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Joe Henderson

Joe Henderson is an NEA Jazz Master

The tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson was born on April 24, 1937 in a small city called Lima Ohio midway between Dayton and Toledo. He spent his childhood and adolescence in Lima in a family of 15 children where he was exposed to a variety of musical styles. By the time he was a high school student he was already arranging and writing music for the school band and other local outfits. It was in high school that a music teacher introduced him to the tenor saxophone. After graduation he enrolled first at the Kentucky State College to study music and then moved on to Wayne State University in Detroit. There he had as classmates several future jazz greats such as Yusef Lateef and Donald Byrd. From 1960-1962 he enlisted in the US army where he led several small jazz groups and won first place in a musical competition and was sent on a tour to entertain the troops all over Japan and Europe where he met a few of the expatriate musicians.

Early career: the Blue Note years

After being discharged from the army he traveled to New York and sat in at Birdland with Dexter Gordon and other local musicians. During one of these sessions he was introduced to the trumpeter Kenny Dorham who was so impressed by his musicianship that he arranged for Joe Henderson’s first recording session as a leader with Blue Note Records. This resulted in the record Page One (1963) which to this day remains one of his most critically acclaimed albums. This recording also spawned the standard Blue Bossa. During the following four years he led 4 other sessions for Blue Note and recorded as sideman on over to 2 dozen albums for the same label. Some of these records are today classics of not only the label but also of jazz music. Andrew Hill’s Point of Departure, Larry Young’s Unity, Horace Silver’s Song For My Father and Lee Morgan’s Sidewinder are just a few examples of those fruitful years. In addition to creating timeless music Joe Henderson’s style also evolved during this period to incorporate all genres of jazz from hard bop to avant garde from latin to soul-jazz.

Middle period: the Milestone, Verve and experimentation years

From 1967-1979 he recorded primarily for the Milestone label with occasional sessions as a leader for the Verve label and one, sorely underappreciated, record for the Enja label called Barcelona. Over this “middle period” of his career his style gradually evolved from the powerful acoustic style of post bop to fusion, electric music, avant garde and back to post-bop. Through all the changes, however, his virtuosity remained intact even when the some of the later records from this period were overall not as creative as his other works. During these years he also composed prolifically and co-led groups with Freddie Hubbard and Herbie Hancock. His forays outside of the realm of jazz led him to play with Blood Sweat and Tears and other rock and R and B groups. In the early seventies Joe Henderson became involved in teaching as well and moved to San Francisco.

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Album Review

Horace Silver: Live New York Revisited

Read "Live New York Revisited" reviewed by Stefano Merighi


Benchè il profilo artistico di Horace Silver sia preso a modello in modo paradigmatico per definire lo stile hard bop nel jazz moderno, è altresì interessante notare come Silver, sin dalle sue prime uscite, abbia sempre cercato di evitare gli schemi predeterminati che soprattutto le etichette discografiche cercavano di replicare dopo aver trovato la formula del successo. Ad esempio, Silver non amava le scalette miste, quelle cioè che infilavano d'abitudine uno standard proveniente da Tin Pan Alley all'interno di un ...

14
The Big Question

What Jazz Is Best For Running?

Read "What Jazz Is Best For Running?" reviewed by Steve Cook


New York City isn't just an epicenter for the music that All About Jazz readers love. It is also home to the largest marathon in the world. With tens of thousands training for the upcoming race, this edition of The Big Question considers: What jazz is best for running? The following reflects on the question through four different lenses: at the gym, long runs, night running and with audiobook fans in mind. What jazz gets you pumped, fuels you for ...

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Album Review

Horace Silver Quintet: Live New York Revisited

Read "Live New York Revisited" reviewed by Chris May


This fabulous album, recorded during three New York club engagements in 1964, 1965 and 1966, ranks among the finest in the pianist/composer's illustrious catalogue. There are several things going for it: the quality and shared intentionality of the two, slightly different, lineups; the choice of material and its careful sequencing; the vibrancy of the performances, which is enough to practically raise the dead; and the quality of the CD mastering by the ezz-thetics label's sonic jedi Michael Brändli, whose work ...

26
Album Review

Joe Henderson: The Complete Joe Henderson Blue Note Studio Sessions

Read "The Complete Joe Henderson Blue Note Studio Sessions" reviewed by Scott Gudell


If an artist stamps his jazz passport with any one of these labels--Blue Note, Verve, Milestone--it's pretty much a guarantee that you've arrived in style. Tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson has traveled with all three and more. The 2021 reissue from the prestigious Mosaic Records focuses on Henderson's 1960s tenure with Blue Note offers a new opportunity to experience an abundance of rich and creative jazz from the decade. Big band and bop were duking it out in the ...

