Latest Release
- 15 MAR 2024
- 7 Songs
- Page One · 1961
- Page One · 1963
- Joe Henderson In Japan · 1971
- In Pursuit of Blackness / Black Is the Color · 1999
- Joe Henderson In Japan · 1971
- Page One · 1963
- Red Clay (CTI Records 40th Anniversary Edition) · 1970
- Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn · 1992
- Joe Henderson In Japan · 1971
- Mirror, Mirror (with Chick Corea, Ron Carter & Billy Higgins) · 1980
Essential Albums
- 1973
- 1968
- 1966
- The November 1964 Inner Urge session found rising tenor saxophone master Joe Henderson, then 27, at the helm of a quartet with two of John Coltrane’s renowned sidemen, pianist McCoy Tyner and drummer Elvin Jones (both of whom would record Coltrane’s A Love Supreme just over a week later). Bob Cranshaw, the album’s bassist, was a regular with Sonny Rollins, the other leading tenor of the day. Henderson inherited much from these role models, but he approached the tenor legacy on his own terms, building a sound and vocabulary that paved the way for Michael Brecker, David Liebman, Joe Lovano and countless others. Henderson’s fourth Blue Note album is a paramount example of the label’s mid-’60s post-bop aesthetic, with just five songs at a tight but impactful 45 minutes. “Inner Urge”, much like a number of Coltrane compositions, remains a challenging test piece for improvisers to this day. “Isotope” presents an angular take on the blues, while “El Barrio” sets up an extended groove very much in the Coltrane “modal” wheelhouse of the period. The Coltrane influence spikes again in the cascading harmonies Tyner superimposes on Cole Porter’s “Night and Day”. And Duke Pearson’s ballad “You Know I Care” is an occasion for Henderson to summon the tenor ancestors, navigating the tune with a warm, deep tone and ceaseless ideas. Following Inner Urge, Mode for Joe was Henderson’s last Blue Note release before the transition to his prolific tenure on Milestone. Though he returned to Blue Note for The State of the Tenor in 1985, he spent the remainder of his career with Verve until his passing in 2001 at age 64.
- Tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson’s relationship with Blue Note begins with this crisp hard-bop album from 1963. Flaunting his expressive talents in the themes, he's soulfully inventive throughout, with a richly varied solo on "Jinrikisha". But trumpeter Kenny Dorham, who composed opener "Blue Bossa", nearly steals the show, playing spitfire-fast on "Homestretch" and boasting a burnished tone on "La Mesha". The band also includes drummer Pete La Roca, bassist Butch Warren, and pianist McCoy Tyner (who kept his name off the cover art, due to contractual obligations).
- 2000
- 1998
- 1997
Artist Playlists
- Lyrical compositions and adventurous tenor sax soloing.
- He lent his trademark sound to ensembles both large and small.
- Hip big-band riffs and burning trio gigs from his later years.
Live Albums
Compilations
- Shemar Childs
- Joe Gilman Trio
- Ben " King " Perkoff
- Todd Coolman
- Jon Ballantyne Trio
About Joe Henderson
A remarkable tenor player and improviser for the last three decades, Joe Henderson's career began in the '60s on Blue Note. He played a prominent role in seminal records by the diverse likes of Horace Silver, Herbie Hancock, Eric Dolphy, Andrew Hill, and Larry Young, reflecting a talent that encompassed not only bebop tradition but avant garde and Latin influences as well. The breadth of his tone and his constant invention were finally recognized on a broad scale with the Verve label's support in the '90s.
- HOMETOWN
- Lima, OH, United States
- BORN
- 24 April 1937
- GENRE
- Jazz