Luther Henderson Papers
Catalog Record: http://lccn.loc.gov/2011570512
General International Standard for Archival Description
Music Division Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
Finding aid encoded by Library of Congress Music Division, 2011
Encoded Archival Description
Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
collection
Luther Henderson Papers circa 1930-2003 (bulk 1960-1995)
Henderson, Luther, 1919-2003
Biographical History for: Luther Henderson Papers circa 1930-2003 (bulk 1960-1995)
Biographical Note Date Event 1919, Mar. 14 Born, Kansas City, Mo. 1936-1938 Attended College of the City of New York 1939, June 17 Married Tealene Nee Berry 1940, Dec. 24 Son Denson born 1942 B.S., in music, Juilliard School of Music, New York, N.Y. 1944-1946 Staff orchestrator, U.S. Navy School of Music, Washington, D.C. 1946-1947 M.A., in music, New York University 1950, Mar. 19 Son Luther born 1956, Sept. 14 Married Stevie (Muriel) Melzer 1957, Sept. 20 Daughter Melanie born 1958 Composed arrangements for Rodgers and Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song 1960 Composed arrangements for Do Re Mi 1971, Jan. 30 Married Margo Semos 1978 Arranger and orchestrator for Ain't Misbehavin' 1981, Feb. 8 Married actress Billie Allen 1988-1989 Conducted and played piano for Broadway revival of Ain't Misbehavin' 1992 Jelly's Last Jam nominated for Tony Award for best score 1992 Jelly's Last Jam wins Drama Desk Award for outstanding orchestration 1997 Play On! nominated for Tony Award for best orchestration 1999-2000 Collaborated with Sir Simon Rattle, Lena Horne, and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra on performances and recordings of Classic Ellington 2002 Henderson and Billie Allen honored with a Pioneer Award at the AUDELCO "VIV" Awards 2003 Little Ham nominated for Drama Desk Award for outstanding orchestration 2003, July 29 Died, New York City 2004 Posthumously honored with a Jazz Masters Award by the National Endowment for the Arts
Scope and Content Note The Luther Henderson Papers span from the 1930s to 2003 with the majority of the materials dating from 1960 to 1995. The collection includes music manuscripts, subject files, correspondence, business papers, financial documents, photographs, writings, posters, biographical materials, and realia. The Music series consists of holograph manuscript or computer-generated scores and sketches, manuscript scores in the hands of other composers, lead sheets, parts, and source materials used for arrangements. Most are extensively annotated and are often accompanied by notes, correspondence, and scripts to which they closely relate. From the late 1980s on, Henderson's scores and sketches are almost exclusively computer-generated, although they are freely annotated by hand. Some pieces contain printed file indexes that indicate other works in progress on his computer at the time. Music in the collection is arranged in five subseries: general projects; performer projects; the Luther Henderson Songbook; music library files; and Brick Fleagle music. Henderson's degree of involvement with musical projects varied widely. In some instances, such as Ain't Misbehavin, he composed the score of the musical and served as music director. In others, such as Flower Drum Song, he contributed only a few arrangements. Henderson also provided musical advice and ideas for projects that later developed into well-known Broadway musicals or for projects that failed to materialize. All of these are represented in the collection. Notable works include Ain't Misbehavin, Ellington Suite, Jelly's Last Jam, MLK Suite, One More Song, Play On!, Reverend Jenkins' Almost All Colored Orphanage Band, and Turned on Broadway. Henderson was a prolific arranger who worked for various performers, such as the Canadian Brass, Placido Domingo, Mandy Patinkin, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. These projects ranged from commissioned works to concerts and night club acts. The Luther Henderson Songbook is a compilation of vocal and instrumental music that Henderson hoped one day to publish as a multi-volume series. Although he does indicate specific compositions intended for publication, it is likely that that the files contain extraneous tunes that may or may not have had a place in the final product. The remaining musical materials are files of arrangements by other composers that Henderson used for projects or otherwise came to possess, the latter being manuscripts owned by friend and fellow arranger Jacob Roger "Brick" Fleagle. These were presumably bequeathed to Henderson upon Fleagle's death in 1992. Many projects have accompanying subject files, as do projects that have no music materials but other related documents. The Subject Files series contains correspondence, business papers, royalty statements, scripts, clippings, programs, and/or promotional materials. Loose documents and files not originally associated with subject files are arranged within the Personal Correspondence, Business Papers, Financial Documents, or Miscellany series. Henderson's invoices are particularly useful, as they indicate miscellaneous projects from the 1970s in which he took part. The Brick Fleagle materials contain a scattering of Fleagle's business papers and contracts, many of which relate to his musical arrangements file.
