Fletcher Henderson, in full Fletcher Hamilton Henderson, Jr., original name James Fletcher Henderson, byname Smack (born Dec. 18, 1897, Cuthbert, Ga., U.S.—died Dec. 29, 1952, New York, N.Y.), American musical arranger, bandleader, and pianist who was a leading pioneer in the sound, style, and instrumentation of big band jazz.
Henderson was born into a middle-class family; his father was a school principal and his mother a teacher. He changed his name (James was his grandfather’s name, Fletcher Hamilton his father’s) in 1916 when he entered Atlanta University, from which he graduated as a chemistry and math major. In 1920 he moved to New York, intending to work as a chemist while pursuing a graduate degree.
Fletcher Henderson (1897-1952)
Fletcher Henderson's Big Band in 1923, can be considered as the first big band in jazz. An orchestra which consists of two trumpets, one trombone, two saxophones, piano, banjo, tuba and drums; can be described as "big" for that period; and by using "saxophone", an instrument which didn't found on New Orleans groups has entered to the jazz music. Lots of great musicians took place in the Fletcher Henderson orchestra; for example Louis Armstrong played until 1926.
The names that this orchestra gifted to the jazz world was incredible. Some of them; on trumpets Rex Stewart, Roy Eldridge, Henry Allen, Bobby Stark and Joe Thomas; on trombones Jimmy Harrison, Claude Jones, Benny Morton, J.C. Higginbotham and Sandy Williams; on saxophones Benny Carter, Coleman Hawkins, Russell Procope, Hilton Jefferson, Ben Webster, Chu Berry; and in rhythm section Israel Crosby and Sidney Carter. Some of them highlighted in this orchestra, and some of them later in their own groups or other orchestras; but the important thing here is, they all took their first big band discipline from the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra.
Album: "The Fletcher Henderson Story"
The most important feature of Fletcher Henderson was his arrangements; and another was; replacing "tuba" with "double bass" some time later. By this method, he rescued his orchestra from the identity of the "military band". At 1930's, after banjo replaced with guitar, the usual rhythm line has determined. From 1930, Henderson shaped his orchestra as three trumpets, two trombones, two alto and one tenor; and by adding another tenor after 1-2 years, he increased the saxophones to four, and he defined the basics of the big band orchestra formation, which will be used by all the big bands except Duke Ellington's and Jimmie Lunceford's, until the end of 1930's.Unfortunately Fletcher Henderson was not good at the way of commercial thinking, and also because he wanted to do nearly everything by himself; he couldn't introduce his orchestra to the public exactly, and this orchestra -which played extremely with "swing" and always had first class soloists- was mostly known by musicians rather than public. (2)
The Fletcher Henderson Orchestra continued to tour and record until 1939 when it disbanded, and Henderson joined Benny Goodman Orchestra as the pianist and arranger. This was the first time that a "White" band hired a "Black" musician to appear on stage with an orchestra. Goodman even used the same arrangements as the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra had used. The band went on to become one of the most popular of the Swing bands. In 1943 Henderson left Goodman's band until 1947, when he rejoined Goodman as an arranger. He toured as an accompanist for Ethel Waters in 1948 and 1949. In 1950 he suffered a stroke and was never able to play again. (3)
Fletcher Henderson died on 1952.
Sources:
, Pan Publishing, 1990 ISBN: 975-7652-08-3 (Translation by Johnny Cage)
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