Bobby Henderson (pianist)

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Bobby Henderson (born April 16, 1910 in New York City , † December 9, 1969 there ; actually Robert Bolden Henderson) was an American jazz pianist and trumpeter of swing . He accompanied Billie Holiday at the beginning of her career.

Live and act

Bobby Henderson began playing the piano at the age of nine, had lessons from Fats Waller as a teenager and had early engagements in nightclubs. He broke off his training as an accountant to become a professional musician. He began his career in Washington, DC, then toured with Joe Neville's orchestra . In New York he worked for Stanley Payne and in clubs of the impresario Jerry Preston , the Pod's and Jerry’s . There he met the young Billie Holiday , who had her first appearances as a singer there. Henderson accompanied her on the piano and was engaged to her until 1934. He played frequently at 52nd Street clubs in New York such as Onyx and Famous Door .

During the Second World War he switched to the trumpet and played in an army band. After his release he worked in a jazz club in Albany (NY) under the name Jody Bolden or Jody Henderson. In 1957, through the agency of John Hammond, he had an appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival and in the same year recorded his solo album Handful of Keys - Bobby Henderson Plays Fats Waller and others for Hammond's series Jazz Showcase on the record label Vanguard Records . In 1969 he recorded another album for Hammond, which was later released as A Home in the Clouds .

Teddy Wilson , with whom Billie Holiday made her first recordings in 1933, praised Henderson as a really excellent rhythm player .

Selection discography

  • Bobby Henderson / Sir Charles Thompson / Ray Bryant - Key One Up (Vanguard, 1954–58)

literature

  • Donald Clarke: Billie Holiday , Munich, Piper, 1995
  • Samuel Charters: liner notes for Key One Up (Vanguard, 1954–58)

Web links

Remarks

  1. ↑ He also appeared as Jody Henderson, Jody Bolden
  2. ↑ There are no recordings of Billie Holiday with Henderson as a companion, see Clarke
  3. ↑ cit. after Clarke, p. 111
  4. ↑ contains pieces from the aforementioned Vanguard album
personal data
SURNAME Henderson, Bobby
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Henderson, Robert Bolden (real name); Henderson, Jody (pseudonym); Bolden, Jody (pseudonym)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz pianist
DATE OF BIRTH April 16, 1910
PLACE OF BIRTH New York City
DATE OF DEATH 9th December 1969
Place of death New York City