the development of big band jazz and swing music. He was one of the most prolific black musical arrangers and, along with Duke 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 the Dixieland and the swing eras. He was often known as Smack Henderson (apparently because of his skill as a batter playing baseball in college).

James Fletcher Henderson was born in Cuthbert, Georgia, in 1897. He grew up in a middle-class African-American family. His father, Fletcher H. Henderson Sr. (1857–1943), was the principal of the nearby Howard Normal Randolph School from 1880 until 1942. His home, now known as the Fletcher Henderson House, is a historic site. His mother, a teacher, taught him and his brother Horace to play the piano. He began lessons by the age of six. His father would occasionally lock Fletcher in his room to practice for hours. By age 13, Henderson possessed a keen ability to read music and sense pitch. He pursued the studies with his mother and further engaged himself in lessons on European art.

Although a talented musician, Henderson decided to dedicate himself to math and science. At age 18 he moved to Atlanta, Georgia, and changed his name to Fletcher Henderson, giving up James, his grandfather's name. He attended Atlanta University (where he was a member of the fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha) and graduated in 1920 with a bachelor's degree in chemistry and mathematics. After graduation, he moved to New York City to attend Columbia University for a master's degree in chemistry. Finding his job prospects in chemistry to be poor because of his race, Fletcher turned to music.

After arriving in New York City, Henderson shared an apartment with a pianist who worked as a musician. When his roommate was too sick to perform, Henderson took his place in the Riverboat Orchestra, which soon gave him a job as a full-time replacement, helping him land a job with Black Swan Records in 1921–1923. During the 1920s, he played piano accompaniment for blues singers. He also led the backing group for Ethel Waters during one of her national tours.

Before 1923, Henderson's group was more of a dance band than a jazz band, though its music was inflected with the ragtime rhythms that had been popular for some time. In 1922 he formed his own band, which was resident first at Club Alabam, then at the Roseland Ballroom, and it quickly became known as the best African-American band in New York. In the 1920s, he did not do very many band arrangements. By late 1923 and into 1924, the arrangements by Don Redman were featuring more solo work, but when Louis Armstrong joined his orchestra in 1924, Henderson realized the potential for richer orchestration. Although Armstong played in the band for only a year, he influenced its members, as they began to imitate his style.

Henderson's band boasted the formidable arranging talents of Don Redman from 1922 to 1927. After Redman's departure from the band in 1927, Henderson took on some of the arranging, but Benny Carter was Redman's replacement as saxophone player and arranger from 1930–31, and Henderson also bought scores from freelance musicians (including John Nesbitt from McKinney's Cotton Pickers). Henderson developed his arranging skills from 1931 to the mid-1930s.

His band c. 1925 included 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), Louis Armstrong, Charlie Dixon, Kaiser Marshall, Buster Bailey, Elmer Chambers, Charlie Green, Ralph Escudero, and Don Redman.

In 1925, with Henry Troy, he wrote "Gin House Blues", recorded by Bessie Smith and Nina Simone among others. His other compositions include "Soft Winds".

Henderson recorded extensively in the 1920s for nearly every label, including Vocalion, Paramount, Columbia, Olympic, Ajax, Pathé, Perfect, Edison, Emerson, Brunswick, and the dime-store labels Banner, Oriole, Regal, Cameo, and Romeo.

From 1925–1930, he recorded primarily for Columbia and Brunswick/Vocalion under his own name and a series of acoustic recordings as the Dixie Stompers for Harmony Records 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, Vocalion), as well as Victor, and Decca. 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 included Henry "Red" Allen, Joe Smith, Rex Stewart, Tommy Ladnier, Doc Cheatham and Roy Eldridge. 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 said that on first hearing Henderson's orchestra as a teenager he assumed that they were angels because no human could produce such beautiful music.

Although Henderson's band was popular, he had little success in managing it. 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. Fletcher had a knack for finding talent, but he did not have much luck keeping it. 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 to Benny Goodman to keep them together.

After about 1931, his own arrangements became influential. In addition to arrangements for his band, he wrote arrangements for Teddy Hill, Isham Jones and Benny Goodman. He injured his shoulder in an auto accident in 1928. His wife, Leora, blamed the accident for his diminishing success. She said that John Hammond and Benny 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.



