• Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Shuffle Projects

Swinging Projects for Lindy Hop & Balboa Dancers

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • DJ CHRiSBE
    • Song of the Week
  • RESOURCES
  • CONTACT

DJ Chrisbe’s Song of the Week #83: Queer Notions

03.10.2011 by Chris

James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson (18.12.1897 – 29.12.1952) was a pianist, composer, arranger and leader of the first great jazz big band. He had a huge influence in early jazz.

Henderson had a degree in chemistry and mathematics, but when he came to New York in 1920, the only job he could find was in the music industry because of race discrimination. He worked as a music director and pianist for the Black Swan label.

In 1922 Henderson formed his first band with Don Redman. Thanks to Redman's innovative arrangements, they became quickly the best Afro-American band in New York. When Louis Armstrong joined the band in 1924, Redman started to contribute more swinging tunes.

After Redman left the band in 1927, Benny Carter and Henderson's younger brother Horace Henderson helped with the arrangements, before Fletcher Henderson became himself a top arranger in the early 1930s.

The band was very popular but Henderson a bad business men, so he started to work for other bands. In 1934 Benny Goodman bought some arrangements from him for his weekly radio show “Let's dance”.

In 1936 Goodman became the “King of Swing“, ironically with arrangements, Henderson already was playing with his band many years before. In 1939, Henderson became the staff arranger of Benny Goodman's band.

Queer Notions is in a certain way quite awkward, with strange harmonies. Queer as its title. I guess, it was a difficult arrangement to play for the band.

Well, I have a foible for strange songs! 😉


DJ Chrisbe's Song of the Week #83: Queer Notions by Fletcher Henderson & His OrchestraTitle: Queer Notions
Artist: Fletcher Henderson & His Orchestra
Recorded: 1933
Album: Yeah Man!
Tempo: 162 bpm
Dance: Lindy Hop



Click the link to prelisten and/or buy the song (mp3/mp4a) at
iTunes
— Amazon.de (CH/D/A) — Amazon.com — eMusic*

*not an eMusic member yet? Get 25 Songs with Your 7 Day FREE Trial!


Do you like this song? Do you like the series? Please leave a comment!


Every Monday, I post a new “Song of the Week“.

Sign up now for DJ Chrisbe's free resources emails for
more music tips and swing DJ resources!

Related posts:

Song of the Week #23: “Muskrat Ramble” by Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five
Song of the Week #16: “Six Appeal” by Charlie Christian & Benny Goodman
Song of the Week #82: “Bizet Has His Day” by Les Brown
Song of the Week #81: “It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” by Duke Ellington
Song of the Week #80: “Shout, Sister, Shout!” by Sister Rosetta Tharpe & Lucky Millinder

[catalyst_hook_box name=”share”]

Filed Under: Music, Song of the Week Tagged With: Benny Carter, Benny Goodman, DJ Chrisbe, Fletcher Henderson, Lindy Hop, Louis Armstrong, Swing

Primary Sidebar

Welcome, I'm Christian Bossert. Since 1999, I‘ve been passionate about Swing dances as well as their culture and history. I‘m a Swing dance instructor and international Swing DJ Chrisbe, based in Zurich Switzerland. Read More…

Recent Posts

  • Alphabetical Jazz Steps – Edition 3 (2017) with Chester Whitmore
  • Marcia & Chris unterrichten bei Dance2bee in CH-Muhen, 10.-13.07.2017
  • WhatStep – Your Dance Move Assistant App: The Story
  • Februar-Aktion: 15% auf iTunes Geschenkkarten
  • Marcia & Chris are teaching Balboa in D-Dortmund, 27.-29.11.2015

Most Popular Posts

  • 33 Tips & Actions How To Become A Better Swing Dancer
  • Swing Summer in Europe: Studio Hop Summer Camp in Eauze France
  • Competing at ABW and ESDC
  • Dance Teaching Idea: Ask & Tell
  • A Day At The Balboa Experiment
  • Frankie Manning: Never Stop Swinging (Documentary)
  • 14 Tips To Become A (Better) Swing DJ

Copyright © 2022 · Lifestyle Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in