The Complete Joe Henderson Blue Note Studio Sessions (#271 – 5 CDs)

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One of the Most Distinctive Voices in Jazz
Finally Gets His Due

When you get your copy of Mosaic’s new five-CD collector’s set, “The Complete Joe Henderson Blue Note Studio Sessions,” you’ll be holding a master key to unlocking 1960s jazz.

That’s a big statement. But when you consider how much was happening from 1963 to 1966, the years covered by this collection, and contemplate how many different looks he provided through that time period, you can’t ignore his significance as a saxophonist and as someone central to the music’s development.

The Limited Edition Box set includes:

Seven Classic Blue Note Albums:
The set includes seven album releases including five sessions with Joe Henderson as a leader and two sessions as a co-leader with Kenny Dorham. As a bonus we’ve also included five tracks by other leaders with Joe  Henderson as a sideman where his compositions were introduced for the first time.

Stunning Sound Reproduction:
In creating this testament to Joe Henderson, we went back to Rudy Van Gelder’s original analog tapes and made new transfers with the highest-possible bit rate and today’s best A to D converters. The sound far surpasses any earlier CDs, removing any trace of muddiness, and rivals the original LPs in warmth, range and sound.

Expert In-depth Analysis:
Bob Blumenthal has been a recognized authority on hard bop in general and the Blue Note sound in particular for over 40 years. He applies his insightful talents to Joe Henderson’s story with detailed emphasis on the sessions included in this set.

Evaluating Henderson’s gift on tenor inevitably raises comparisons with his contemporaries John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and Wayne Shorter. And what sets Henderson apart from the others might be his accessibility.

No one could touch Coltrane’s harmonic depth bordering on spirituality. Rollins’ lusty, colossal power. Or the otherworldly compositional idiosyncrasies of Shorter. But Henderson’s playing made the musicians who came after him feel as though he had paved a path they could follow.

As for us listeners, Henderson expressed everything he wanted by always playing the tune. Control and tranquility on ballads like “Serenity.” Burningly feverish on “In ‘N Out.” Playful and offbeat on the Monk-like “Isotope.” He was reliably explosive when playing hard bop, fresh and disarming when he chose to play more free, soulful and familiar delving into things with a more Latin tinge.

In his field of view and arms embrace were musicians hewing to sensitive and respectful interpretations, as well as players whose instincts were to the extremes of rhythm, register, tempo, and emotion. There isn’t just one box where Joe Henderson landed.

And there was another aspect to his playing. Not only had you never heard what he was doing before. Because of his devotion to spontaneous invention, you would never hear it again.

As an ensemble player, he was the ultimate listener. Inevitably, his solos began as a commentary or reflection of the solo before his. He might start quite humbly, building in intensity, evolving a run that, despite rhythmic byways, harmonic leaps, and occasional flurries of impossibly quick notes, felt highly developed and coherent, as though he had chosen to make his statement the last word.

On five CDs, you’ll find 47 tunes including 3 previously unissued on either LP or CD. Our deluxe, exclusive booklet includes an essay and track-by-track analysis by Bob Blumenthal, and many rare photographs.

As with all Mosaic sets, our reissue is extremely limited, and once all are sold, will not be available ever again in this form. With everything Joe Henderson could do and the many listeners he delighted, we know this series will be gone soon. Please reserve yours now.

Sample Audio Clips

Page One

Page One introduced the jazz world to the unusually mature and original young tenor saxophonist, Joe Henderson. “Recorda Me” & “Blue Bossa” have become jazz classics for their mix of Brazilian rhythms with Hard Bop muscle.

Kenny Dorham, Joe Henderson, McCoy Tyner, Butch Warren, & Pete La Roca.

Homestretch

Our Thing

Joe Henderson’s second album (and third collaboration with  Kenny Dorham) featured a brilliant rhythm section of distinctive but underrated musicians: Andrew Hill, Eddie Khan and Pete La Roca. Henderson’s “Our Thing” was the driving tune on the album, but Dorham’s three contributions including “Escapade” and “Pedro’s Tune” brought a timeless quality to this album.

Kenny Dorham, Joe Henderson, Andrew Hill, Eddie Kahn, Pete La Roca.

Our Thing

Inner Urge

“Joe Henderson was just a first-class musician and artist. His compositions are going to endure. The way he phrased, and the syncopation, made you pay attention. I like Inner Urge. That was probably one of the most intricate albums. You can listen to it forever, it’s so beautiful.”– Elvin Jones

Joe Henderson, McCoy Tyner, Bob Cranshaw, Elvin Jones.

