A Study in Frustration: The Fletcher Henderson Story

A Study in Frustration
A Study in Frustration
Box set by Fletcher Henderson
Released	1961
Recorded	August 9, 1923, to; May 28, 1938
Genre	Jazz
Length	3:09:50
Label	Columbia
Producer	Frank Driggs

Professional ratings
Review scores
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AllMusic	^[1]

A Study in Frustration: The Fletcher Henderson Story is a

John Hammond, both of whom also wrote the liner notes. The set was part of a Thesaurus of Classic Jazz series on Columbia which included King of the Delta Blues Singers also worked on by Hammond and Driggs and released in 1961, the first album reissue of songs by blues legend Robert Johnson

.

Background

After an absence of more than a decade, John Hammond returned to work for Columbia Records in the late 1950s. He envisioned a reissue project of musicians from the 1920s and 1930s who had been mostly forgotten by the record-buying public. Working with producer and record archivist Frank Driggs, the project entitled Thesaurus of Classic Jazz included anthologies and installments devoted to individual artists.

78 RPM records

from various sources, including Driggs' personal collection, the pair assembled 64 selections to represent highlights of Henderson's output spanning 1923 to 1938.

The title of this volume, A Study in Frustration, stems from Henderson and his arrangers, Don Redman and his brother Horace Henderson among them, having invented the basic musical approach and vocabulary of the swing era in the 1920s only to have other bandleaders go on to much greater success using the Henderson formula in the 1930s. For instance, the Henderson orchestra recorded "King Porter Stomp" by Jelly Roll Morton three times to modest success: in 1928, 1932, and 1933, the latter two in arrangements by Henderson.^[3] Benny Goodman took this same tune in the Henderson arrangement and recorded it in 1935; the record itself is acknowledged as a catalyst for the swing era, and Goodman playing Henderson arrangements at the Palomar Ballroom on August 21, 1935, is generally looked upon as the launch of the big band craze that would dominate American popular music through World War II.^[4]^[5]

Content

Included are selections made famous by the Henderson orchestra, including "King Porter Stomp", "Whiteman Stomp", and "Christopher Columbus", and the first recorded composition by Coleman Hawkins, "Queer Notions". Certain selections are credited to the Club Alabam Orchestra, or the Dixie Stompers, among other band pseudonyms.^[3] Two notable recordings not included are "Down South Camp Meeting" and "Wrappin' It Up", the latter also proving a hit for the Goodman band.

Other than the Henderson brothers and Redman, arrangers included in the set are

hamburgers, among them "The Stampede", "Henderson Stomp", "Whiteman Stomp", and "St. Louis Shuffle", while the influence of Armstrong during his 1924–25 tenure changed the band's approach to both swing and solo work entirely.^[3] Several Henderson sidemen soloists met with an early demise – Charlie Green, Jimmy Harrison, Tommy Ladnier, Kaiser Marshall, and Bobby Stark

.

All selections had been previously on

Benny Goodman Orchestra

as an arranger and some-time pianist. Like all bandleaders of the time, Henderson recorded with vocalists, but only five songs on this set feature vocals.

A Study in Frustration was reissued on

Columbia/Legacy as a three compact disc box set on June 14, 1994, packaged in the longbox format duplicating in full the original liner notes

from the 1961 issue. A further reissue appeared in Europe on July 5, 2011, on the Essential Jazz Classics label, with truncated notes but including ten bonus tracks covering recordings in 1934 and 1936 that had not been included in the Columbia set.

Track listing

In the compact disc versions, the song running order is the same with sides one through three comprising disc one, sides four through six comprising disc two, and sides seven and eight along with the bonus tracks comprising disc three. Arrangements by Don Redman except as noted; unknown for bonus tracks.

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Recording date	Length
1.	"The Dicty Blues"	Fletcher Henderson	August 7, 1923	2:40
2.	"Teapot Dome Blues"	George Lottman, Elmer Schoebel	April 15, 1924	2:58
3.	"Go 'Long Mule"	Henry Creamer, Paul King, Robert King	October 7, 1924	3:07
4.	"Shanghai Shuffle"	Larry Conley, Gene Rodemich	October 19, 1924	3:21
5.	"Copenhagen"	Charlie Davis	October 30, 1924	2:53
6.	"Everybody Loves My Baby"	Jack Palmer, Spencer Williams	November 17, 1924	2:53
7.	"How Come You Do Me Like You Do?"	Gene Austin, Roy Bergere	November 22, 1924	3:13
8.	"Alabamy Bound"	Bud Green, Buddy DeSylva, Ray Henderson	January 31, 1925	3:08

