Fletcher Henderson's Unrecorded Arrangements

Fletcher Henderson was always Benny Goodman's favorite arranger. He contributed many charts for BG's big band from 1934 up until 1947, and Goodman revived quite a few of the arrangements in later years. However along the way, the clarinetist did not have the opportunity to record all of Henderson's charts for his band, which numbered 300-400. Many of the "lost" unrecorded charts were donated by Goodman to the Yale University archives or to Lincoln Center. In the late 1990s, clarinetist Bob Wilber and Paul Cheron of the Tuxedo Big Band of Toulouse, France collaborated and recorded 17 of the arrangements. With Wilber taking clarinet solos in Goodman's style and the big band sounding very close to Goodman's (the trumpet section is quite outstanding), full justice was done to these long lost works. Among the many highlights are "Rose Of The Rio Grande," "Song Of The Wanderer," "Sunday," "Sugar" and "Milenberg Joys." The final selection, "Bojangles Of Harlem," is the only departure as Wilber jams on the tune with just the rhythm section. A perfectly-realized project featuring "new" swing.