This came out in 2002 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Maybe it’s because most of the big-name pop and rock acts are hibernating. Maybe it’s because I spent the last month swinging to the Rat Pack Christmas album. Or maybe it’s just because they both start with the letters J and A. Whatever. All I know is I always seem to listen to a lot of jazz in January. Looks like this year is no exception — thanks mainly to a cornucopia of cool titles that landed in stores before the holidays. At least four respected labels — Blue Note, ECM, Impulse and Verve — have impressive and affordable new retrospectives or reissues on the racks right now. Even if you don’t know be-bop from doo-wop, I suggest you give one or two a try. Here’s a little primer to help you get into the swing on Joe Henderson:
WHO: Although tenor sax whiz Henderson never achieved the household-name fame of many contemporaries, it wasn’t for lack of ability — his deft touch and distinctive style earned him the respect of his peers in the jazz world.
WHEN: Like the hard-working craftsman he was, Henderson quietly and consistently issued albums from the early ’60s until his death from heart failure in 2001 at 64.
WHAT YOU GET: A 10-song retrospective of swinging post-bop tracks — recorded between ’93 and ’94 — highlighted by his Coltrane-inspired sound and passion.
WHERE HE FITS IN: High in the ranks of jazz’s great unsung heroes.