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Recording date	Length
1.	"Sugarfoot Stomp"	King Oliver	May 29, 1925	2:49
2.	"What-Cha-Call-Em Blues"	Steve Roberts	May 29, 1925	2:51
3.	"T.N.T."	Elmer Schoebel	October 21, 1925	2:55
4.	"The Stampede"	Fletcher Henderson	May 14, 1926	3:17
5.	"Jackass Blues"	Art Kassel, Mel Stitzel	May 14, 1926	3:14
6.	"Henderson Stomp"	Fletcher Henderson	November 3, 1926	2:53
7.	"The Chant"	Mel Stitzel	November 3, 1926	2:58
8.	"Snag It"	King Oliver	January 20, 1927	3:12

Side three

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Recording date	Length
1.	"Rocky Mountain Blues"	Patty Carroll, Ken Macomber, F. Henderson	January 21, 1927	2:46
2.	"Tozo"	M.A. Cowdry, Fletcher Henderson	January 21, 1927	2:56
3.	"St. Louis Shuffle"	Jack Pettis, Fats Waller	March 23, 1927	3:02
4.	"Whiteman Stomp"	Jo Trent, Fats Waller	May 11, 1927	2:47
5.	"I'm Coming Virginia"	Donald Heywood, Will Marion Cook	May 11, 1927	3:07
6.	"Variety Stomp"	Jo Trent, Charlie Green, Fats Waller	May 12, 1927	3:04
7.	"St. Louis Blues"	W. C. Handy	May 12, 1927	3:06
8.	"Goose Pimples" (unidentified stock arrangement)	Jo Trent, Fletcher Henderson	October 24, 1927	3:01

Side four

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Recording date	Length
1.	"Hop Off"	Fats Waller, head arrangement)	Jelly Roll Morton	March 14, 1928	2:56
3.	"D Natural Blues" (Bill Challis)	Fletcher Henderson	March 14, 1928	3:28
4.	"Oh Baby" (Fletcher Henderson)	O. Murphy, B. DeSylva, W. Donaldson	April 6, 1928	2:49
5.	"Feeling Good" (Fletcher Henderson)	Owen Murphy, Jack Yellen	April 6, 1928	3:29
6.	"I'm Feeling Devilish" (head arrangement)	Maceo Pinkard	April 6, 1928	2:48
7.	"Old Black Joe Blues" (head arrangement)	George Lottman, F. Henderson	November 1928	2:27
8.	"Easy Money" (Benny Carter)	Gene Austin, Benny Carter	December 12, 1928	3:06

Side five

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Recording date	Length
1.	"Come On Baby" (Benny Carter)	Archie Gottler, Sidney Clare, Maceo Pinkard	December 12, 1928	2:57
2.	"Freeze and Melt" (Benny Carter)	Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh	April 1929	3:06
3.	"Raisin' the Roof" (Benny Carter)	Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh	April 1929	2:43
4.	"Blazin'" (Benny Carter)	Joe Sanders	May 16, 1929	3:00
5.	"Wang Wang Blues" (Benny Carter)	Wood, Buster Johnson, Gus Mueller, Busse	May 16, 1929	3:06
6.	"Chinatown, My Chinatown" (John Nesbitt)	William Jerome, Jean Schwartz	October 3, 1930	3:05
7.	"Somebody Loves Me" (Benny Carter)	B. MacDonald, B. DeSylva, G. Gershwin	October 3, 1930	3:06
8.	"Keep a Song in Your Soul" (Benny Carter)	Alexander Hill, Fats Waller	December 2, 1930	3:20

Side six

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Recording date	Length
1.	"Sweet and Hot" (Benny Carter)	Jack Yellen, Harold Arlen	February 5, 1931	3:29
2.	"My Gal Sal" (Bill Challis)	Paul Dresser	February 5, 1931	3:30
3.	"Sugarfoot Stomp" (Fletcher Henderson)	King Oliver	March 19, 1931	3:21
4.	"Clarinet Marmalade" (Bill Challis)	Edwards, LaRocca, Ragas, Sbarbaro, Shields	March 19, 1931	3:15
5.	"Hot and Anxious" (Horace Henderson)	Horace Henderson	March 19, 1931	3:23
6.	"Comin' and Goin'" (Horace Henderson)	Fletcher Henderson, Horace Henderson	March 19, 1931	3:12
7.	"Singin' the Blues" (Fletcher Henderson)	Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh	October 16, 1931	3:08
8.	"Sugar" (Fletcher Henderson)	Joe Young, George W. Meyer	October 16, 1931	2:58

