1. Sugar Foot Stomp 3:07 9. Take Me Away From The River 3:20 17. Ol’ Man River 3:06 20. Happy Feet 2:51 (King Oliver) (Kaye Lois Parker) (Jerome Kern–Oscar Hammerstein II) (Milt Ager–Jack Yellen) Melotone M 12239, mx E 36455-A With Ikey Robinson, guitar–vocal With Henry “Red” Allen, vocal Parlophone R 1792, mx W 265150-2 Recorded 10 April 1931, New York Victor 24008, mx BSHQ 71939-1 Parlophone R 1766, mx W 265152-1 Recorded 3 October 1933, New York Recorded 10 March 1932, New York Recorded 3 October 1933, New York 2. Just Blues 3:07 Tracks 1, 2, 5–8: Connie’s Inn Orchestra (Fletcher Henderson) 10. Business in F 3:07 18. Minnie The Moocher’s Wedding Day Melotone M 12239, mx E 36456-A (Archie Bleyer) 3:04 Tracks 3, 4, 9–14: Fletcher Henderson & His Recorded 10 April 1931, New York Columbia 2615-D, mx W 151851-1 (Harold Arlen–Ted Koehler) Orchestra 3. Tiger Rag 3:16 Recorded 16 October 1931, New York Parlophone R 031, mx W 265153-2 Tracks 15–20: Horace Henderson & His Orchestra (J. B. La Rocca) 11. Queer Notions 2:34 Recorded 3 October 1933, New York Crown 3107, mx 1232-3 (Coleman Hawkins) 19. I’ve Got To Sing A Torch Song 3:36 Transfers and Production: David Lennick Recorded March 1931, New York Columbia CB 678, mx 265135-2 (Harry Warren–Al Dubin) Digital Noise Reduction: Graham Newton 4. Star Dust 2:59 Recorded 22 September 1933, New York Columbia CB 701, mx W 265155-1 Original 78s from the collections of David (Hoagy Carmichael–Mitchell Parish) 12. It’s The Talk Of The Town 3:33 Recorded 3 October 1933, New York Lennick and John Wilby. Crown 3093, mx 1231-3 (A. J Neiburg–M. Symes–J. Livingston) Recorded March 1931, New York Columbia 2825-D, mx W 265136-3 Personnel 5. Singin’ The Blues (Till My Daddy Recorded 22 September 1933, New York March & April 1931: Russell Smith, Rex Coleman Hawkins, clarinet, tenor; Fletcher Comes Home) 3:17 13. Night Life 3:25 Stewart, Bobby Stark, trumpets; Benny Henderson, piano; Clarence Holiday, guitar; (Sam Lewis–Joe Young–Con Conrad) (Will Hudson) Morton, Claude Jones Russell John Kirby Walter Johnson Victor 22721, mx BRC 53069-1 Columbia CB 727, mx W 265137-2 , trombones; , tuba, bass; , drums Recorded 29 April 1931, Camden NJ Recorded 22September 1933, New York Procope, clarinet, alto; Harvey Boone, clarinet, October 1931 & March 1932: Russell Smith, Rex alto; Coleman Hawkins, clarinet, tenor; 6. Radio Rhythm 2:58 Stewart, Bobby Stark, trumpets; Sandy 14. Nagasaki 3:25 Fletcher Henderson, piano; Clarence Holiday, (Nat Leslie–Irving Mills) (Harry Warren–Mort Dixon) Williams, J. C. Higginbotham, trombones; Brunswick 6176, mx E 36297-A guitar; John Kirby, tuba, bass; Walter Johnson, Russell Procope, clarinet, alto; Edgar Sampson, With Henry “Red” Allen, vocal drums Recorded 17 July 1931, New York Columbia 2825-D, mx W 265138-2 clarinet, alto, violin; Coleman Hawkins, clarinet, 7. (I’ll Be Glad When You’re Dead) You Recorded 22 September 1933, New York July 1931: Russell Smith, Rex Stewart, Bobby tenor; Fletcher Henderson, piano; Clarence Stark, trumpets; Benny Morton, Claude Jones, Holiday, guitar; John Kirby, tuba, bass; Walter Rascal You 3:09 15. Rhythm Crazy 3:13 (Sam Theard) (Horace Henderson) trombones; Russell Procope, clarinet, alto; Johnson, drums With Claude Jones, vocal; Fletcher Parlophone R 1743, mx W 265151-1 Edgar Sampson, clarinet, alto, violin; Coleman September & October 1933: Russell Smith, Henderson announcing Recorded 3 October 1933, New York Hawkins, clarinet, tenor; Fletcher Henderson, Bobby Stark, Henry “Red” Allen, trumpets; Crown 3180, mx 1431-3 piano; Clarence Holiday, guitar; John Kirby, Dickie Wells, Claude Jones, trombones; Russell Recorded August 1931, New York 16. Ain’tcha Glad 3:19 tuba, bass; Walter Johnson, drums (Thomas “Fats” Waller–Andy Razaf) Procope, clarinet, alto; Hilton Jefferson, 8. Blue Rhythm 2:49 Parlophone R 1717, mx W 265153-1 August 1931: Russell Smith, Rex Stewart, Bobby clarinet, alto; Coleman Hawkins, tenor; Horace (Nat Leslie–Irving Mills) Recorded 3 October 1933, New York Stark, trumpets; J. C. Higginbotham, Claude Henderson, piano; Bernard Addison, guitar; Crown 3180, mx 1432-3 Jones, trombones; Russell Procope, clarinet, John Kirby, bass; Walter Johnson, drums Recorded August 1931, New York alto; Edgar Sampson, clarinet, alto, violin; 5 8.120672 6 8.120672 FLETCHER HENDERSON Stark took many heated trumpet solos, Benny On Star Dust, Henderson’s orchestra sounds being succeeded by trumpeter-vocalist Henry craziness, with some very solid playing from Morton and Claude Jones were among the best like a dance band, with Stewart’s chorus “Red Allen,” trombonist Dickie Wells and the driving rhythm section, Hawkins, Stark ‘Blue Rhythm’ Original Recordings 1931-1933 trombonists of the time, Russell Procope was recalling cornetist Bix Beiderbecke a bit. guitarist