Don Redman and his Orchestra

Biography

Don Redman (July 29, 1900 – November 30, 1964), known as 'the little giant of jazz,' was a pioneering American jazz musician, arranger, bandleader, and composer whose innovations laid the foundation for the big band era. Born in Piedmont, West Virginia, Redman was a child prodigy who mastered most orchestral instruments by his early teens. He graduated from Storer College with a music degree at age 20 and continued his studies at conservatories in Boston and Detroit. Redman began his professional career with Billy Paige’s Broadway Syncopators before joining Fletcher Henderson's orchestra in New York, where he became chief arranger and was instrumental in shaping the band's sound.

Redman’s arrangements for Henderson, which featured call-and-response between brass and reeds and inventive use of the clarinet trio, were widely imitated and helped define the swing style. After leaving Henderson in 1927, Redman directed McKinney’s Cotton Pickers, producing influential recordings and original compositions. In 1931, he formed Don Redman and his Orchestra, securing a residency at Connie’s Inn in Harlem and recording for Brunswick, ARC, and Bluebird. His band was noted for sophisticated arrangements and featured top musicians of the era. Redman continued to compose and arrange for leading bands throughout the 1930s and 1940s, freelancing for Count Basie, Cab Calloway, and Jimmy Dorsey, and in 1946 led the first American jazz band to tour postwar Europe. Though he never achieved widespread fame, Redman’s contributions as an arranger and bandleader were crucial to the development of jazz and swing music.

Fun Facts

• Redman wrote the official alma mater for Storer College, his alma mater, in 1927.
• He provided music for the 1933 Betty Boop animated short 'I Heard,' composing original music for the cartoon.
• Redman’s band was among the first to use a swinging vocal group ('The Swing Choir') and advanced counterpoint in jazz arrangements.
• In 1946, he led the first American jazz band to tour postwar Europe, bringing swing music to new audiences.

Members

• Quentin Jackson (from 1932 until 1940)
• Robert Carroll
• Pete Clark
• Rupert Cole
• Horace Henderson
• Edward Inge
• Manzie Johnson - drums (drum set)
• Buford Oliver - drums (drum set)
• Don Redman - original
• Talcott Reeves
• Fred Robinson
• Bob Ysaguirre

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Fletcher Henderson - Redman was Henderson’s chief arranger and learned from Henderson's approach to bandleading and orchestration. (Fletcher Henderson Orchestra arrangements (1923–1927)) [1923–1927]

Key Collaborators

• Louis Armstrong - Worked together in the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra, where Armstrong’s style influenced Redman’s arranging. (Fletcher Henderson Orchestra recordings) [1924–1925]
• McKinney’s Cotton Pickers - Redman served as musical director and arranger, leading the band to national prominence. (Recordings such as 'Gee Baby, Ain’t I Good to You' and 'Cherry') [1927–1931]
• Harlan Lattimore - Featured vocalist with Don Redman and his Orchestra, providing about half the vocals during the early 1930s. (Brunswick recordings (1931–1934)) [1931–1934]

Artists Influenced

• Duke Ellington - Redman’s arranging techniques and orchestration were widely imitated by Ellington and other contemporaries. (Ellington’s early big band arrangements) [1930s]
• Count Basie - Redman arranged for Basie in the 1940s, influencing the band’s swing style. (Basie Orchestra arrangements) [1940s]
• Cab Calloway - Redman arranged for Calloway, contributing to his band’s sound. (Calloway Orchestra arrangements) [1940s]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. After Sundown (Lazy Bones (In Chronological Order 1933 - 1934))
2. Swingin' With the Fat Man (On the Sunny Side of the Street (In Chronological Order 1934 - 1937))
3. I Wanna Be Loved (Lazy Bones (In Chronological Order 1933 - 1934))
4. Puddin' Head Jones (The Big Broadcast, Vol.8, Jazz and Popular Music of the 1920s and 1930s)
5. Got the Jitters (On the Sunny Side of the Street (In Chronological Order 1934 - 1937))
6. Hot and Anxious (I Got Rythm (In Chronological Order 1931 - 1932))
7. Sweet Sue, Just You (The Big Broadcast: Vol.4: Popular Music of the 1920s and 1930s)
8. Sweet Sue, Just You (The Big Broadcast, Vol. 4: Jazz and Popular Music of the 1920s and 1930s)
9. Puddin' Head Jones
10. Doin' the New Low Down (with Don Redman & His Orchestra) (Chronological Calloway, Vol 1 (1932-33))

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #big-band, #jazz, #swing