El Barrio

Mode For Joe

As ensembles go, it doesn’t get much better than this. The arrangements for the all-star septet are ingenious and beautifully executed. Joe’s “Caribbean Fire Dance” and Cedar Walton’s “Mode For Joe” are now jazz standards. This session represents Blue Note perfection at its best.

Lee Morgan, Curtis Fuller, Joe Henderson, Bobby Hutcherson, Cedar Walton, Ron Carter, Joe Chambers.

Mode For Joe

Additional Albums

Kenny Dorham, Joe Henderson, McCoy Tyner, Richard Davis, Elvin Jones.

Kenny Dorham, Joe Henderson, Herbie Hancock, Butch Warren, Tony Williams.

Kenny Dorham, Joe Henderson, Tommy Flanagan, Richard Davis, Albert Heath.

Joe Henderson Blue Note Legacy

Joe Henderson literally exploded onto the jazz scene in 1963 thanks to mentor Kenny Dorham and the support of Blue Note Records. Joe and K.D. collaborated on five exceptional albums in 1963-64 trading leadership and sharing all other responsibilities.

Joe stepped out with his quartet gem “Inner Urge” in November of ’64. 14 months later, he made his final Blue Note album “Mode For Joe” and then he was suddenly gone from the Blue Note roster.

When I started thinking about a Mosaic boxed set of Joe’s Blue Note output as leader and co-leader, I was astounded that it only came to four and a half discs. Including Joe’s originals where he performed as a sideman and that he had not yet recorded himself completes the set.

But his contribution to the label between 1963 and 1967 was so expansive and ubiquitous thanks to the 20 sideman appearances he made for the label during those years – all of unerring quality, startling innovation and amazing range.

Consider his artistry on Grant Green’s “Idle Moments,” Andrew Hill’s “Black Fire” and “Point Of Departure,” Lee Morgan’s “The Sidewinder,” Freddie Roach’s “Brown Sugar,” Pete LaRoca’s “Basra,” Horace Silver’s “Song For My Father,” Larry Young’s “Unity” and McCoy Tyner’s “The Real McCoy” to name just nine influential masterpieces.

Even in those heady times, I cannot think of a musician of more impact and breadth in those years. – Michael Cuscuna

Limited Edition: 5000
(#271- 5 CDs)

The Complete Joe Henderson Blue Note Studio Sessions (5 CDs)
Discography

Disc One:
1.Una Mas (One More Time) (A) 15:15
(Kenny Dorham)
2. Straight Ahead (A) 8:55
(Kenny Dorham)
3. Sao Paulo (A) 7:15
(Kenny Dorham)
4. If Ever I Would Leave You (A) 5:05
(F. Loewe-A. J. Lerner)
5. Blue Bossa (B) 7:55
(Kenny Dorham)
6. La Mesha (B) 9:05
(Kenny Dorham)
7. Homestretch (B) 4:10
(Joe Henderson)
8. Recorda Me (B) 5:56
(Joe Henderson)
9. Jinrikisha (B)7:20
(Joe Henderson)
10. Out Of The Night (B)7:20
(Joe Henderson)

Disc Two
1. La Mesha (alt tk) (B) 8:10
(Kenny Dorham)
2. Homestretch (alt tk) (B) 7:00
(Joe Henderson)
3. Teeter Totter (C) 8:30
(Joe Henderson)
4. Pedro’s Time (C) 10:02
(Kenny Dorham)
5. Our Thing (C) 5:35
(Joe Henderson)
6. Back Road (C) 6:18
(Kenny Dorham)
7. Escapade (C) 8:03
(Kenny Dorham)
8. Teeter Totter (alt tk) (C) 7:10
(Joe Henderson)
9. Our Thing (alt tk) (C) 5:27
(Joe Henderson)
10. In ‘N Out (alt tk) (D) 9:16
(Joe Henderson)

Disc Three:
1.In ‘N Out (D) 10:22
(Joe Henderson)
2. Punjab (D) 9:06
(Joe Henderson)
3. Serenity (D) 6:15
(Joe Henderson)
4. Short Story (D) 7:08
(Kenny Dorham)
5. Brown’s Town (D) 6:22
(Kenny Dorham)
6. Trompeta Toccata (E) 12:22
(Kenny Dorham)
7. Night Watch (E) 5:44
(Kenny Dorham)
8. Mamacita (E) 11:03
(Joe Henderson)
9. The Fox (E) 7:58
(Kenny Dorham)