Bernard Addison. Altoist Hilton and Dickie Wells who shows off his range and equally skilled on clarinet and alto, and Stewart plays even more like Bix on Singin’ The Jefferson gave the band its seventh strong expressive qualities on the trombone. Ain’tcha Coleman Hawkins was the pacesetter among Blues, a Bill Challis arrangement that is a horn soloist while Horace Henderson was Glad is slightly slower but swings just as hard, Fletcher Henderson was a major force in jazz demand for black chemists. Instead, tenor-saxophonists. The rhythm section direct tribute to the classic Bix contributing both arrangements and playing with Wells, Allen and Hawkins being the solo of the 1920s and ’30s in several areas. A Henderson found a job as a song demon- included John Kirby (doubling on bass and Beiderbecke/Frank Trumbauer recording of piano in his brother’s spot. stars. Red Allen takes over on Ol’ Man River decent if not overwhelming pianist, Henderson strator with the Pace-Handy music company. tuba) who would lead a famous sextet later in four years earlier. Since Bix was still alive (he while Minnie The Moocher’s Wedding Day is Horace Henderson’s Queer Notions has a very was most significant as a bandleader, an Harry Pace soon founded the Black Swan label the decade and rhythm guitarist Clarence died three and a half months later), one taken at a faster than usual pace, with Wells, harmonically advanced chord structure, so the arranger and a masterful talent scout. He led and Henderson became his house pianist, Holiday, the father of Billie Holiday. While wonders if he ever heard this recording. Radio Allen and Hawkins preceding some romping band’s two most advanced soloists, Hawkins the first important jazz big band (if one does backing blues singers (including Ethel Waters) Fletcher Henderson contributed the majority of Rhythm has a remarkable arrangement from ensembles. Coleman Hawkins’ dominates I’ve and Allen, are featured throughout, not count Paul Whiteman’s more commercial and organizing bands. Henderson started the arrangements, he sometimes utilized charts Nat Leslie that sounds like the theme for a Got To Sing A Torch Song. The last selection, improvising with apparent ease. It’s The Talk unit) and, although Don Redman was the main recording as a leader as early as 1921 and from other writers including his brother pianist dramatic radio show. Morton, Procope on Happy Feet, had been a hit for Paul Of The Town is considered one of Coleman writer in his early bands, by 1931 Henderson more extensively two years later, forming his Horace Henderson. alto (taking one of his finest solos of the time), Whiteman a few years earlier and proves to be Hawkins’ finest ballad showcases of the had developed into an increasingly influential own permanent orchestra in January 1924. Jones and Stark keep the momentum flowing a stirring closer. This collection begins with nine of Henderson’s 1930s. Night Life has some heated ensembles arranger. As a talent scout, Henderson had no From the start, he had jazz’s leading big band, with statements that grow logically out of the best recordings from 1931 and one song from and solos by Henderson, Allen, Stark and Despite the success of these recordings, close competition during the period. Such particularly after Louis Armstrong joined later arrangement. I’ll Be Glad When You’re Dead the following year. Sugar Foot Stomp is Don Hawkins. Although Nagasaki is a feature for Fletcher Henderson had to reluctantly break remarkable players as trumpeters Louis in 1924 and influenced the other sidemen You Rascal You, a Louis Armstrong hit, gives Redman’s adaptation of King Oliver’s Red Allen’s hot vocal and trumpet (a two- up his orchestra at the end of 1934 and Armstrong, Joe Smith, Tommy Ladnier, Bobby towards legato phrasing, dramatic solos and listeners a rare opportunity to hear “Dippermouth Blues” which was originally chorus statement that builds and builds), ironically became better known for the Stark, Cootie Williams, Rex Stewart, Henry swinging. It was not until 1927 when Duke Henderson’s voice as he announces the song; recorded by Henderson in 1925. This up- there are also strong if brief appearances by arrangements that he contributed to Benny “Red” Allen and Roy Eldridge, trombonists Ellington surpassed Henderson that other big Claude Jones takes the vocal. Blue Rhythm is tempo version has spots for Procope, Morton Henderson, Jones, Stark and Hawkins. Goodman’s big band than for his own group. Charlie Green, Jimmy Harrison, Benny Morton, bands began to catch up. But, based at the notable for the ensembles, driving bass of (one of his best solos) and Hawkins. Just He led another big band during 1936-39 but Sandy Williams, Dickie Wells and J.C. Roseland Ballroom for many years, the Kirby and solos of Jones and Procope.