#Joe henderson tetragon series#

The program included two numbers that were to become virtual jazz standards: Dorham’s “Blue Bossa” and Henderson’s “Recordame.” His group of the period included frequent front-line partner Kenny Dorham on trumpet, along with pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Butch Warren and drummer Pete LaRoca.

#Joe henderson tetragon series#

It was a remarkable introduction and the first of a series of sterling Blue Note outings. Henderson made his debut as a leader with this in 1963. Consider them all, in one way or another, to be four-star efforts. It would be hard to go wrong with any Henderson album, but here’s a group of 10 that encompasses much of his finest work.

That quality was present throughout his recording career, which was-thankfully-well-documented. The music was beyond cutting edge, reaching from happenings-like pieces and unscripted, pure spontaneity to Ellis’ growing fascination with unusual metric rhythms.Īnd what was fascinating even then, when we were all much younger, was the way Henderson could so easily adapt his playing to the demands of any musical circumstance and still maintain his essential creative reality. Like most of his musical excursions of the period, Ellis’ ensemble attracted an array of players, with musicians such as Steve Lacy, Gary Peacock, Joe Farrell, Ed Shaughnessy-in addition to Henderson-showing up for various gatherings.

I was fortunate enough, in my playing days, to have participated in a few rehearsals with Henderson as part of a free-floating, musically adventurous collective run by the late trumpeter Don Ellis. Conversations with friends in San Francisco, where he lived, inevitably included the question, “Have you seen Joe? How’s he doing?” and almost equally inevitably elicited the response, “I’m not sure, but he didn’t look good the last time I saw him.” For months, even years, his reportedly fragile health had been a topic of concern to many in the jazz community. Joe Henderson’s death on June 30 at age 64 did not come as a surprise.