Henry, Ernie [Ernest
Albert] (New York, 3 Sept 1926 - New York, 29 Dec 1957)
Alto saxophonist
He learned violin as a child but changed to saxophone at the
age of 12. In 1947 Tadd Dameron
began to show an interest in his playing and made him known to musicians who
worked in the clubs on 52nd Street;
as a result he performed with Dameron, Fats Navarro,
Charlie Ventura, Max Roach, Georgie Auld, and Kenny Dorham. After working with Dizzy Gillespie's big band
(1948-9) Henry joined Illinois Jacquet (1950), with
whom he recorded in 1952. He played only occasionally from 1952 until 1956, but
then became a member of Thelonious Monk's group, with
which he made some particularly fine recordings (1956, 1957). He also recorded
with Matthew Gee (1956) and Dorham (1957), and as a
leader. In 1957 he performed and recorded with Gillespie's re-formed big band.
Although Henry's playing in the late 1940s and early 1950s was influenced by
Charlie Parker, his later recordings show that he was beginning to develop a
strongly individual style.
Lawrence Koch
The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, © Macmillan Reference Ltd
1988