Died On This Date (December 28, 1952) Fletcher Henderson / Jazz Great
themusicsover Fletcher Henderson
December 18, 1897 – December 28, 1952
Fletcher Henderson was a respected big band and swing jazz pianist, composer and band leader. During a career that began in the early ’20s, Henderson lead bands that included the likes of Coleman Hawkins, Louis Armstrong, Sun Ra and Benny Carter. As a composer, his most famous song was “Gin House Blues,” which found itself recorded by Bessie Smith and Nina Simone among others. As an arranger, he was responsible for key recordings by Benny Goodman and others. In 1950, Fletcher Henderson suffered a stroke that left him unable to play the piano. He passed away two years later.
Don Cherry was a highly regarded avant garde jazz trumpeter who is came to prominence during in the late ’50s while playing with Ornette Coleman. His resume, both in the studio and on record, includes a who’s who of the greatest jazz musicians of the ’60s and ’70s. It included 
