Fletcher Henderson

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

Brother to [a=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 [a=Black Swan Dance Orchestra] in 1921, followed the same year by [a=Henderson's Dance Orchestra] and [a=Henderson's Dance Players] in 1923. Henderson continued during the 1930s as an arranger, composer, and as a talent scout. [a=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.