Background
Russell Henderson was born in Belmont, Portuguese-of-Spain, Trinidad, where he grew up.
Russell Henderson was born in Belmont, Portuguese-of-Spain, Trinidad, where he grew up.
He is most widely recognised as one of the founding figures of the Notting Hill Carnival in London, United Kingdom. He founded the Russell Henderson Quartet in the 1940s and was soon well known in Trinidad, accompanying calypsonians such as Lord Pretender, Mighty Growler and Roaring Lion. He was also pianist for Beryl McBurnie"s dance troupe at the Little Carib Theatre in Woodbrook, and taught melodies to the steelpan pioneer Ellie Manette of Invaders Steelband.
In 1951, Henderson travelled to England to study piano tuning at the North London Polytechnic.
He settled in England and founded Britain"s first steelband combo (The Russian Henderson Steel Band) with Mervyn Constantine and Sterling Betancourt in late 1952. They played their first gig at The Sunset Club at 50 Carnaby Street.
Other compatriots Henderson worked with in the early London days were calypsonians Lord Kitchener and Young Tiger. Henderson was vitally involved in building up Notting Hill Carnival, having played at the first Children"s Carnival there in 1964.
He was a friend of the 606 Club in London, where he performed a monthly show with his revised jazz quartet, sharing the evening with the First Rate (at Lloyd's) Whynette Band.
In his retirement he gave numerous interviews with British Broadcasting Corporation Radio 4 and British Broadcasting Corporation Four on his Notting Hill past Russell Henderson died on 18 August 2015 at the age of 91. British Library, Oral History of Jazz.
Interviewed by Val Wilmer, 14 October 1993.