series
Music, 1940s-2002
Scores, sketches, lead sheets, parts, and source materials. Many titles are accompanied by lyric sheets, correspondence, notes, programs, scripts, and other related materials. All projects are musical theater productions or concert works unless indicated otherwise. Musical works with substantial documentation have corresponding subject files.
subseries
General Projects
Musical theater productions, concerts, films, recording sessions, individual pieces, and miscellaneous projects.
file
Ain't misbehavin', 1978, 1988
Scores, sketches, lyric sheets, correspondence, and source materials
Ain't misbehavin' suite: for chamber orchestra, undated
Scores
The all night strut, 1976
Scores, program, and clippings
Benton and Bowles Inc. [advertisements], 1968-1969
Scores, sketches, parts, lyric sheets, and notes
Billy Taylor's 80th birthday celebration [concert], 2002
Parts for "I wish I knew how it would feel to be free"
Black and blue, 1989
Scores and sketches
Black, brown, and beige, undated
Score for "The Lord is my shepherd"
Blow that trumpet, brother, brother!, undated
Scores and script
Bricktop in Paris, 1980
Campbell's Soup [advertisement], 1990
Scores, sketches, and correspondence
Classic Ellington [concert/recording], 1999, 2000
Scores, correspondence, notes, and source materials
Come Sunday [recording session], 1994
Scores, sketches, parts, and correspondence
Conquering Thursday, 1969
Score for "Prologue"
The crystal tree, 1981
Bass and drum parts
Do re mi, 1960
Scores for "I know about love" and "Listen baby"
Ellington suite, 1991
Scores, sketches, and source materials
Ellington's New York [concert], 1993
Scores, sketches, correspondence, notes, and source materials
Far East suite [recording project], 1999 see Classic Ellington
The first, 1981
Scores for "Ebbets field" and "There are days"
Happy New Year, 1980
List of musical numbers
Hey, foxy mama, 1987
Scores, sketches, lead sheets, lyric sheets, and notes
Lead sheets
Jelly's last jam, 1992
Piano-conductor score
Parts
Laura, undated
The mayor of Harlem, undated
Scores, sketches, lyric sheets, and script excerpts
Miscellany, 1956-1994
Score excerpts, sketches and fragments, script excerpts, and notes
Sketch book
MLK suite, 1992
My Broadway, 1998
Scores for "Mean to me" and "Not while I'm around"
Olds FLA '87 [Oldsmobile promotional event], 1987
Scores, script, and source materials
Olds for '60 [Oldsmobile promotional event], 1959-1960
Olds for '87 [Oldsmobile promotional event], 1986
Scores, sketches, script, correspondence, program, and notes
Olds for '88 [Oldsmobile promotional event], 1987
Scores, script, notes, program, and source materials
Olds for '89 [Oldsmobile promotional event], 1988
Scores, vocal parts, and source materials
One more song, 1987
Scores of miscellaneous songs
Play on!, 1997
Score
Rehearsal scores
Sketches and source materials
Polly, 2000
Porgy and Bess suite (brass quintet), 1989
Porgy and Bess suite (brass quintet, orchestra), undated
Reverend Jenkins' Almost All Colored Orphanage Band, 1987
Scores, lead sheets, lyric sheets, notes, and source materials
Riviera on the rocks, 1959
Scores and lead sheets
Saturday laughter, 1998-1999
Scores, lead sheets, and plot outline
Siren song, undated
The slams [film], 1973
Scores and parts
Songs my mother never taught me, circa 1979
Scores, sketches, lead sheets, lyric sheets, script, and notes
St. Louis woman, 1997
Scores, sketches, and notes
Stormy weather, 2001
Piano-vocal score
Bass parts
Storyville, 1970s
Scores, script excerpts, and notes
Sweeter and sweeter, 1983
Scores, notes, and plot outline
The three Black kings [ballet], undated
Turned on Broadway [recording], 1982
Scores for vol. 1
Parts for vol. 1
Scores for vol. 2
Parts for vol. 2
Performer Projects
Music for concerts, recordings, or night club acts by individual performers or groups.
