Fletcher Henderson

Fletcher Henderson

Fletcher Hamilton Henderson, Jr.

In the collection

2 records

Played with

About

American arranger, composer, & pianist (December:18, 1897 in Cuthbert, Georgia – December, 28 1952 in New York City, New York).
Brother to Horace Henderson.

He was an important figure in the formation of the early jazz orchestra in the post Ragtime, pre-Swing era of the 1920s. The first band he led was the Black Swan Dance Orchestra in 1921, followed the same year by Henderson’s Dance Orchestra and Henderson’s Dance Players in 1923. Henderson continued during the 1930s as an arranger, composer, and as a talent scout. Fletcher Henderson And His Orchestra was formed in 1923, and continued until 1939, after which Fletcher re-assembled bands of his own for short periods during the following decade, working mostly in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. His las unit was a sextet, with which he played at Cafe Society in New York until a stroke put an end to his career in December 1950.