JOE HENDERSON
Power to the People
Milestone
It’s a well-known truism that Joe Henderson
was, for years, one of the most consistently underrated
tenor saxophonists on the jazz scene. True, he was known
and discussed, but never seemed to be placed in the company
of greats like Coltrane and Rollins. Similarly to Dexter
Gordon (who he was greatly influenced by), Henderson was
well-respected in jazz circles, but didn’t have a
mainstream breakthrough until much later in his career.
In Henderson’s case it was the 1992 recording Lush
Life. However, there is ample recorded evidence of
Henderson’s vitality throughout his long career, with
disctinct phases. From 1963-68, Henderson appeared on somewhere
around thrity albums for Blue Note. While many of these
were as a leader, he was a sideman on some heavy projects,
including Horace Silver’s Song for My Father,
Herbie Hancock’s Prisoner, and Eric Dolphy’s
Out to Lunch.
In 1970 Henderson signed with Orrin Keepnews’
fledgling Milestone label, where he became an equally prolific
leader and sideman. His Milestone recordings rank among
his best and most interesting work, with the newly reissued
Power to the People of particular interest due
to its stellar supporting cast: Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter,
Jack DeJohnette, and trumpeter Mike Lawrence on two tracks.
With the exception of Carter’s “Opus One-Point-Five”
and the standard “Lazy Afternoon,” all the compositions
here are Henderson’s.
Power to the People leads off with
“Black Narcissus,” one of Henderson’s
best-loved compositions. In the album’s original liner
notes Alan Heinman marvels: “Dig on ‘Black Narcissus,’
for instance, where Joe floats like a butterfly with a tone
so airy he might in spots be blowing alto. That a man could
participate in the moods of both ‘Power to the People’
and ‘Black Narcissus’ is not astonishing; that
he can be wholly convincing in both worlds and others besides,
is.”
Amazingly, Henderson eschews neither Coltrane
nor Rollins (what tenor player could?), but he occupies
a territory somewhere between the two, which is wholly his
own. Similarly, his take on soul and rock-influenced jazz
here is different than most of what was being labeled ‘fusion’
at the time. Even thought the rhythm section is all electric
on this track, the interaction between the players is really
not different from any post-bop jazz small group recording.
Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter, both former members of Miles
Davis’ second great quintet and veterans of Davis’
transisiton from straight jazz to electric rock/funk-oriented
music , provide a solid basis for Henderson and the largely
unknown Lawrence (on two tracks), while drummer Jack DeJohnette
(who also worked with Davis on the seminal Bitches Brew)
is, as always, near-perfect.
For fans of modern jazz, Power to the
People is something of an undiscovered classic, offering
a fine performance that endures repeated listening from
one of the music’s most creative and often under-recognized
improvisers.