Bergen, Polly see General Projects: Polly
Brightman, Sarah, 1988
Scores, correspondence, financial documents, and source materials
Burr, Charles, 1976
Canadian Brass, circa 1982-1998
12th Street rag
A-moverin
Amazing grace
American Dixieland
Sketches and notes
Andante and Oh, minuetto
Ballin' the jack
Scores and source materials
Beale Street blues
Bess, you is my woman
Black bottom stomp
BMG Classics [recording project]
Scores, tuba parts, and correspondence
Brass on Broadway [recording]
Scores, correspondence, and source materials
The Buttercup-Willow affair
By an' by
Bye bye baby
Score, sketches, and tuba part
The carousel waltz
Clockwise permutation
Deep river
Dixie über Alles
Don't mean a thing
Score and sketches
Don't mean a thing / Sentimental mood
Elegy and celebration
Score, sketches, and correspondence
The Ellington connection [recording project]
The entertainer
Source materials
Ezekiel's chariot
Fugue for tinhorns
Score, sketches, piano part, and source materials
Germany '96 [concert]
Score, parts, correspondence, and source materials
Gospel according to the Brass [recording project]
Scores, sketches, parts, notes, and source materials
A gospel wedding song
Score and parts
High society
Huara-che-roony
I got rhythm
Indian love call
Inside Ellingtonia [concert]
Jelly and the vamp
Joy to the world
Judith Blegon [concert]
Sketches, notes, and source materials
King Porter stomp
London blues
Loudly let the trumpet bray
Lush life
MacDonald's Band
Scores, sketches, and parts
Mamie's blues
Maple leaf rag
Score and source materials
McDonald's in brass [advertisement]
Memory
Minuet in blue-hoo
Music of the night
Score, sketches, and source materials
My dearest love
Nearer to thee
New world a comin'
Scores, sketches, correspondence, and source materials
O say can you
Scores, correspondence, and notes
The pearls
Poor butterfly see also BMG Classics
Score, trumpet parts, and source materials
The race
Red hot jazz: the Dixieland album [recording]
Red velvet brass
The rhythm series
Rondo-boperation
The saints' hallelujah
Send in the clowns
Sentimental mood
Seventy-six trombones
Slaughter on 10th Ave.
Softly as in a morning sunrise
Sophisticated lady
St. Louis blues
The Strayhorn suite
Score and source materials for "Blood count"
Strike up the band
Strike up the band [recording]
Study war no more
Sugar blues see also BMG Classics
Parts and source materials
Take his hand
What child is this?
The wolverines
You made me love you
You name it
Cook, Barbara, 1987
Scores for "Sooner or later"
Dietz and Schwartz, 1972
Sketches, lyric sheets, notes, and source materials
Domingo, Placido, 1991
Scores, notes, and source materials
Ellis, Anita, 1992-1993
Scores, lead sheets, correspondence, photographs, notes, and source materials
Goulet, Robert and Carol, 1966
Scores and notes
Henderson, Margo, 1977-1978 and undated
Scores, parts, promotional materials, notes, and miscellany
Henderson, Melanie, 1966 and undated
Scores and lyric sheets
Johnson, Betty, 1983-1985
Lawrence, Carol, 1962, 1965 and undated
Patinkin, Mandy, 1988
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, 1987-1988
Andrew Lloyd Weber suite
Another hundred people with fidgety feet
Cole Porter suite. Overture
Harold Arlen suite
Hart and Hammerstein by Rodgers
Parts for 3rd movement
Jesus Christ superstar: instrumental suite
Source materials and notes
Jule Styne suite
Phantom of the opera: orchestra suite
Quelquechose suite: op. 2. Me and my girl medley
Shore, Dinah, undated
Uggams, Leslie, 1996
Scores and correspondence
Luther Henderson Songbook
Scores and lead sheets, most of which were intended for future publication as bound volumes. Includes both vocal and instrumental works.
