Biography
Joe Henderson is proof that jazz can sell without watering down the music; it just takes creative marketing. Although his sound and style were virtually unchanged from the mid-’60s, Joe Henderson’s signing with Verve in 1992 was treated as a major news event by the label (even though he had already recorded many memorable sessions for other companies). His Verve recordings had easy-to-market themes (tributes to Billy Strayhorn, Miles Davis, and Antonio Carlos Jobim) and, as a result, he became a national celebrity and a constant poll winner while still sounding the same as when he was in obscurity in the 1970s.
The general feeling is that it couldn’t have happened to a more deserving jazz musician. After studying at Kentucky State College and Wayne State University, Joe Henderson played locally in Detroit before spending time in the military (1960-1962). He played briefly with Jack McDuff and then gained recognition for his work with Kenny Dorham (1962-1963), a veteran bop trumpeter who championed him and helped Henderson get signed to Blue Note. Henderson appeared on many Blue Note sessions both as a leader and as a sideman, spent 1964-1966 with Horace Silver’s Quintet, and during 1969-1970 was in Herbie Hancock’s band. From the start, he had a very distinctive sound and style which, although influenced a bit by both Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane, also contained a lot of brand new phrases and ideas. Henderson had long been able to improvise in both inside and outside settings, from hard bop to freeform. In the 1970s, he recorded frequently for Milestone and lived in San Francisco, but was somewhat taken for granted. The second half of the 1980s found him continuing his freelancing and teaching while recording for Blue Note, but it was when he hooked up with Verve that he suddenly became famous. Virtually all of his recordings are currently in print on CD, including a massive collection of his neglected (but generally rewarding) Milestone dates. On June 30, 2001, Joe Henderson passed away due to heart failure after a long battle with emphysema. ~ Scott Yanow
Releases
The State of the Tenor: Live at the Village Vanguard, Vol. 1 - Joe Henderson
The State of the Tenor: Live at the Village Vanguard, Vol. 2 - Joe Henderson
One Night With Blue Note Preserved, Vol. 1 - Herbie Hancock - Joe Henderson - Bobby Hutcherson - James Newton - Ron Carter - Tony Williams - Freddie Hubbard
Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs’ - McCoy Tyner - Joe Henderson
Mode For Joe - Joe Henderson
Inner Urge - Joe Henderson
In ‘N Out - Joe Henderson
Our Thing - Joe Henderson
Page One - Joe Henderson
Videos
Jack DeJohnette Discusses “Forces of Nature” on “First Look” with Don Was
McCOY TYNER & JOE HENDERSON “FORCES OF NATURE: LIVE AT SLUGS’” (ALBUM TRAILER)
SPOTLIGHT
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Beatrice: A Tale of a Tune
Saxophonist and composer Sam Rivers is remembered for his brilliant work as a leader and sideman, for the loft studio and performance space he operated in the 1970s, but above all, Rivers is remembered for “Beatrice,” a deeply felt ballad inspired by his wife. First recorded on his visionary debut as a leader, 1964’s Fuchsia Swing Song, “Beatrice” bridges the gap between hard bop and... read more
JOE HENDERSON “MODE FOR JOE”
By Dan Ouellette During his 1960s tenure with Blue Note Records, tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson appeared on close to thirty albums as a valuable go-to session sideman. For starters, he contributed to Horace Silver’s Song for My Father, Andrew Hill’s Point of Departure, and Lee Morgan’s The Sidewinder—an impressive cross-section of top-line jazz classics from that period. Henderson... read more
Joe Henderson & Kenny Dorham: A Profound Pairing
Kenny Dorham was a multi-gifted man, and Page One—the 1963 debut by Joe Henderson—displays several of his gifts. His eloquence on the trumpet, which has finally received some of the respect it deserved in recent years, can be heard on each of the six tracks. Dorham was also a brilliant composer as well as one of the very best at orchestrating melodies for a small group, and helped write the... read more
JOE HENDERSON’S AUSPICIOUS PAGE ONE
