Richard Andrew Henderson (April 25, 1928 – May 21, 2004)[1] was an American jazz alto saxophonist and arranger.
[2] Born in Washington, D.C., Henderson studied composition as a high schooler and played in the late 1940s locally.
[3] He played with Ellington during the years he was contracted to Capitol Records, creating arrangements in addition to his duties as a player; he also composed tunes such as "Carney" for the band.
Among those who used Henderson's charts, in addition to Ellington, were Count Basie, Illinois Jacquet, and Billy Taylor.
Henderson continued to lead bands into the 1990s, including the University of Maryland Jazz Ensemble from 1977 to 1978.