Biography
Before his untimely death, Ernie Henry managed to achieve a great deal within a brief career span. Although he developed a distinctive personal voice, Charlie Parker exerted a strong influence on his playing approach. Throughout the bebop period, he collaborated with figures such as Tadd Dameron in 1947, along with Fats Navarro, Charlie Ventura, Max Roach, and the Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra from 1948 to 1949. From 1950 until 1952 he performed in Illinois Jacquet’s ensemble, after which he kept a relatively quiet presence for several years. Then in 1956 he participated in Thelonious Monk’s recording of the Brilliant Corners album, joined forces with Charles Mingus, and traveled with Dizzy Gillespie’s large ensemble through 1957. During the same two-year span of 1956-1957, Ernie Henry fronted a trio of releases on the Riverside label.
Albums
