Kick-ass swing: Fletcher Henderson’s Stealin’ Apples

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Fletcher Henderson was a trendsetter. Beginning in 1923, he closely marks the transition from New Orleans jazz to big band. He was one of the first black artists to successfully collaborate with white artists. He cultivated amazing talent in his band including the beginning of Louis Armstrong’s career. His contributions drove the swing era to its heyday.

I first heard Stealin’ Apples almost exactly one year ago when I began getting into pre-big band music and it has been in my top ten ever since. This song is a perfect combination between a catchy riff, a nice tempo at 185bpm, a relaxed sound, and something that makes me want to bounce and dance. There are quite a few versions of this song, but the one on the album The Fletcher Henderson Story is my absolute favorite.

• Purchase the song
• Purchase the album

I’d like to take a brief second and thank Chris for the idea for this post. I sometimes struggle to come up with good topics and he made a point the other day to ask me to talk about music more. I’ve had others ask about it in person and I can talk for hours or recommend stuff over a dinner conversation, but no one ever said, “Hey, can you talk about that on the blog?” I must say, I wish I thought about it sooner and hope this becomes a big hit!