Ken Burns JAZZ Collection: Fletcher Henderson

Ken Burns JAZZ Collection, Fletcher Henderson

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 7, 2000)
• Original Release Date: November 7, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000050HVU
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #157,829 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Fletcher Henderson and his arranger-saxophonist Don Redman laid the groundwork for the big bands of the swing era, creating a style that matched propulsive call-and-response tunes with potent soloists. While Henderson's influence on bandleaders from Duke Ellington to Benny Goodman is regularly noted, his own work remains relatively neglected. This CD spans his most creative years, from 1924 to 1940, charting the creative explosion that took place when Redman's orchestral vision first encountered Louis Armstrong's spontaneous creativity. While Armstrong's trumpet sparkles on "Shanghai Shuffle," "Copenhagen," and "Sugar Foot Stomp" from 1924-25, Henderson's ear for talent kept the ranks of the band filled with the most accomplished and promising talent of the era. Tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins was present until 1934. And saxophonists Benny Carter, Ben Webster, and Chu Berry; clarinetist Barney Bigard; and trumpeters Red Allen and Rex Stewart all add flashes of individual brilliance to the tunes. Ranging from Henderson's charging adaptation of Jelly Roll Morton's "King Porter Stomp" to the futurist harmonies of Hawkins's "Queer Notions," this is an excellent introduction to a remarkable body of work. --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A skewed view of an important band, November 8, 2000

By	Allan Sutton (Denver, CO USA) - See all my reviews

This odd compilation misses many of the Henderson Orchestra's masterworks (such as the 1926 Fats Waller collaborations and the classic 1929 Benny Carter arrangements) while including an overly large helping of bland pop tunes ("My Pretty Girl," "Oh, It Looks Like Rain") or unfortunate attempts to re-create white dixieland-style jazz ("Sensation"). If you a want a quick, cheap, and somewhat skewed introduction to Fletcher Henderson, this will do. But serious listeners will be much better served by CBS/Sony's classic boxed set, "A Study in Frustration," which remains the definitive Henderson collection.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Great music, lousy sound, December 19, 2003

By A Customer

The most important thing when you buy recordings of the great bands of the 1920s - 1940s is that the engineers give you the sound that is in the grooves. Unfortunately, many are so interested in cleaning the dirt that they erase the higher frequencies. This recording is an example. The result is a muted and archaic sound. If you want a CD of Fletcher Henderson that will knock your socks off, you can get many of the same tracks on "Tidal Wave". On Tidal Wave, you can't believe the 1930s recording sounds so good and vibrant. It rocks. It rips. It'll jazz you.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful big band music, September 19, 2001

By	G. Sawaged (Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I knew absolutely nothing about Fletcher Henderson before this album. In fact, the picture on the cover, had me thinking that he was a singer. Silly me! But, of course, now I know differently. And now, I cannot believe that I had never heard of him before .. unbelievable. This album is packed with wonderful music, including 2 vocals (not sung by Henderson though, of course). The sound is also not bad. There is no real noticeable hiss, unlike some others in the Ken Burns series. The booklet includes some photos and an interesting essay about Henderson. This album introduced me to a wonderful bandleader and his wonderful music, and it will not be my last Fletcher Henderson album.