Track List:
01. Chicago Blues (2:50)
02. Why Put The Blame On You? (3:11)
03. Sud Bustin' Blues (3:08)
04. War Horse Mama (2:53)
05. Wish I Had You (And I'm Gonna Get You Blues) (3:10)
06. Just Blues (2:53)
07. I'm Crazy Over You (2:48)
08. I Wish I Could Make You Cry (3:23)
09. Say Say Sadie (3:03)
11. Feelin' The Way I Do (3:03)
12. Chattanooga (Down In Tennessee) (3:18)
13. Ghost Of The Blues (3:04)
14. Tea Pot Dome Blues (3:01)
15. Mobile Blues (3:09)
16. My Papa Doesn't Two-Time No Time (3:19)
17. Somebody Stole My Gal (3:02)
18. After The Storm (3:11)
19. Driftwood (3:12)
20. Feeling The Way I Do (3:08)
21. Red Hot Mama (3:06)





Track List:
01. I Don't Know And I Don't Care (3:01)
02. Strutter's Drag (3:04)
03. Do That Thing (3:07)
04. Those Broken Busted (Can't Be Trusted Blues) (3:09)
05. Oh! Eva (Ain't You Coming Out Tonight?) (2:58)
06. Jimminy Gee (3:10)
07. Jealous (3:08)
08. Wait'll You See My Gal (2:56)
09. I Can't Get The One I Want (3:14)
10. You Know Me, Alabam' (3:15)
11. Houston Blues (3:09)
12. Muscle Shoals Blues (3:23)
13. Hard Hearted Hannah (2:50)
14. Where The Dreamy Wabash Flows (3:10)
15. The Grass Is Always Greener (In The Other Fellow's Yard) (3:03)
16. Charley, My Boy (3:06)
17. The Gouge Of Armour Avenue (3:01)
18. Hard Hearted Hannah (3:04)
19. That's Georgia (3:08)
20. You'll Never Go To Heaven With Those Eyes (3:03)
21. A New Kind Of Man (With A New Kind Of Love For Me) (3:00)
22. The Meanest Kind O' Blues (3:13)





Track List:
01. He's The Hottest Man In Town (3:00)
02. I Never Care 'Bout Tomorrow (2:55)
03. Forsaken Blues (3:10)
04. Cold Mamas (Burn Me Up) (3:08)
05. Manda (3:13)
06. Go 'Long, Mule (3:04)
07. Tell Me, Dreamy Eyes (3:09)
08. My Rose Marie (2:52)
09. Don't Forget You'll Regret Day By Day (3:15)
10. Shanghai Shuffle (3:21)
11. Words (2:55)
12. Copenhagen (2:55)
13. Shanghai Shuffle (2:47)
14. Naughty Man (3:15)
15. One Of These Days (2:59)
16. My Dream Man (2:54)
17. The Meanest Kind Of Blues (2:59)
18. Naughty Man (2:53)
19. How Come You Do Me Like You Do? (3:15)
20. Araby (3:00)
21. Everybody Loves My Baby (vocal) (3:08)
22. Everybody Loves My Baby (instr.) (3:07)
23. Naughty Man (2:42)





Track List:
01. Prince Of Wails (3:06)
02. Mandy Make Up Your Mind (3:04)
03. I'll See You In My Dreams (2:59)
04. Why Couldn't It Be Poor Little Me? (3:04)
05. Bye And Bye (2:59)
06. Play Me Slow (3:12)
07. Alabamy Bound (3:14)
08. Swanee Butterfly (3:16)
09. Poplar Street Blues (3:18)
10. 12th Street Blues (3:12)
11. Me Neenyah (My Little One) (3:08)
12. Memphins Bound (2:57)
13. When You Do What You Do (2:59)
14. I'll Take Her Back If She Wants To Come Back (3:05)
15. Money Blues (3:02)
16. Sugar Foots Stomp (2:53)
17. What-Cha-Call-'Em Blues (2:53)
18. I Miss My Swiss (2:58)
19. Alone At Last (3:06)
20. T.N.T. (2:51)
21. Carolina Stomp (3:12)
22. Sleepy Time Gal (3:03)
23. Then I'll Be Happy (3:00)





