Artist:Joe Henderson
Song:Serenity
Album:The Best of the Blue Note Years
This is another in my ongoing series introducing jazz legends to beginners. My only requirements are a live performance video and an album for beginners. Tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson was one of the best musicians to emerge in the 60s on Blue Note. He recorded for Milestone in the 70s and Verve in the 90s. So his career spanned four decades. But it all started on Blue Note. He was born Apr. 24, 1937 in Lima, OH. He was one of fourteen children. Henderson's parents and older brother encouraged him to study music. Two local piano teachers got him started. And then Henderson listened to Charlie Parker. And that was his biggest influence. He also enjoyed Lester Young, Flip Phillips and Lee Konitz. Henderson moved to Detroit to study at Wayne State University. Classmates included Yusef Lateef, Barry Harris and Donald Byrd. He also played local clubs backing up visiting musicians. After studying at Kentucky State, Henderson enlisted in the US Army for two years. He won a talent contest so he was sent on tour to entertain soldiers. After discharge, Henderson moved to New York and that's when he met trumpeter Kenny Dorham. The two started playing clubs. Dorham was already signed to Blue Note and after appearing on Dorham's 1963 album Uno Mas, Henderson signed with Blue Note. Henderson recorded five albums for Blue Note and he appeared on albums by Horace Silver and Lee Morgan among others. Serenity is from Henderson's 1964 album In 'n Out. This was Henderson's third album for Blue Note. Musicians are Kenny Dorham on trumpet, McCoy Tyner on piano, Richard Davis on bass and Elvin Jones on drums. You can get get it on this budget comp which is perfect for beginners. There is also a box set with all of Henderson's Blue Note albums available at a reasonable price. Henderson signed with Orrin Keepnews' new label Milestone in 1967. He remained with Milestone until 1977. During that time he experimented with jazz fusion and electronics. He also moved to San Francisco and taught at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. After Fantasy bought Milestone, Henderson left and he recorded for the Italian label RED until he signed with Verve in 1992. For Verve he recorded tribute albums to Billy Strayhorn, Miles Davis, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Porgy & Bess. And he recorded a big band album in 1994 that included a new version of Serenity. Henderson was a chain smoker and suffered from emphysema. He died of heart failure on June 30, 2001 at age 64. Here's Joe Henderson with Dave Holland on bass and Al Foster on drums performing Serenity in Munich, Germany 1993.
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