Accelerator and Don't sing it
All for Harold (That's my boy!)
Andante, op. 2
Baby blue
Be a girl
Blue legato brass
The blues
The bossa cha-cha nova
Bossa nova: op. 1
Bossa nova: op. 2
Call it love
Can't stop
Chicago
Chicken reel
Cloak and dagger
Crystal tree
Darling
The devil you say
Don't mess with Tess
Doxology for my teeny bopper: op. 1
Doxology for my teeny bopper: op. 2
Dream smoke
A drum is a woman
The evil eye
For the homeless
For the Lord
Fox trot
Frankie and Johnny twist
The future Mrs. (Mr.) me
Give me a man
Got no time
Gotta have talent
Hey Cherie!
High hat
Home is the entire world
I know her name
If I could fly
India inck
Just got me
Lady of the lavender mist
The Lord is my shepherd
Love has a funny way
Love scene
Love song
Love stays
Lullaby
Lutu's song
Magical man
March time
Margo's tune
Meditation
Melanie's lullaby
Melanie's marching song
Mercy me
Mutual funds
My gray matter
My kind of love
My love
Not your heart
Nothin' funny
No wonder
Oh God
Old MacDonald's farm
Opus staccato
Please don't go away from me
River song
The saga of Bailey
Satin-skinned gal
September theme
Small aria
So what
Solitaire
Solo and duet
Sorrow
The Soulville train
The spelling bee
Spell it out
Stanley
Stephanie
Sweet little baby of mine
Sweet Mary
Take my hand
Ten good years
Thanksgiving
That's life, I guess
That's no news
There's a look to her
There's something about a man who doesn't love you
This land
The time is wrong
Theme
To a tilted em
The torque
Travel on
A tune for WM. S.
Waltz in E♭
Watergate watchman
Well, well
What a day
What a star can do
What ever happened to the dream
What ev'ry woman knows
What happened
What I'm gonna do
What kind of jazz is that?
White of her
Wiggins
Woman
Yesterday's child
You
Young man
Lists of songs for inclusion
Music Library Files
Annotated scores and lists of materials in Henderson's library.
Beane, Reginald
Bells are ringing
Blackwell, Charles and Herb Schultz
Christmas songs
Do re mi
Flora and the red menace
Hallelujah baby!
Lists of sheet music in library
Masello, Robert and Peter Strode
Miscellanous songs
Miss Ethel Waters
Morgan, Bob
Rodgers and Hart
Strayhorn, Billy
Tempo Music Inc.
That 5 a.m. jazz
Brick Fleagle Music
Scores and parts by Henderson's close friend and fellow arranger, Jacob Roger "Brick" Fleagle. Includes arrangements by other composers in Fleagle's hand.
Ain't cha-glad?
Alice blue gown
Auld lang syne
Basin Street blues
Blue interlude
Blue Lou
Blue room
Burnin' de candle at both end
Can't we be friends
Chocolate
Ciao
D♮ blues
Dark eyes
Dear old Southland
The Duke steps out
An earful of music
Gee! Ain't I good to you
Heavy Edna
Hot Toddy
I found a new baby
I know that you know
I never slept a wink last night
I'm comin' Virginia
Juba dance
Lady be good
Liza
Makin' friends
The man from the South
Mandy
My gal Sal
Nagasaki
Nola
Oh! Miss Hannah!
Old loves
Red Bean Row
Riff romp
Rockin' in rhythm
Rolling in love
Royal garden blues
Shanghai shuffle
Somebody loves me
Spellbound
Star dust
Sweet Sue
Swing it
Swing low, sweet chariot
Three little words
Tired of everything
Was my face red?
When Bhudda smiles
Who cares?
Will you, won't you, be my baby?
Subject Files, 1960-2002
Business papers, scripts, contracts, programs, clippings, financial documents, and/or notes. All projects are musical theater productions or concert works unless indicated otherwise.
