Fletcher Henderson
Pianist and arranger Fletcher Henderson was one of the most commercially successful African-American musician of the Twenties. A key figure in the development of big band jazz, he led an orchestra with a unique sound that led directly to the “swing” era. Working with arranger Don Redman, he created the basic pattern of an orchestral language that featured the interplay of brass and reed sections, frequently in a call and response format characteristic of earlier African-based music. In jazz writer Brian Priestley’s words, this structure “proved so flexible that it was the basis of all the most popular music until the end of World War II.” Henderson was also an impressive talent scout, recruiting such major figures as Coleman... Read More
- City Of Origin:
- Cuthbert, Georgia, United States
- Genre:
- Jazz, Big Band, Classic Jazz
- Birthdate:
- 12/18/1897
- Death date:
- 12/29/1952