Russ Henderson 7th January 1924 - 18th August 2015

It was midnight via text that I learnt of Russ' passing. For weeks he had been in my thoughts. I was in the company of Marshall Allen, leader of The Sun Ra Arkestra, he being the same age as Russ. The news made my heart sink and I excused myself from Marshall and went directly home. I still find it difficult to understand how I just happened to be with Marshall at that specific time.

His funeral was a celebration, a very heartfelt day. I walked through the rooms of his house looking at his personal items with the full realisation that I would never see him again.

A portrait of his father and one of him in 1966 at Carnival

The last time I saw Russ we spoke of projects we intended to work on in the future. One being meeting with Marshall Allen and they having a conversation which would possibly lead to them playing music together or just simply comparing notes. We had interest from the BBC.

The other Russ was considering seeking sponsorship to improve his diet so he could live to be 130. When he told me of his intention he then purposefully walked to a doorway and grabbed a bar running across it and pulled himself up..he walked back to the table and sat down..saying 'see I can still chin the bar.' Of course I wanted to help him. We discussed ideas of pictures we could take to show to potential sponsors.

Russ knew so much about diet, he showed me recipes and explained his workout regime. Below is a page from a book he had.

His passion for life is what makes his passing so difficult. Of course there is much to celebrate as his achievements were numerous and I cannot emphasise enough the importance of his role in assimilating Caribbean culture into British mainstream consciousness. The clipping below illustrating this point.

A great film on Britain in the mid to late sixties 'Pressure' is highly recommended (link)

Mangrove Steel Drum Band acknowledge Russ-Panorama

Everyone gathers at Russ' house before the procession to the Church. To the right of this picture are Margaret Busby and Val Wilmer. Both extraordinary people (link). I first met Val at a Sun Ra BBC recording session and was stunned to learn of her association with Russ. Unfortunately this was because she had written his obituary in The Guardian (link)

The culture and conviction of purpose displayed was inspired.

The procession had the feel of liberation. It came from a different time.

An unforgettable day..blessed to be surrounded by those who loved him. Forever in my heart.

Thank you Mary & Angus

(Link) to previous entry on Russ Henderson

In 1951 Russ first travelled to London from Trinidad to study piano tuning at the North London Polytechnic. That same year the 'Trinidad All-Steel Percussion Orchestra' performed at the Festival of Britain. It was the first time Steel Pan music was ever heard in the U.K.

This is a selection of music from the historic TASPO steel band.

Here is a (link) to a short documentary about the Festival of Britain in 1951

One member of the 'Trinidad All-Steel Percussion Orchestra' stayed on in the U.K. - Sterling Betancourt and in late 1952 Russ formed Britain's first Steel Band (The Russ Henderson Steel Band) with Sterling and Mervyn Constantine.

Russ very kindly allowed me to photograph pages from an album of his working years during the fifties. (click on images to enlarge)

The newspaper cutting on the bottom right reads'The Russel Henderson "Ping Pong" group (I am not referring to the game of table tennis, but to the steel drum known as the Ping Pong) seems to be going places.They have just recorded two sides for the … — The newspaper cutting on the bottom right reads
'*The Russel Henderson "Ping Pong" group (I am not referring to the game of table tennis, but to the steel drum known as the Ping Pong) seems to be going places.*
They have just recorded two sides for the Melodisc label, they also have another broadcast in the BBC's "Calling the West Indies" programme some time this month. They appeared in the recent Gala Performance at the London Palladium in honour of the return of The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.
The highspot of their act on this occasion was Russell singing and playing his own composition, called "Welcome Home," which he dedicated to Her Majesty. These dates are in addition to their nightly chores at the "La Ronde Restaurant." '

Tragically over the years people have taken the liberty of ripping pictures out of such an important social document.

On one occasion he told me how he used to play Piano duets with Dudley Moore.

The tradition of wearing the pan around your neck is no longer commonplace.

Russ is the man who inadvertently became the catalyst for beginning the Notting Hill Carnival. Here he tells how the door was opened.

'I'll tell you what happen. There is a woman called Mrs. Lambert, I used to live in the Grove you see and she used to do community work and put on things for the kids you know-fetes. And she knowing that I had this Steel Band, which was a real novelty then and saying could I come and play for the kids. A street carnival. So they put up some buntings and they block off the street you see. They had a donkey ride and these children taking the donkey ride up and down the street with a clown. So after half an hour playing this band I found it was getting boring. So I turned to the boys in the band, all of us were used to Carnival back home like we was taking a march. So I went to the chap with the donkey and I say look follow us because we taking a march and we making a block out of the streets...so we started and the kids started following us and they had their little donkey cart with the clown and carrying the kids and as we started to make this round the crowds just started gathering on the streets you know, this was a novelty to them- 1965 a Steel Band on the road. So it was really only the kids who were dressed up and the three of us in our pretty shirts that was all and the crowd just followed us. Well, that was the biggest route we ever took in a Carnival because it just snowballed and we went all the way to Whiteleys, right over the Bayswater Road and came right up you know. The police were just helping us with the traffic, helping people to move out of the way because they didn't know what it was. Nobody knew if we had permission, nobody knew.'

Russ isn't motivated by releasing music but the very few records he did are worth pursuing. Below is a track from Caribbean Carnival.

Russ suffers from Arthritis but practices daily.

He performed on his 90th Birthday at the 606 Club in West London January 7th 2014

A sample of my pictures of Notting Hill Carnival can be seen (here)