AMG Review of Live at the Grand Terrace Chicago 1938

Scott Yanow
All Music Guide

The Fletcher Henderson Orchestra was in decline in 1938 and its breakup would come the following year. However, despite its eventual commercial failure, it was still a first-class swing band at this late point with fine soloists in trumpeter Emmett Berry, trombonist Ed Cuffee, tenor Elmer Williams and clarinetist Eddie Barefield. The two formerly unknown radio broadcasts included on this CD took place a few months after the band's final studio recordings and are generally excellent. Fletcher Henderson was definitely in Benny Goodman's shadow by this time (even if the announcer calls Henderson "the King of Swing") but, as such numbers as "Down South Camp Meeting," "Bugle Blues" and "Panama" show, there was still plenty of life left in this veteran band.