The line-up is quite a stellar one, not only featuring the headlining Alice & Joe, but the afore-mentioned Haden and Leon Chancler, though lesser-known Michael White on violin, Ken Nash on percussion (and the odd flute and spoken text and Indian percussionist Oshun complete the roster. Apparently, while reaching the mid-70’s, Henderson went spiritual, and maybe a bit psychedelic. Every time I listen to this album, I like it more.įrom Henderson’s Milestones discography, there is little doubt that his most adventurous album is the one he made with Alice Coltrane - for which he’s played on her Daoud album – and there is little doubt about its nature when seeing the album and track titles. Free? No, it might set you back a bit (especially if you're looking for the original cover with Gaudi's architecture), but well worth the time and effort spent tracking it down. The extended title track may be rough going at first, but speaking for Joe's fans we can be thankful these dates were saved for posterity. Once again, this album is definitely not for first-timers, nor is it background music. Recorded in a German studio in 1978, these showcase Joe at his minimalistic best: no drums, just Joe's wonderful soloing backed by Darling's bass. The album's other two tracks, "Mediterranean Sun" and "Y Yo La Quiero" both run about five minutes each, and are much more accessible. The audience seems mesmerized until the very end, and occasionally Joe will stray from his mike, but otherwise the sound is good for a not-very-high-profile live recording. Part 2 is fast and ferocious, and includes Soph's solo. Drummer Ed Soph soon joins in, and this sprawling track moves through a variety of moods, including a very rhythmic section at the 13-minute mark. It opens with a long, occasionally abrasive duet between Henderson and bassist Wayne Darling, who arco playing summons a Vitous-like fury. The 28-minute title track is divided into two parts (to accommodate its original pressing on vinyl) and was recorded at Wichita State University in 1977. Simultaneously, it is also an experiment in minimalism (just sax/bass/drums), yet one that will repay repeated listening, especially for those who are already familiar with Joe's style. While casual listeners might immediately dismiss it as avant-garde, Barcelona is actually an improvisatory, exploratory statement that might best be described as THORNY. Let it be known this album is nothing like the string of tribute albums he released in the 1990's that resurrected his career. Some of his most notable albums are, ‘Page One’, ‘Tetragon’, ‘Mode for Joe’, and ‘Power to the People.’ Some of the many Musicians that Joe Henderson has played with are Kenny Dorham, McCoy Tyner, Pete La Rocca, Al Foster, Wynton Marsalis, Herbie Hancock, and Ron Carter.If you're a Joe Henderson fan, his 1980 (re-released twice since) trio album Barcelona can be recommended but with one caveat. His playing has gone from straight ahead, to free and modal jazz, into jazz fusion, and finally back to playing musics considered more straight ahead. While there are detectable influences of Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane, Henderson was able to fuse the two and use his own unique style and sound across a wide spectrum of genres. Joe Henderson’s style would wildly revolutionize the tenor sax sound of the 1960's and onward. After serving a short stint in the army, and at the behest of Kenny Dorham, Joe Henderson relocated to New York City. He would continue his music education at Wayne State University, where some of his classmates included Barry Harris, Donald Byrd, and Yusef Lateef. By the time Joe Henderson was in High school, he was already active on the Detroit Jazz scene. He would gain early exposure to jazz at the local level through some of his dedicated teachers in middle school and high school. Joe Henderson was born in 1934 in Lima, Ohio.
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