Side seven

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Recording date	Length
1.	"Blue Moments" (Fletcher Henderson)	Fletcher Henderson	March 11, 1932	2:37
2.	"New King Porter Stomp" (Fletcher Henderson)	Jelly Roll Morton	December 9, 1932	3:10
3.	"Underneath the Harlem Moon" (Fletcher Henderson)	Mack Gordon, Harry Revel	December 9, 1932	3:17
4.	"Honeysuckle Rose" (Fletcher Henderson)	Andy Razaf, Fats Waller	December 9, 1932	3:15
5.	"Yeah Man" (Horace Henderson)	Noble Sissle, J. Russel Robinson	August 18, 1933	2:58
6.	"Queer Notions" (Horace Henderson)	Coleman Hawkins	August 18, 1933	2:51
7.	"Can You Take It!" (Fletcher Henderson)	Fletcher Henderson	August 18, 1933	2:52
8.	"King Porter Stomp" (Fletcher Henderson)	Jelly Roll Morton	August 18, 1933	2:59

Side eight

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Recording date	Length
1.	"Christopher Columbus" (Horace Henderson)	Andy Razaf, Chu Berry	March 27, 1936	3:05
2.	"Stealin' Apples" (head arrangement)	Andy Razaf, Fats Waller	March 27, 1936	2:59
3.	"Blue Lou" (Horace Henderson)	Edgar Sampson	March 27, 1936	3:10
4.	"Rhythm of the Tambourine" (Benny Carter)	David Franklin	March 2, 1937	2:41
5.	"Back in Your Own Backyard" (Fletcher Henderson)	Al Jolson, Billy Rose, Dave Dreyer	March 22, 1937	2:35
6.	"Chris and His Gang" (Horace Henderson)	F. Henderson, H. Henderson, J. Dorsey	June 3, 1937	3:03
7.	"Sing You Sinners" (Fletcher Henderson)	Sam Coslow, W. Franke Harling	October 25, 1937	2:45
8.	"Moten Stomp" (Fletcher Henderson)	Bennie Moten, Buster Moten	May 28, 1938	2:44

2011 compact disc reissue bonus tracks

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Recording date	Length
17.	"Wild Party"	Sam Stept	April 9, 1936	3:02
24.	"Jangled Nerves"	Fletcher Henderson, Roger Moore	April 9, 1936	2:35
25.	"Grand Terrace Rhythm"	Fletcher Henderson	May 23, 1936	2:41
26.	"Riffin'"	Horace Henderson	May 23, 1936	2:20

Personnel

Elmer Chambers, Howard Scott, Rex Stewart – cornet
Red Allen, Louis Armstrong, Emmett Berry, Elmer Chambers, Roy Eldridge, Leora Henderson, Tommy Ladnier, Mouse Randolph, Howard Scott, Joe Smith, Russell Smith, Bobby Stark, Joe Thomas, Dick Vance – trumpet
Fernando Arbello, Ed Cuffee, Charlie Green, Jimmy Harrison, J. C. Higginbotham, George Hunt, Keg Johnson, Claude Jones, John McConnell, Benny Morton, Teddy Nixon, Milt Robinson, George Washington, Dicky Wells, Sandy Williams, Al Wynn – trombone
Jerry Blake – alto clarinet
Coleman Hawkins – alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, bass saxophone, clarinet
Don Pasqual – alto saxophone, baritone saxophone
Don Redman – alto saxophone, clarinet, oboe
Edgar Sampson – alto saxophone, violin
Buster Bailey, Hilton Jefferson, Russell Procope, Omer Simeon – alto saxophone, clarinet
Eddie Barefield, Harvey Boone, Lonnie Brown, Scoops Carry, Benny Carter, Carmelo Jejo, Budd Johnson – alto saxophone
Chu Berry, Ben Webster, Elmer Williams – tenor saxophone
June Cole, Ralph Escudero, John Kirby, Del Thomas – tuba
Fletcher Henderson, Horace Henderson, Fats Waller – piano
Charlie Dixon, Clarence Holiday – banjo
Bernard Addison, Bob Lessey, Lawrence Lucie, Freddie White – guitar
Israel Crosby, Elmer James, John Kirby – bass
Sid Catlett, Walter Johnson, Kaiser Marshall, Pete Suggs – drums
Benny Carter, Katherine Handy, Jimmy Harrison, Claude Jones, Les Reis – vocals

References

AllMusic

^ Discogs.com website retrieved 30 April 2021

^ ^a ^b ^c A Study in Frustration, Legacy C3K 57596, 1994, liner notes.

^ Swing and Beyond website retrieved 11 April 2017

^ "Benny Goodman, King of Swing, Is Dead" by John S. Wilson, The New York Times, June 14, 1986

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A_Study_in_Frustration:_The_Fletcher_Henderson_Story&oldid=1221433876"

[1] AllMusic

[2] Discogs.com website retrieved 30 April 2021

[ln-3] A Study in Frustration, Legacy C3K 57596, 1994, liner notes.

[4] Swing and Beyond website retrieved 11 April 2017

[5] "Benny Goodman, King of Swing, Is Dead" by John S. Wilson, The New York Times, June 14, 1986

[1]

[3]

[4]

[5]