The Connie's Inn Orchestra

The Connie's Inn Orchestra was a generic name for bands that played at the Harlem club Connie's Inn, which was located at 131st St. and Seventh Avenue, and which was a rival to the Cotton Club as a center of entertainment. Leaders at different times (along with the different bands, which simply became "the Connie's Inn Orchestra" of the moment) included Fletcher Henderson, Don Redman, Harlan Lattimore, and Carroll Dickerson. The Connie's Inn Orchestra represented on A Tribute to Black Entertainers, for example, was actually Fletcher Henderson's band in its 1932 lineup, featuring Coleman Hawkins, Rex Stewart, and vocalist Harlan Lattimore -- the group made their brief appearance in this guise in between other engagements. ~ Bruce Eder