Louis Armstrong With Fletcher Henderson

Rarely has one musician made such a difference. When Louis Armstrong moved from Chicago to New York in September 1924 to join Fletcher Henderson’s orchestra, the Henderson group was ranked as one of the top black dance bands although it was not on the level of the top Chicago jazz groups. Its musicians were proud of their ability to read music but most of them were actually rhythmically awkward players, their solos were full of flashy effects, and the band rarely swung. The addition of trombonist Charlie Green had helped a little but, when Armstrong arrived, it soon became obvious that he was years ahead of the other musicians, even Coleman Hawkins. The instrumentalists and arranger Don Redman listened closely as Armstrong displayed a beautiful tone, “told stories” during solos that built up as they progressed, and emphasized impeccable timing in his playing, knowing how to use silence dramatically. His year with Henderson not only changed the sound and style of the orchestra but it altered the way that other New York musicians played and ultimately all of jazz itself. The three-CD set Louis With Fletcher Henderson compiled by the Forte Record Productions in France back in 1992 has the complete story with all of the 65 performances