Track List:
01. Spanish Shawl (3:01)
02. Clap Hands! Here Comes Charley! (3:05)
03. Peaceful Valley (3:03)
04. Hay Foot, Straw Foot (2:53)
05. Nobody's Rose (3:00)
06. Pensacola (3:05)
07. Florida Stomp (2:59)
08. Get It Fixed (3:02)
09. Chinese Blues (3:14)
10. Panama (3:16)
11. Dinah (3:08)
12. I Want Somebody To Cheer Me Up (2:54)
13. I Want To See A Little More Of What I Saw In Arkansas (2:54)
14. Let Me Introduce You To My Rosie (3:04)
15. I Found A New Baby (3:13)
16. Nervous Charlie Stomp (3:11)
17. Black Horse Stomp (3:05)
18. Tampeekoe (2:59)
19. Hi-Diddle-Diddle (2:53)
20. Hard-To-Get Gertie (3:08)
21. Honeybunch (3:06)
22. When Spring Comes Peeping Through (3:11)
23. Dynamite (2:58)





Track List:
01. Jackass Blues (3:15)
02. Static Strut (3:06)
03. The Stampede (3:17)
04. Jackass Blues (3:12)
05. Off To Buffalo (2:51)
06. Brotherly Love (2:58)
07. Alabamy Stomp (3:11)
08. The Henderson Stomp (2:53)
09. The Chant (2:57)
10. Sweet Thing (3:12)
11. I Need Lovin' (3:13)
12. Clarinet Marmalade (2:50)
13. Hot Mustard (2:41)
14. Sweet Thing (3:07)
15. Baby, Won't You Please Come Home? (2:57)
16. Some Of These Days (3:00)
17. Have It Ready (2:48)
18. Ain't She Sweet? (2:57)
19. Snag It (3:11)
20. Rocky Mountain Blues (2:47)
21. Tozo! (2:57)
22. Stockholm Stomp (2:57)
23. Have It Ready (2:47)





Track List:
01. Shuffling Sadle (3:04)
02. Fidgety Feet (2:59)
03. Sensation (2:50)
04. Wabash Blues (3:02)
05. The Wang-Wang Blues (2:54)
06. St. Louis Shuffle (3:01)
07. Swamp BLues (2:59)
08. Off To Buffalo (2:55)
09. St. Louis Shuffle (2:53)
10. Variety Stomp (3:06)
11. P.D.Q. Blues (2:43)
12. Livery Stable Blues (2:51)
13. Whiteman Stomp (2:47)
14. I'm Coming Virginia (3:07)
15. Cornfed! (2:51)
16. Variety Stomp (3:05)
17. The St. Louis Blues (3:06)
18. Hop Off (3:21)
19. Rough House Blues (3:13)
20. Black Maria (2:51)
21. Goose Pimples (3:02)
22. Baltimore (3:06)
23. A Rythmic Dream (3:12)
24. Hop Off (2:55)





Track List:
01. Dear, On A Night Like This (2:48)
02. There's A Rickety Rackety Shack (By A Rickety Rockety Road) (3:12)
03. Sorry (3:08)
04. King Porter Stomp (2:54)
05. 'D' Natural Blues (3:26)
06. Oh, Baby! (2:48)
07. Feelin' Good (3:28)
08. I'm Feelin' Devilish (Oh By Golly Oh) (2:47)
09. Hop Off (2:47)
10. Old Black Joe's Blues (2:26)
11. Come On, Baby! (2:55)
12. Easy Money (3:06)
13. Freeze And Melt (3:07)
14. Raisin' The Roof (2:41)
15. Blazin' (2:57)
16. The Wang-Wang Blues (3:04)
17. Chinatown, My Chinatown (3:03)
18. Somebody Loves Me (3:03)
19. Keep A Song In Your Soul (3:21)
20. What Good Am I Without You? (3:20)
21. I've Found What I Wanted In You (3:21)
22. My Gal Sal (3:30)
23. My Pretty Girl (3:23)





