Yes, Benny Goodman has been given the title “The King of Swing”, but you may not know that the King himself gave credit to Fletcher Henderson for creating the actual pulse and arrangements of the style that captured America in the 1930s and 40s. What this two disc, 48 song collection demonstrates, however, was the effect that Louis Armstrong had on not only Henderson’s band, but on every instrumentalist that he teamed with, most notably saxist Coleman Hawkins. Armstrong was with Henderson’s band for only a short spell, but the music in his wake is palpably changed, as was Hawkins. style of blowing.
The earliest years of this collection have Hawkins teamed with Don Redman/as for some hotcha pieces like “The DIcty Blues” , with the soloists a bit stiff. Once Armstrong enters in 1924, everyone loosens up as the team tears int “Shanghai Shuffle” and “ Copenhagen”, with Satchmo throwing in some vocal cheering on “Everybody Loves My Baby”. Armstrong’s solo on “Sugar Foot Stomp” is an absolute classic before leaving and Joe Smith taking his place for an exciting “Henderson Stomp” and “Stampede” with Hawkins blowing a volcano. By the late 20s, the team was the forefront of swing, as on “King Porter Stomp” and a take of “Chinatown, My Chinatown” including Benny Carter/as and Rex Stewart/tp. Henderson’s patented call and response between lead brass and supporting reeds (or vice versa ) is demonstrated on “Honeysuckle Rose” and a glorious “ Yeah Man” while advanced harmonics are in rich supply on “Queer Notions” with Hawkins taking one of his most ‘outside’ solos ever.
Henderson rode the Swing wave in the 30s with pieces like “Christopher Columbus”, “Blue Lou” and “Stealin’ Apples”, all taken and polished up by Goodman, earning both gents some nice chump change. If you want to know what unadulterated swing feels like down to the marrow, look no further.