The first record to give label credit to Fletcher Henderson’s Club Alabam’ Orchestra, named after the basement club where the Henderson band took up residence in November of 1923. Located on W. 44th Street, it had been operated as a speakeasy known as the Little Club that was raided by the Feds in April 1923 and closed down as a result.
31st Street Blues was so named from a popular street in Chicago. Henderson later recorded it with Clara Smith and again with Josie Miles. I’m a big fan of the early Henderson band!
0:00 Intro
0:34 ensemble
0:58 alto sax (Redman)
1:25 piano (Henderson)
1:37 tenor sax (Hawkins)
1:52 cornet (Chambers)
2:16 clarinet (Redman)
2:42 cornet (Chambers)
Recorded in New York City on November 26, 1923
Released as Perfect 14223 in March 1924.
Credits:
Fletcher Henderson – piano, arranger, director
Elmer Chambers – cornet
Teddy Nixon (?) – trombone
Don Redman – clarinet, alto sax, arranger
Coleman Hawkins – tenor sax
Billy Fowler – bass sax
Charlie Dixon (?) – banjo
Kaiser Marshall – drums
Sources:
Hendersonia, Walter C. Allen, Jazz Monographs, 1973, p. 77, 80. 98
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