Haywood Henry

Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Henry began on clarinet before choosing baritone saxophone as his primary instrument. He continued to play clarinet throughout his career.

While he was a student at Alabama State Teachers College, he played with the Bama State Collegians in 1930 and became a member four years later. The Collegians became the Erskine Hawkins Orchestra when Hawkins led it. Henry was a member of the orchestra from 1934 through the 1950s.[1]

Following his time with Hawkins, Henry worked with Tiny Grimes, Julian Dash (1951), and the Fletcher Henderson Reunion Band (1957–58), and occasionally substituted for Harry Carney in the Duke Ellington Orchestra. He played on over 1,000 rock and roll records in the 1950s and 1960s, many of them anonymously and often with Mickey Baker. In the 1960s he played with Wilbur DeParis, Max Kaminsky, Snub Mosley, Louis Metcalf, Earl Hines (1969–71), Sy Oliver (1972–80), and the New York Jazz Repertory Company. He also worked in the orchestras of Broadway shows such as Ain't Misbehavin' in the 1970s. He participated in an Erskine Hawkins reunion ensemble in 1971 and performed into the 1980s.[1]

Henry recorded three albums as a leader: one for Davis Records in 1957, one for Strand Records early in the 1960s, and the last for Uptown in 1983.[1]

• Scott Yanow, Haywood Henry at Allmusic
• Official website of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame