Much like Rollins, Tyner and Smith, Henderson had established himself on other jazz labels before getting to Milestone Records; particularly on Blue Note with recordings such as the Our Thing album with Kenny Dorham.

You’ll recall earlier in the year we took at looked at Henderson’s ‘Gazelle’ on Fusion With Attitude and at Bestival with Phabius digging out the Elements album (featuring Alice Coltrane). Another jazz dance track from his Milestone period is ‘The Kicker’ but not to worry that it’s not included here as there’s more than enough to keep you happy.

Like this version of ‘Out ‘n’ In’, recorded in Japan in 1971, this would have been a template for the parents of those 100mph Soil n “Pimp” Sessions.

Keeping up the jazz dance, the live version of Dorham’s ‘Blue Bossa’ is taken from the superbly entitled album, If You’re Not Part Of The Solution, You’re Part Of The Problem and is an excellent mid-tempo warm-up. ‘Canyon Lady’ is bolder and more big-band groove but Henderson glides to the timbales and congas plus George Duke pops up with a dreamy solo.

Then there’s the sixties Horace Silver sounding opener, ‘Mamacita’ featuring the brilliant Grachan Moncur III on trombone and bass supremeo Ron Carter. This is followed by ‘Black Naracissus’ in a modal mood that takes some beating (with Carter, DeJohnette and Hancock) along with the “afro-centrist”, ‘Black Is The Color (Of My True Love’s Mind)’

Talking great bass players (this time Stanley Clarke) and rhythm, ‘No Me Esqueça’ is another boppy dancer this time with Curtis Fuller (Trombone), Pere Yellen (Alto) and Joe sharing the limelight.

As Milestones founder says in the sleeve notes to If You’re Not Part Of The Solution, You’re Part Of The Problem, Joe Henderson is “probably the top tenor sax in jazz today.” That was 1970. And like Rollins, Henderson’s form was still top rate when he picked up his a Grammy for his ‘Lush Life’ solo in 1993.

He might look like an ageing Uncle, but this guy was rhythm and we find his legacy in modern day exponents like David Leibman and Joshua Redman. Once you get this CD, don’t let your diggin’ stop there as this is a mere taster of the 12 albums Henderson produced for Milestone between 1967 and 1976. In the meantime, listen to this CD time and time again. Brilliant!

Reviewed — Joe Henderson — Milestone Profiles Cat. No.0888072300989 Release date: November 2006
Tracklisting:
1. Mamacita (3:24)
2. Black Narcissus (4:51)
3. Out ‘N In (9:03)
4. Blue Bossa (9:47)
5. Black Is The Color (Of My True Love’s Mind) (7:03)
6. No Me Esqueça (7:08)
7. Gazelle (5:21)
8. Canyon Lady (9:05)
9. The Bead Game (8:39)

Links:
Interview with Joe Henderson talking about his time at Milestones
“Joe suspects that the recordings he and others made for Fantasy (MIlestone) at this time were merely tax offsets for the money that Fantasy had come into after filming One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. “I wished they had shared their game plan with me. There’s no way I would have spent five minutes with a company like that. Fortunately, I was kept kind of busy, but then I might have been even more busy at a younger age, when you’ve got all this extra energy you don’t know where to put.”
Interview with Mel Martin (1991) for Saxophone Journal
Grammy for ‘Best Jazz Instrumental Solo’ at wikipedia
Joe Henderson (April 24, 1937 — June 30, 2001) at wikipedia