3
Radio & Podcasts

Remembering Joe Henderson

Read "Remembering Joe Henderson" reviewed by Russell Perry


Joe Henderson was likely the most important tenor saxophonist to come out of the '60s. Possessing a big distinctive tone, he brought gravitas to every setting in which he played. He also left a catalog of compelling compositions including several that have become standards, such as “Inner Urge" or “Recorda-Me" whose mastery is required for today's improvising musicians. To illustrate the continuing power of these fine tunes, this hour of Jazz at 100 Today! will feature recent versions of Henderson's ...

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Reassessing

For Those Who Chant

Read "For Those Who Chant" reviewed by Peter J. Hoetjes


Luis Gasca was one of the hottest trumpet players in California during the 1970s, recording a handful of albums fueled by the drugs, the culture, and the excitement of that time and place. Though they all featured large ensembles, only one of them allowed some of the era's most legendary musicians to blur the lines separating jazz, latin, and rock and roll. “Everyone should have two favorite cities; their own and San Francisco," claimed Gasca. It was there, ...

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Radio & Podcasts

The Arrival of Joe Henderson (1963 - 1967)

Read "The Arrival of Joe Henderson (1963 - 1967)" reviewed by Russell Perry


Joe Henderson may have been the most significant tenor saxophonist to emerge in the 1960s. Gary Giddins wrote that he is ..."an irresistibly lucid player, whose adroitness in conjuring stark and swirling riffs contributed immeasurably to two of the most durable jazz hits of the '60s, Horace Silver's 'Song for My Father' and Lee Morgan's 'The Sidewinder.'" In addition to those tunes, in previous programs in this series, we have also heard Kenny Dorham's 'Blue Bossa' from Henderson's first release ...

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Recording

Virtuoso Lori Bell Pays Homage To Music Titan Joe Henderson On 'Recorda Me: Remembering Joe Henderson'

Virtuoso Lori Bell Pays Homage To Music Titan Joe Henderson On 'Recorda Me: Remembering Joe Henderson'

Source: 1888 Media

Accomplished arranger, virtuoso musician and esteemed educator, Lori Bell returns April 19th with Recorda Me: Remembering Joe Henderson, an extraordinary new collection paying homage to one of the all-time greats, hard bop, jazz icon, Joe Henderson. Portuguese for “Remember Me,” the 9-song, Recorda Me: Remembering Joe Henderson showcases Bell at her enchanting best, one that the LA Times has dubbed “briskly inventive…gorgeous playing” while Downbeat describes her as “an improvisational shapeshifter.” “Joe was an exceptional jazz saxophonist and to my ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Joe Henderson

Jazz Musician of the Day: Joe Henderson

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Joe Henderson's birthday today!

The tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson was born on April 24, 1937 in a small city called Lima Ohio midway between Dayton and Toledo. He spent his childhood and adolescence in Lima in a family of 15 children where he was exposed to a variety of musical styles. By the time he was a high school student he was already arranging and writing music for the school band and other local outfits. ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Joe Henderson

Jazz Musician of the Day: Joe Henderson

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Joe Henderson's birthday today!

The tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson was born on April 24, 1937 in a small city called Lima Ohio midway between Dayton and Toledo. He spent his childhood and adolescence in Lima in a family of 15 children where he was exposed to a variety of musical styles. By the time he was a high school student he was already arranging and writing music for the school band and other local outfits. ...

Recording

Joe Henderson: Mosaic Box

Joe Henderson: Mosaic Box

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

In the 1960s, tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson recorded on close to 30 Blue Note albums, only five of which were under his name. But most of those sideman sessions were just as significant, since Henderson was a powerful ingredient on anyone's recording date. For example, he is a dominant soloist on Kenny Dorham's Una Mas, Lee Morgan's The Sidewinder, Horace Silver's Song for My Father, Herbie Hancock's The Prisoner and others. What made Henderson special was his dry tone and ...

2

Recording

The Complete Joe Henderson Blue Note Studio Sessions Now Available on Mosaic Records

The Complete Joe Henderson Blue Note Studio Sessions Now Available on Mosaic Records

Source: All About Jazz

When you get your copy of Mosaic’s new five-CD collector’s set, The Complete Joe Henderson Blue Note Studio Sessions, you’ll be holding a master key to unlocking 1960s jazz. That’s a big statement. But when you consider how much was happening from 1963 to 1966, the years covered by this collection, and contemplate how many different looks he provided through that time period, you can’t ignore his significance as a saxophonist and as someone central to the music’s development. In ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Joe Henderson

Jazz Musician of the Day: Joe Henderson

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Joe Henderson's birthday today!

The tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson was born on April 24, 1937 in a small city called Lima Ohio midway between Dayton and Toledo. He spent his childhood and adolescence in Lima in a family of 15 children where he was exposed to a variety of musical styles. By the time he was a high school student he was already arranging and writing music for the school band and other local outfits. ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Joe Henderson

Jazz Musician of the Day: Joe Henderson

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Joe Henderson's birthday today!

The tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson was born on April 24, 1937 in a small city called Lima Ohio midway between Dayton and Toledo. He spent his childhood and adolescence in Lima in a family of 15 children where he was exposed to a variety of musical styles. By the time he was a high school student he was already arranging and writing music for the school band and other local outfits. ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Joe Henderson

Jazz Musician of the Day: Joe Henderson

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Joe Henderson's birthday today!

The tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson was born on April 24, 1937 in a small city called Lima Ohio midway between Dayton and Toledo. He spent his childhood and adolescence in Lima in a family of 15 children where he was exposed to a variety of musical styles. By the time he was a high school student he was already arranging and writing music for the school band and other local outfits... ...

Video / DVD

Hot Track: Punjab

Hot Track: Punjab

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

On Joe Henderson's 1965 album In 'n Out, the listener enjoyed five giants for the print of one. The tenor saxophonist and trumpeter Kenny Dorham were joined by powerful cookers: pianist McCoy Tyner and drummer Elvin Jones were two-thirds of John Coltrane's rhythm section, while bassist Richard Davis had recorded with Eric Dolphy on Out to Lunch (1964). Recorded for Blue Note in April 1964, In 'n Out features three Henderson originals and two by Dorham. This is a perfect ...

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Joe Henderson

Jazz Musician of the Day: Joe Henderson

Source: Michael Ricci

All About Jazz is celebrating Joe Henderson's birthday today!

The tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson was born on April 24, 1937 in a small city called Lima Ohio midway between Dayton and Toledo. He spent his childhood and adolescence in Lima in a family of 15 children where he was exposed to a variety of musical styles. By the time he was a high school student he was already arranging and writing music for the school band and other local outfits... ...

Christopher Burnett
saxophone, alto
Dennis Mitcheltree
saxophone, tenor
Jake Hanlon
guitar
Russ Nolan
saxophone, tenor
Jorge Sylvester
saxophone, alto
Brian Lynch
trumpet
Greg Osby
saxophone
Tedd Baker
saxophone, tenor
Andrew Hadro
woodwinds
Ian Willson
saxophone
Dave Mullen
saxophone, tenor
Gregory Dudzienski
saxophone, tenor
Kenny Brooks
saxophone
Hilary Noble
saxophone, tenor
Dan Wilensky
saxophone
Peter Fraize
saxophone
Iman Spaargaren
saxophone, tenor
Damani Phillips
saxophone
Ben Bryden
saxophone
Endemic Ensemble
band / ensemble / orchestra
Bobby Stern
saxophone, tenor
Daryl Gott
saxophone, alto
Andrew DeNicola
saxophone, tenor
Martin Perna
saxophone, baritone
Toine Thys
saxophone, tenor
Chris Pitts
saxophone, tenor
Earle Eidenire
saxophone, tenor
Daniel Jordan
saxophone, tenor
Allison Au
saxophone, alto
Jim Goetsch
saxophone
Dom Franks
saxophone, tenor
Elliot Bild
trumpet
Harrison Argatoff
saxophone, tenor
Matthew Ottignon
saxophone, tenor
Tumi Árnason
saxophone
Pureum Jin
saxophone, alto
Yuto Mitomi
saxophone, tenor
Kamil Abt
guitar
Bill Hauser
saxophone, tenor
Max Gerl
bass
Muhammad Dawjee
saxophone
Mark R DeJong
saxophone
Sunhyun Yoo
saxophone, alto
Claudio Rubio
saxophone, tenor
Yiannis Papanastasiou
saxophone, alto
Matthew Storie
saxophone
Johan Grim
guitar
Jérôme Masco
saxophone
Noam Shapira
saxophone
Ron Magril
guitar
Hard Bop Messengers
band / ensemble / orchestra
Jacob Chung
saxophone, tenor
David Bernot
saxophone, tenor
Alex Madeline
saxophone
Egor Tokarev
saxophone, tenor

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Live New York...

Ezz-thetics
2022

buy

The Complete Joe...

Mosaic Records
2021

buy

The State Of The...

Blue Note Records
2019

buy

The Sidewinder

Music Matters
2019

buy

The Elements

Milestone / Concord Music Group
2017

buy

Videos

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