About this Episode

Fletcher Henderson, the composer of “Far Away Blues,” went on to change the popular music of the 1920s by charting a course from the “ragtime” style that dominated early jazz toward a more sophisticated sound, which would become known as “swing.”

In this episode students will learn about Henderson’s achievements despite the obstacles of the music industry’s segregation and the Great Depression.

There are two branches to explore:

Changing the Tune: Black Americans and Popular Music in the 1920s and 1930s: During the 1920s influential musicians, including Fletcher Henderson, navigated the segregation of the music industry and created a new style of music that crossed those boundaries.
Coming out Swinging During the Great Depression: While the Great Depression hit everyone hard, Fletcher Henderson demonstrated resilience while ushering in the compositional style that made swing the most popular music of the 1930s.

In each branch students interact with music and associated primary sources, and record their own thoughts. As they explore, sources are collected to a Journal, and the student draws on these sources to answer a final reflective question. Students can play one or both branches.

Students will:

Explore Henderson’s career and impact through primary-source photographs, newspaper advertisements (including Race Records ads) and music.
Analyze Fletcher Henderson’s “Do Doodle Oom”, an early Fletcher Henderson recording where one can hear early hints of what would become Swing Jazz.
Explore Henderson’s impact as an Arranger during the Great Depression, including analyzing a radio broadcast where he demonstrated his Swing arranging.