Horace W. Henderson (November 22, 1904 – August 29, 1988), the younger brother of Fletcher Henderson, was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

pianist, organist, arranger, and bandleader. Henderson was born in

Cuthbert, Georgia Cuthbert is a city in, and the county seat of, Randolph County, Georgia, United States. The population was 3,520 in 2019. History Cuthbert was founded by European Americans in 1831 as seat of the newly formed Randolph County, after Indian Remov ...

, United States. While later attending

Wilberforce University Wilberforce University is a private historically black university in Wilberforce, Ohio. Affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), it was the first college to be owned and operated by African Americans. It participates ...

he formed a band called the Collegians, which included

Benny Carter Bennett Lester Carter (August 8, 1907 – July 12, 2003) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. With Johnny Hodges, he was a pioneer on the alto saxophone. From the beginning of his career ...

and

Rex Stewart Rex William Stewart Jr. (February 22, 1907 – September 7, 1967) was an American jazz cornetist who was a member of the Duke Ellington orchestra. Career As a boy he studied piano and violin; most of his career was spent on cornet. Stewart drop ...

. This band was later known as the Horace Henderson Orchestra and then as the Dixie Stompers. Henderson left it to work with Sammy Stewart, then in 1928 organized a new band called the Collegians.

Don Redman Donald Matthew Redman (July 29, 1900 – November 30, 1964) was an American jazz musician, arranger, bandleader, and composer. Biography Redman was born in Piedmont, Mineral County, West Virginia, United States. His father was a music teacher ...

took over this band in 1931; Henderson continued to work as the band's pianist and arranger before leaving to work for his brother. Fletcher Henderson's book contained about as many of Horace's arrangements as of Fletcher's. Although Horace worked continually, led bands, arranged, recorded, and composed into the 1980s, and although he is considered by many the more talented and skillful of the Henderson brothers, Fletcher remained more popular and accomplished more in the field. Horace Henderson arranged for many other jazz musicians of the era. Among his other clients for arrangements were

Charlie Barnet Charles Daly Barnet (October 26, 1913 – September 4, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. His major recordings were "Skyliner", " Cherokee", "The Wrong Idea", "Scotch and Soda", "In a Mizz", and "Southland Shuffl ...

, the Casa Loma Orchestra,

Tommy Dorsey Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-toned trombo ...

, Benny Goodman, Earl Hines, and

Jimmie Lunceford James Melvin Lunceford (June 6, 1902 – July 12, 1947) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and bandleader in the swing era. Early life Lunceford was born on a farm in the Evergreen community, west of the Tombigbee River, near Fulton, Mi ...

. His best-known arrangements were of his own "Hot and Anxious" (part of which became the main theme of "In The Mood") and "Christopher Columbus", of which he was one of the writers (but never received credit). He also wrote another popular instrumental of the big band era titled "Big John's Special". These were three important compositions of the period. At different times in his career, Horace was pianist and musical director for both Lena Horne and

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop s ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Henderson, Horace 1904 births 1988 deaths American jazz bandleaders American music arrangers American jazz pianists American male pianists Big band bandleaders Wilberforce University alumni People from Cuthbert, Georgia 20th-century American pianists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Casa Loma Orchestra members The Chocolate Dandies members