About face, undated
Ain't misbehavin, 1978, 1988
Belle Starr, 1996
Blind man of Broadway, 1991
Bojangles, undated
Carver, undated
Celluloid, 1978
The chit'lin circuit, 1985
Eliza [WNET film], 1975
Ella Fitzgerald 75th birthday celebration, 1993
Ellington: a theatrical review, 1978
Ellington centennial [UCLA concert], 1999
F. Jasmine Addams, 1971
Script only
Fresh air taxi, 1990
Getting up nights, undated
Good news, 1973
Hallelujah baby!, undated
Hot feet, 2002
Hot spot, 1963
Business papers
Clearance forms
Clippings
Programs
Royalty statements
Scripts
Student study guide
Tour materials
Keep a knockin', 1988
Little ham, 1987
Look to the rainbow, 1985
Lucky guy, undated
Lush life: a Strayhorn cabaret [recording project], 1998
Mahalia, 1978
Marilyn, undated
Me and Wilhelmina, undated
Miss Ethel Waters, 1983
Miss Teen USA, 1986
Mr. Nobody, undated
My Broadway [concert], 1998
My mother's daughter, undated
Persephone, 1962, 1996
Quasimodo, 1976
The Ragtime blues, 1976
Rare breed, 1986
Rodgers and Hart, 1975
Sugar Hill, 1985
Walk in my shoes, 1968
Canadian Brass, circa 1992-1990
Cassidy, Tim, 1975
Henderson, Margo, 1969, 1977-1978 and undated
Horne, Lena, 1983
Norman, Jessye, 1993-1998
Smith, Alexis, 1975
Three Mo' Tenors, 1998
Personal Correspondence, 1953-2002
Letters from family, friends, and notable musical personalities.
1957-1997 and undated
Allen, Billie, 1968-1969 and undated
Congratulatory notes, 1958, 1988-1992
Davis Jr., Sammy, 1956
Henderson, Melanie and Denson, 1976-2002
Kostelanetz, Andre, 1977
Rodgers, Richard, 1975
Strayhorn, Billy, 1953
Business Papers, 1960-2003
Professional correspondence, contracts, notes, publicity materials, and miscellaneous materials.
1965-2003 and undated
American Eagle Awards, 1993
American Musicals Project, 1998-1999
Contact information lists, 1960-1992 and undated
Do-re-mi-ology, 1987
Ellington International Conference, 1998
The Juno Company, 1982-1983
Lena Horne Music Scholarship, 1989
MCA Classics, 1987-1997
Music rental, 1988-1994
Peabody Institute, 1993-1994
Quel Else Enterprises, 1978-1989
Tony Awards, 1997
United Artists Corp., 1975-1976 and undated
Financial Documents, 1964-2003
Invoices, ledgers, royalties, tax returns, and other personal or business-related items. Projects not identified in above series may have supporting invoices or royalty statements present in these files.
AFM pension fund, 1975-2003
Computer file indexes, 1987-1989
Invoices, 1964-1988 and undated
Ledgers, 1970-1975
Lu-Mel Music, 1970-1971
Pelican Resort and Casino, 1986-1988, 1995
Royalties, 1995
Royalties and pay stubbs, 1969-1971
Tax returns, 1965-1972
Miscellany, 1935-2000
Personal documents, writings, photographs, realia, posters, and other miscellaneous materials.
Awards, 1970s?, 1987-1992
Clippings, 1953-1958, 1989, 1994
Datebooks and address books, 1975, 1984-1991
Miscellany, undated
Personal documents, 1956-1996
Photographs, 1985-1998 and undated
Posters, undated
Programs, 1946-1997 and undated
Realia, 1998 and undated
Résumés, 1993 and undated
Scrapbook, 1941-1955
Writings, 1935-1939, 1982, 1994-2000 and undated
Brick Fleagle Materials, 1930s-1987
Business papers and photographs formerly in the possession of Henderson's close friend and fellow arranger, Jacob Roger "Brick" Fleagle.
Contracts, 1943-1947
Correspondence and miscellany, 1973-1977 and undated
Invoices, 1976-1987 and undated
Personal documents, 1958, 1971, 1980s
Photographs, 1930s-1940s and undated
Fleagle, alone
Fleagle, with others
Other performers
Recording sessions