Luther Henderson

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Luther Henderson (1919 - 2003) was an American arranger, composer and orchestrator. He was educated at the Juilliard School of Music where he received a B.S. in 1942. Among the more than fifty Broadway musicals where he served as orchestrator, arranger and/or musical director for are Ain't Misbehavin' and Jelly's Last Jam. He was twice nominated for Broadway's Tony Award: in 1992, collaborating on music with 'Jelly Roll Morton' and with lyrics by Susan Birkenhead, as Best Score (Musical) for Jelly's Last Jam; and in 1997 for Best Orchestrations for Play On!. Of his earlier works, he composed the orchestrations for the dance numbers for the original broadway production of Flower Drum Song by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. He adapted the music of Thomas "Fats" Waller for the original broadway production of Ain't Misbehavin' and served as the music director. Early in his career he was a staff orchestrator for The U. S. Navy School of Music, Washington, D.C. from 1944-1946. His longest association was with The Canadian Brass for whom he arranged over 100 songs. He also served as orchestrator for Duke Ellington's orchestral works. Some of Henderson's last artistic recognitions included the Pioneer Award that he along with his director-actress wife Billie Allen won at the AUDELCO "VIV" Awards in November 2002. He also received a posthumous Jazz Masters Award from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2004.