I should write a long diatribe about how good this is, but being musically illiterate that is a non-starter, all I want to say is this is Blue Note at its finest provided by tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson.
Accompanying Joe are such BN heavyweights as Lee Morgan (trumpet), Curtis Fuller (Trombone), Bobby Hutcherson (Vibes), Cedar Walton (Piano), Ron Carter (Double Bass) & Joe Chambers (Drums).
Recorded in 1966, this is straight ahead groovy jazz, with everyone putting in stellar performances. From ‘A Shade Of Jade’ to ‘Free Wheelin”, there is not a duff track on this album.
Have a listen whilst admiring the fab Reid Miles cover …
It always makes me smile to when i see credits for “Vibes” – I imagine that Bobby Hutcherson was employed by the band to crack jokes, make cups of tea, roll spliffs, cheer up the drummer, and dim the lights if necessary…
Thanks for posting this, I haven’t heard it yet but I always liked Joe, I’ll play it later.
It’s a beautiful album, nice post.
I think my favourite Henderson performances are from McCoy Tyner’s The real McCoy, Passion Dance for example..
His tribute album to Miles, So near, so far, is also brilliant.
Yeah, Passion Dance is fab – but listening to this last night after many a year I’m just bowled over by it’s consistency and it seems to go with reading the Warren Beatty biog.
There was a Joe Henderson (no, not Joe “Mr. Piano” Henderson) who had a US chart hit in the 60s with a song called “Snap Your Fingers (And I’ll Come Running)”. I wonder if it’s the same bloke?
Mitch – sorry, drawing a blank on that one …
Just to set the record straight, this obviously isn’t the man who hit the US charts with “Snap Your Fingers”. That Joe Henderson charted in 1962, but sadly died in 1964 of a heart attack. He was only 27.
I just looked this up in my Billboard books.