Disc Four:
1.Inner Urge (F) 12:00
(Joe Henderson)
2. Isotope (F) 9:10
(Joe Henderson)
3. El Barrio (F) 7:10
(Joe Henderson)
4. You Know I Care (F) 7:15
(Duke Pearson)
5. Night And Day (F) 7:00
(Cole Porter)
6. Hobo Joe (G1)8:17
(Joe Henderson
7. Step Lightly (G2) 8:33
(Joe Henderson)
8. The Kicker (G3) 6:05
(Joe Henderson)
9. Mo’ Joe (G4) 5:45
(Joe Henderson)
10. If (G5) 6:02
(Joe Henderson)

Disc Five:
1.A Shade Of Jade (H) 7:07
(Joe Henderson)
2. Mode For Joe (H) 8:02
(Cedar Walton)
3. Black (H) 6:51
(Cedar Walton)
4. Caribbean Fire Dance (H) 6:41
(Joe Henderson)
5. Granted (H) 7:20
(Joe Henderson)
6. Free Wheelin’ (H) 6:39
(Lee Morgan)
7. Mode For Joe (alt tk) (H) 9:29
(Joe Henderson)
8. Black (alt tk) (H) 6:47
(Cedar Walton)

DISCOGRAOHY
This discography only includes the first release of each performance.

(A) KENNY DORHAM – UNA MAS
Kenny Dorham, trumpet; Joe Henderson, tenor sax; Herbie Hancock, piano; Butch Warren, bass; Tony Williams, drums.
Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, April 1, 1963

Tk. 6 Sao Paulo BST 84127
Tk. 9 Straight Ahead –
Tk. 13 Una Mas (One More Time) –
Tk. 16 If Ever I Would Leave You CD 7-46515-2

(B) JOE HENDERSON – PAGE ONE
Kenny Dorham, trumpet; Joe Henderson, tenor sax; McCoy Tyner, piano; Butch Warren, bass; Pete La Roca, drums.
Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, June 3, 1963

Tk. 6 Recorda Me BST 84140
Tk. 12 Jinrikisha –
Tk. 14 Blue Bossa –
Tk. 15 La Mesha (alt tk) previously unissued
T.k 18 La Mesha BST-84140
Tk. 20 Out Of The Night –
Tk. 22 Homestretch (alt tk) previously unissued
Tk. 25 Homestretch BST 84140

(C) JOE HENDERSON – OUR THING
Kenny Dorham, trumpet; Joe Henderson, tenor sax; Andrew Hill, piano; Eddie Kahn, bass; Pete La Roca, drums.
Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, September 9, 1963

Tk. 10 Teeter Totter (alt tk) CD 7-84152-2
Tk. 14 Our Thing BST 84152
Tk. 15 Our Thing (alt tk) previously unissued
Tk. 17 Escapade BST 84151
Tk. 23 Back Road –
Tk. 27 Pedro’s Time –
Tk. 28 Teeter Totter –

(D) JOE HENDERSON – IN ‘N OUT
Kenny Dorham, trumpet; Joe Henderson, tenor sax; McCoy Tyner, piano; Richard Davis, bass; Elvin Jones, drums.
Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, April 10, 1964

Tk. 6 Punjab BST 84166
Tk. 7 In ‘N Out (alt tk) CD 8-29156-2
Tk. 9 In ‘N Out BST 84166
Tk. 11 Short Story –
Tk. 14 Brown’s Town –
Tk. 19 Serenity –

(E) KENNY DORHAM – TROMPETA TOCCATA
Kenny Dorham, trumpet; Joe Henderson, tenor sax; Tommy Flanagan, piano; Richard Davis, bass; Albert Heath, drums.
Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, September 14, 1964

Tk. 4 The Fox BST 84181
Tk. 6 Night Watch –
Tk. 10 Trompeta Toccata –
Tk. 11 Mamacita –

(F) JOE HENDERSON – INNER URGE
Joe Henderson, tenor sax; McCoy Tyner, piano; Bob Cranshaw, bass; Elvin Jones, drums.
Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, November 30, 1964

Tk.2 Inner Urge BST 84189
Tk. 10 You Know I Care –
Tk. 15 Isotope –
Tk. 21 Night And Day –
Tk. 23 El Barrio –

(G1) JOHNNY COLES – LITTLE JOHNNY C
Johnny Coles, trumpet; Leo Wright; alto sax; Joe Henderson, tenor sax; Duke Pearson, piano; Bob Cranshaw, bass; Walter Perkins, drums.
Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, July 18, 1963

