It’s tempting to place Joe Henderson somewhere in between Coltrane and Rollins. His playing has elements of both: he can be as fiercely voluble as Trane or temper his approach with the restraint we associate with Rollins. The whole truth about Henderson is never so simple as that, but it’s a fair working description of his solo style. As a composer though, he can’t easily be matched to either man; if anything, his writing style was closer in the sixties to that of Wayne Shorter. There are exceptions on this album, like the openly bop-inspired blues Granted, but the writing here is, in the main, contemporary to the time.
From the point of view of Joe as soloist, two tracks stand out without hesitation as superb illustrations of his way with a horn. The bright major-keyed Mode For Joe has a stunning display of multiphonics right at the beginning of his solo, which still sounds modern today, while Shades has him splitting, jiving and slipping notes with great fluency. A third solo, on Black, also deserves mention; here, Joe’s staccato phrasing proves him possessed of a cheeky wit, while his subsequent ‘busy bee’ effects are still acceptable saxophone currency 20 years on. Of the others, Walton and Hutch produce quality solos on Shades, while Carter is the epitome of Swiss-style reliability throughout.
Discography
A Shade Of Jade; Mode For Joe; Black (21.57) – Caribbean Fire Dance; Granted; Free Wheelin’ (20.36)
Henderson (ts); Lee Morgan (t); Curtis Fuller (tb): Bobby Hutcherson (vib): Cedar Walton (p); Ron Carter (b); Joe Chambers (d). Recorded New York, January 27, 1966.
(Blue Note BST 84227)