Track List:
01. My Sweet Tooth Says I Wanna (But My Wisdom Tooth Says No) (3:09)
02. Malinda's Weddin' Day (2:44)
03. You Rascal, You (3:10)
04. Blue Rhythm (2:52)
05. Sugar Foot Stomp (2:58)
06. Low Down On The Bayou (3:01)
07. 12th Street Rag (3:03)
08. Millenberg Joys (2:43)
09. Singin' The Blues (3:07)
10. It's The Darndest Thing (2:54)
11. Blues In My Heart (3:24)
12. Sugar (3:01)
13. Business In F (3:14)
14. Strangers (3:22)
15. Take Me Away From The River (3:20)
16. Say That You Were Teasing Me (2:48)
17. Take A Picture Of The Moon (3:03)
18. I Wanna Count Sheep (Till The Cows Come Home) (3:04)
19. Poor Old Joe (2:59)
20. Cosa Loma Stomp (3:14)
21. Blue Moments (2:52)
22. How Am I Doin', Hey Hey (3:13)
23. Goodbye Blues (3:02)





Track List:
01. Honeysukle Rose (3:13)
02. New King Porter Stomp (3:08)
03. Underneath The Harlem Moon (3:15)
04. Yeah Man! (2:56)
05. King Porter's Stomp (2:57)
06. Queer Notions (2:50)
07. Can You Take It? (2:51)
08. Queer Notions (2:34)
09. It's The Talk Of The Town (3:34)
10. Night Life (3:27)
11. Nagasaki (3:28)
12. Hocus Pocus (3:19)
13. Phantom Fantasie (3:16)
14. Harlem Madness (3:31)
15. Tidal Wave (3:04)
16. Limehouse Blues (2:40)
17. Shanghai Shuffle (3:05)
18. Big John's Special (2:51)
19. Happy As The Day Is Long (2:48)
20. Tidal Wave (3:06)
21. Down South Camp Meetin' (2:59)
22. Wrappin' It Up (2:44)
23. Memphis Blues (2:34)





Track List:
01. Wild Party (3:04)
02. Rug Cutter's Swing (3:04)
03. Hotter Than 'Ell (2:53)
04. Liza (All The Clouds 'll Roll Away) (2:39)
05. Christopher Columbus (3:04)
06. Big Chief De Sota (3:02)
07. Blue Lou (3:09)
08. Stealin' Apples (3:01)
09. I'm A Fool For Loving You (2:41)
10. Moonrise On The Lowlands (2:46)
11. I'll Always Be In Love With You (3:04)
12. Jangled Nerves (2:38)
13. Where Theres You There's Me (2:29)
14. Do You Or Don't You Love Me? (3:04)
15. Grand Terrace Rhythm (2:44)
16. Riffin' (2:25)
17. Mary Had A Little Lamb (2:51)
18. Shoe Shine Boy (3:35)
19. Sing, Sing, Sing (2:35)
20. Until Today (2:34)
21. Knock, Knock Who's There? (2:59)
22. Jim Town Blues (2:46)
23. You Can Depend On Me (3:32)
24. What Will I Tell My Heart? (3:30)





Track List:
1. It's Wearin' Me Down (2:54)
2. Slumming On Park Avenue (2:30)
3. Rhythm Of The Tambourine (2:41)
4. Stampede (3:09)
5. Back In Your Own Backyard (2:34)
6. Rose Room (In Sunny Roseland) (3:01)
7. Great Caesar's Ghost (2:24)
8. If You Ever Should Leave (3:02)
9. Posin' (2:47)
10. All God's Chillun Got Rhythm (2:43)
11. Chris and His Gang (3:04)
12. Let 'Er Go (2:27)
13. Worried Over You (3:15)
14. What's Your Story (What's Your Jive) (2:37)
15. Trees (3:04)
16. If It's The Last Thing I Do (2:48)
17. Sing Your Sinners (2:44)
18. You're In Love With Love (3:07)
19. Stealin' Apples (3:03)
20. Don't Let The Rhythm Go To Your Head (2:31)
21. (I've Been) Saving Myself For You (2:52)
22. There's Rain In My Eyes (2:39)
23. What Do You Hear From The Mob In Scotland? (2:59)
24. It's The Litlle Things That Count (2:38)
25. Moten Stomp (2:44)



All thanks go to the what.cd, Mazeppa

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