[78-L] Sidney Bechet's Bluebird recording of "Strange Fruit"

[Jeff Sultanof]

This is off-topic with regard to issue numbers, but on-topic with regard to
the song.

I have been going over the finding aid to the Benny Goodman library at Yale
University, and was surprised to find an arrangement listed of "Strange
Fruit" written by Fletcher Henderson. I had no idea that this song was
considered for such a treatment by its publisher, Edward B. Marks (or
perhaps I am wrong. Marks may not have played it for Goodman; he may have
heard the Holiday recording and wanted to play the song).

It just strikes me as interesting that a big band would have picked up on
this most controversial song. Benny appears never to have played it, so
maybe that says it all. He still paid Fletcher to score it though.

Jeff Sultanof