On October 28, 1990, the San Francisco Jazz Festival presented tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson and tabla player Zakir Hussain in one of its renowned Sacred Space concerts at Grace Cathedral, the stained glass Gothic place of worship on Nob Hill. During the sublime show, Henderson left the stage and, unbeknownst to the audience, ascended to an upper level of the cathedral and reappeared in a... read more
News
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McCOY TYNER & JOE HENDERSON “FORCES OF NATURE: LIVE AT SLUGS’” NEVER-BEFORE-ISSUED 1966 RECORDING OUT NOW
Blue Note Records has released Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs’, a never-before-issued live recording of jazz legends McCoy Tyner and Joe Henderson leading a stellar quartet with bassist Henry Grimes and drummer Jack DeJohnette at the hallowed lost NYC jazz shrine, Slugs' Saloon, in 1966. The release was... read more
HEAR A NEW SINGLE FROM McCOY TYNER & JOE HENDERSON “FORCES OF NATURE: LIVE AT SLUGS’”
On November 22, Blue Note Records will release Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs’, a never-before-issued live recording of jazz legends McCoy Tyner and Joe Henderson leading a stellar quartet with bassist Henry Grimes and drummer Jack DeJohnette at the hallowed lost NYC jazz shrine, Slugs' Saloon, in 1966. The... read more
CLASSIC VINYL REISSUE SERIES 2023-2024 TITLES ANNOUNCED
Blue Note Records has announced the next run of titles in the Classic Vinyl Reissue Series, which will present 180g all-analog vinyl reissues of some of the most iconic masterpieces of the Blue Note catalog by jazz legends including Art Blakey, Donald Byrd, Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Sonny Rollins,... read more
NEW CLASSIC VINYL REISSUE SERIES LINE-UP ANNOUNCED
Blue Note has announced the continuation of the Classic Vinyl Reissue Series, which presents affordable 180g vinyl reissues in standard packaging that are mastered by Kevin Gray and manufactured at Optimal. The pressings are all-analog whenever an analog source is available, with Gray mastering directly from the... read more
PRESENTING THE BLUE NOTE CLASSIC VINYL REISSUE SERIES
We're proud to present the Blue Note Classic Vinyl Reissue Series, a continuation of our acclaimed Blue Note 80 Vinyl Reissue Series which was launched in celebration of our 80th anniversary in 2019. The Classic Series will once again feature all-analog 180g vinyl pressings in standard packaging that are mastered by... read more
REVISED 2020 RELEASE SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED FOR THE TONE POET AUDIOPHILE VINYL REISSUE SERIES
Blue Note Records has announced a revised 2020 release scheduled for the acclaimed Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series. Pandemic-related closures temporarily put production on hold, but the series will resume again on August 28 with the release of three titles: a first-time vinyl release of vibraphonist Bobby... read more
TONE POET AUDIOPHILE VINYL REISSUE SERIES CONTINUES IN 2020
Blue Note Records has announced the continuation of the acclaimed Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series in 2020. Launched in 2019 in honor of the label’s 80th Anniversary, the Tone Poet series is produced by Joe Harley and features all-analog, 180g audiophile vinyl reissues that are mastered from the original... read more
PRESENTING THE BLUE NOTE 80 VINYL REISSUE SERIES
In honor of Blue Note Records’ 80th Anniversary, the legendary Jazz label is launching the Blue Note 80 Vinyl Reissue Series. Distinct from the Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series, this 2nd series curated by Don Was and Cem Kurosman features mid-priced 180g vinyl releases in standard packaging with albums... read more
BLUE NOTE LAUNCHES THE TONE POET AUDIOPHILE VINYL REISSUE SERIES
In honor of Blue Note Records’ 80th Anniversary, the legendary Jazz label is launching the Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series. Blue Note President Don Was brought in “Tone Poet” Joe Harley—co-founder and co-producer of the acclaimed Music Matters audiophile vinyl series—to produce this new... read more
BLUE NOTE TO RELEASE BENEFIT ALBUM “DETROIT JAZZ CITY”
Blue Note Records has announced the December 4 release of Detroit Jazz City, a compilation album that simultaneously spotlights the past and present of one of America’s great jazz cities while also serving as a benefit album for the organization Focus: HOPE. All proceeds from the album will be donated to Focus: HOPE... read more
