End
of an Era
Composer/Arranger Luther Henderson passed away in August 2003. His passing is a great loss for the music world generally and the Canadian Brass & brass world specifically.
It was 1978 when the Brass was recording its first LP for RCA Victor in New York City. The subject of the album was Mostly Fats. The Brass needed three more pieces for the LP when producer Jay David Saks phoned Luther. The two of them had just finished recording the cast album of the Broadway hit Ain’t Misbehavin, a show on the life of Thomas “Fats” Waller totally arranged and composed by Luther.
Luther had never written for brass quintet before, but he certainly knew brass! His first three works written for that epic album have become absolute staples of the brass quintet: “Lookin’ Good, Feelin’ Bad; Loungin’ at the Waldorf; and Handful of Keys (now an obligatory test piece for piccolo trumpet).
From that start, Luther went on to create a virtual history of American Jazz realized through the medium of brass. He always seemed to be every bit as proud of his relationship with us as we were to be able to call him a friend . . . what unbelievable good fortune to have been introduced to him so early in our career.
Luther has composed “showstoppers” Saints-Hallelujah and Tuba Tiger Rag, as well as over 150 works by Waller, Handy, Bach, Tchaikovsky, and Puccini. Luther felt the culmination of his writing career was reached in our collaboration on the Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn project. This was music Luther had totally internalized by the time of our meeting. He had been, in his words, “Duke’s classical right arm” in his first job out of Juilliard as band pianist, composer and arranger.
Luther was dedicated to the colorlessess of music; just as he felt it his human right to play Bach, he felt that his real contribution to jazz was to send it out as comprehensively international and interracial. Luther discussed on many occasions the nature of jazz from his point of view. He had heard it said many times, “if it ain’t improvised, it ain’t jazz.” He strongly pointed out that he, as composer, wanted to construct a high level of art that could be jeopardized by new improvisation that depended on the spirit of the moment. His jazz could be written.
Players outside of the Canadian Brass are only now discovering the legacy of Luther. Soon to be announced will be a “subscription series” of his total catalog. Luther Henderson is just now starting to gain the recognition he truly deserved throughout his career.
Luther, we love you.
The Brass (Gene, Chuck, Jeff, Joe, Fred, Ron, David, Ryan & Marty).
Luther Henderson Links
