joe henderson

Biography

Joe Henderson was born on April 24, 1937, in Lima, Ohio, into a family of fifteen children.[4] He began playing saxophone at age eight, encouraged by his older brother who admired Lester Young.[4] A high school music teacher introduced him to the tenor saxophone, and by high school he was already involved in arranging for bands.[3] Henderson attended Kentucky State College before moving to Detroit in 1956 to study at Wayne State University, where he developed his skills under renowned teacher Larry Teal and studied alongside future jazz greats Yusef Lateef, Donald Byrd, and Barry Harris.[2][4] By age 18, he was active on the Detroit jazz scene, playing in jam sessions with visiting New York City stars and transcribing so many Lester Young solos that his professors believed he had perfect pitch.[2]

After enlisting in the US Army from 1960 to 1962, where he led several jazz groups and toured Europe and Japan,[1] Henderson moved to New York and quickly established himself as a leading voice in jazz. He met trumpeter Kenny Dorham at Birdland while sitting in with Dexter Gordon, and Dorham championed him and arranged his first recording session as a leader.[1][2] This resulted in Page One (1963), which remains one of his most critically acclaimed albums and spawned the jazz standard "Blue Bossa."[1] During the 1960s, Henderson became a prolific session musician for Blue Note Records, appearing on close to thirty albums as a valued sideman on landmark recordings including Horace Silver's Song for My Father, Lee Morgan's The Sidewinder, Grant Green's Idle Moments, and Herbie Hancock's The Prisoner.[2][6]

From 1967 to 1979, Henderson recorded primarily for Milestone Records, occasionally recording for Verve and other labels.[1] After a brief association with Blood, Sweat & Tears in 1971, he moved to San Francisco to be near his label and taught at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music from 1978 to 1982.[2] In the 1980s, he focused increasingly on reinterpreting standards and his own earlier compositions, establishing a signature repertoire that included Thelonious Monk's "Ask Me Now" as a ballad feature.[2] Henderson's career spanned more than four decades, and his flawless technique, lyricism, unique tone, and compositional skills made him a jazz legend.[4] He died on June 30, 2001.[2]

Fun Facts

• Henderson was born into a family of fifteen children and began playing saxophone at age eight, encouraged by his older brother who was a devoted admirer of Lester Young.[4]
• During his military service from 1960-1962, Henderson led several jazz groups and was sent on a tour to entertain troops throughout Japan and Europe, where he met expatriate musicians.[1]
• Henderson transcribed and memorized so many Lester Young solos during his college years that his Wayne State University professors believed he possessed perfect pitch.[2]
• His debut album as a leader, Page One (1963), spawned the now-standard jazz composition "Blue Bossa" and remains one of his most critically acclaimed recordings to this day.[1]

Associated Acts

• Blood, Sweat & Tears - tenor saxophone (1972–1972)
• The Joe Henderson Quintet
• Joe Henderson Sextet - original, tenor saxophone
• Joe Henderson Double Rainbow Brazil Quintet - original, tenor saxophone
• McCoy Tyner Quartet - tenor saxophone
• Echoes of an Era - original, saxophone
• Frank Morgan All Stars - tenor saxophone

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Larry Teal - Renowned teacher at the Teal School of Music who guided Henderson's saxophone and compositional development (Private instruction in saxophone technique and composition) [Mid-1950s at Wayne State University]
• Kenny Dorham - Veteran bop trumpeter who was impressed by Henderson's musicianship, championed him, and arranged his first recording session as a leader (Page One (1963), co-led big band with Henderson) [1962-1963 and beyond]
• Lester Young - Primary stylistic influence; Henderson transcribed and memorized so many of Young's solos that professors believed he had perfect pitch (Transcribed solos) [1950s during studies]

Key Collaborators

• Horace Silver - Henderson joined Silver's band and provided seminal solo on the jukebox hit (Song for My Father, The Cape Verdean Blues) [Mid-1960s]
• Andrew Hill - Co-led 'out' albums featuring avant-garde jazz exploration (Black Fire (1963), Point of Departure (1964)) [1963-1964]
• Lee Morgan - Collaborated on landmark hard bop recording (The Sidewinder) [1963]
• Grant Green - Session collaboration on soul jazz classic (Idle Moments) [1960s]
• Herbie Hancock - Session collaboration on experimental recording (The Prisoner) [1960s]
• Pete La Roca - Collaborated on avant-garde recording (Basra (1965)) [1965]
• Blood, Sweat & Tears - Brief membership in jazz-rock group (Band recordings) [1971]
• Dexter Gordon - Early collaborator; Henderson sat in with Gordon at Birdland, leading to his introduction to Kenny Dorham (Jam sessions at Birdland) [Early 1960s]

Artists Influenced

• San Francisco Jazz Community - Taught at San Francisco Conservatory of Music, influencing the next generation of jazz musicians (Teaching and mentorship) [1978-1982]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #avant-garde-jazz, #hard-bop, #jazz