Tk. 12 Hobo Joe BST 84144

(G2) BLUE MITCHELL – STEP LIGHTLY
Blue Mitchell, trumpet; Leo Wright, alto sax; Joe Henderson, tenor sax; Herbie Hancock, piano; Gene Taylor, bass; Roy Brooks, drums.
Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, August 13, 1963

Tk. 22 Step Lightly BN LT-1082

(G3) BOBBY HUTCHERSON – THE KICKER
Joe Henderson, tenor sax; Bobby Hutcherson, vibes; Grant Green, guitar; Duke Pearson, piano; Bob Cranshaw, bass; Al Harewood. Drums.
Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, December 13, 1963

Tk. 8 The Kicker CD 5-21437-2

(G4) HORACE SILVER – THE CAPE VERDEAN BLUES
Woody Shaw, trumpet; J.J. Johnson, trombone; Joe Henderson, tenor sax; Horace Silver, piano; Bob Cranshaw, bass; Roger Humphries, drums.
Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, October 22, 1965

Tk. 22 Mo’ Joe BST 84220

(G5) LARRY YOUNG – UNITY
Woody Shaw, trumpet; Joe Henderson, tenor sax; Larry Young, organ; Elvin Jones, drums.
Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, November 10, 1965

Tk. 5 If BST 84221

(H) JOE HENDERSON – MODE FOR JOE
Lee Morgan, trumpet; Curtis Fuller, trombone; Joe Henderson, tenor sax; Bobby Hutcherson, vibes; Cedar Walton, piano; Ron Carter, bass; Joe Chambers, drums.
Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, January 27. 1966

Tk. 2 A Shade Of Jade BST 84227
Tk. 8 Caribbean Fire Dance BST 84277
Tk. 18 Granted –
Tk. 19 Mode For Joe –
Tk. 20 Mode For Joe (alt tk) CD (J) UCCQ-5120
Tk. 26 Black BST84227
Tk. 27 Black (alt tk) CD 7-84227-2
Tk. 31 Free Wheelin’ BST 84227

Album Index
LP:
Joe Henderson-Page One Blue Note BST 84140 (rel. September 1963)
Kenny Dorham-Una Mas Blue Note BST 84147 (rel. December 1963)
Johnny Coles-Little Johnny C Blue Note BST 84144 (rel. February 1964)
Joe Henderson -Our Thing Blue Note BST 84152 (rel. April 1964
Joe Henderson-In ‘N Out Blue Note BST 84166 (rel. January 1965)
Kenny Dorham-Trompeta Toccata Blue Note BST 84181 (rel. July 1965)
Joe Henderson-Inner Urge Blue Note BST 84189 (rel. March 1966)
Horace Silver-The Cape Verdean Blue Blue Note BST 84220 (rel. December 1965)
Larry Young-Unity Blue Note BST 84221 (rel. July 1966)
Joe Henderson-Mode For Joe Blue Note BST 84227 (September 1966)
Blue Mitchell-Step Lightly Blue Note LT-1082 (rel. 1980)

CD:
Kenny Dorham-Una Mas Blue Note 7-46515-2 (rel. 1987)
Joe Henderson-Mode For Joe Blue Note 7-84227-2 (rel. 1988)
Joe Henderson-Our Thing Blue Note 7-84152-2 (rel. 1989)
Joe Henderson-In ‘N Out Blue Note 8-29156-2 (rel. 1994)
Bobby Hutcherson-The Kicker Blue Note 5-21437-2 (rel. 1999)
Joe Henderson-Mode For Joe Blue Note (Japan) UCCQ-5120 (rel. 2015)

Produced for release by Michael Cuscuna
Original sessions produced by Alfred Lion
Recording engineer: Rudy Van Gelder
Mastered from hi-res files of the original analog masters by Malcolm Addey, Malcolm Addey Studio, NYC
All photographs by Francis Wolff © Mosaic Images LLC

24-bit technology was utilized at all stages of the production of this Mosaic release.

A Blue Note Records release; (p)2021 UMG Recordings, Inc. ©2021 Mosaic Records, LLC. Manufactured by Mosaic Records, LLC under license from Universal Music Enterprises, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.

“Remastered to the highest standards, pressed on top-quality vinyl or CD, and sumptuously packaged, these editions are designed to please the most demanding of collectors.”

Richard Cook/Brian Morton, The Penguin Guide to Jazz