Luther Henderson

Luther Henderson

An enduring composer, arranger, musical director, and orchestrator who proved equally successful in numerous entertainment arenas, Emmy and Tony-nominated music man Luther Henderson's work encompassed everything from Broadway to film, with little in between left untouched. The son of an actor, Henderson studied math at New York's City College before earning a B.S. in music at Juilliard and attending New York University's Graduate School of Music. A staff orchestrator for the U.S. Navy School of Music from 1944 to 1946, some of Henderson's other early work included the Broadway orchestration of Begger's Holiday in 1946, and other high-profile productions included Hallelujah Baby, Three Black Kings, and The Crystal Tree. His score for Jelly's Last Jam (written with Jelly Roll Morton) earned Henderson a Tony nomination, and in television he garnered an Emmy nod for his work on Ain't Misbehavin'. Additionally, Henderson worked in such small-screen productions as The Helen Morgan Story and such films as Recess and The Slams. Henderson orchestrated over 100 songs for the Canadian Brass, and also recorded six albums with the outfit. Stricken with cancer in his later years, Henderson would ultimately succumb to its ravaging effects in late July of 2003. He was 84. Jason Buchanan