Which statement best characterizes Henderson's band's approach relative to early New Orleans jazz?

Which statement best characterizes Henderson's band's approach relative to early New Orleans jazz?

• A. It Featured More Arrangement and Challenging Music Rather Than Being Mostly Improvised
• B. It Was Identical in Approach to New Orleans Jazz
• C. It Relied Solely on Drums
• D. It Abandoned Any Form of Ensemble Writing

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that Fletcher Henderson’s band moved away from the mostly improvised, collective style of early New Orleans jazz and toward heavily written, arranged charts. In Henderson’s groups, especially with Don Redman as an arranger, horn parts, sections, and counterlines were carefully written and rehearsed. This gave the music a tighter, more complex structure and allowed for sophisticated harmonies and orchestrations, while still giving soloists room to improvise within a planned framework. Early New Orleans jazz tended to rely on collective improvisation with less written material, so Henderson’s approach represents a shift toward a more arranged, big-band sound with challenging, well-crafted music.

The main idea is that Fletcher Henderson’s band moved away from the mostly improvised, collective style of early New Orleans jazz and toward heavily written, arranged charts. In Henderson’s groups, especially with Don Redman as an arranger, horn parts, sections, and counterlines were carefully written and rehearsed. This gave the music a tighter, more complex structure and allowed for sophisticated harmonies and orchestrations, while still giving soloists room to improvise within a planned framework. Early New Orleans jazz tended to rely on collective improvisation with less written material, so Henderson’s approach represents a shift toward a more arranged, big-band sound with challenging, well-crafted music.