Power To The People (Remastered 2024) Joe Henderson

• 1 Black Narcissus (Remastered 2024) 04:52
• 2 Afro-Centric (Remastered 2024) 07:02
• 3 Opus One-Point-Five (Remastered 2024) 04:55
• 4 Isotope (Remastered 2024) 04:51
• 5 Power To The People (Remastered 2024) 08:39
• 6 Lazy Afternoon (Remastered 2024) 04:31
• 7 Foresight And Afterthought (Remastered 2024) 07:31
• Total Runtime 42:21

Info for Power To The People (Remastered 2024)

Craft Recordings and Jazz Dispensary are set to issue a wide vinyl release of Joe Henderson’s 1969 classic, Power To The People, for the first time in over 50 years.

Blending a socially conscious spirit with hard bop, jazz-funk, and electronic elements, the album finds the saxophonist entering a new creative dimension, as he performs such originals as “Isotope,” “Afro-Centric” and the first recording of his classic “Black Narcissus,” alongside such legends as Herbie Hancock (piano, Fender Rhodes), Ron Carter (electric and acoustic bass), Jack DeJohnette (drums), and Mike Lawrence (trumpet).

During his four-decade-long career, tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson (1937–2001) was a prolific leader and a sought-after sideman who played alongside the biggest names in jazz, including Herbie Hancock, Kenny Dorham, Chick Corea, and Alice Coltrane. A virtuosic talent, Henderson began his professional career in Detroit while attending college. After a two-year stint in the Army, the horn player relocated to New York, where he quickly made a name for himself, performing on dozens of sessions for Blue Note Records, including those for Hancock, Horace Silver, Andrew Hill, and Lee Morgan.

As a band leader, meanwhile, Henderson stood out from his peers, thanks to an eclectic sound that frequently incorporated elements of avant-garde, Latin, and R&B. That versatile and adventurous spirit caught the attention of Orrin Keepnews, who signed the saxophonist to Milestone Records. Under the fledgling jazz label, Henderson took his career—and his sound—to the next level. 1969’s Power To The People, which marked Henderson’s third album for Milestone, exemplified this era of unbridled creativity.

“You can’t ask much more of a recording than that it presents a major voice in great form, with a wonderfully sympathetic context,” wrote DownBeat columnist Alan Heineman in his original liner notes. “[Henderson] is one of those very rare artists possessed of both fire and ice—emotional depth and a strong shaping intellect…He can reach way into you because he has first reached into himself.”

Henderson expresses the full breadth of his capabilities in the album’s seven tracks—from the delicate balladry of opener “Black Narcissus” to the raw power of “Power to the People.” The 1969 LP also finds Henderson making his foray into electronic instrumentation, including a Fender Rhodes—played with soul by Hancock on the above-mentioned titles, as well as on the up-tempo “Afro-Centric.”

There are also a variety of acoustic performances, including the Ron Carter-penned “Opus One-Point-Five.” Heineman notes that Henderson’s work on the reflective track is particularly impressive, as the saxophonist keeps listeners on their toes. “His second solo is spiritually audacious: a tightrope walk between lyricism and tightly coiled, barely suppressed aggressiveness. One slip in either direction and the other mode will ring false as hell. Joe doesn’t slip.”

Another highlight is the fully improvised “Foresight and Afterthought.” The bluesy, seven-and-a-half-minute-long “impromptu suite in three movements” showcases the uncanny interconnectivity of Henderson, Carter, and DeJohnette in a trio setting. The saxophonist also revisits his popular track “Isotope,” which first appeared on his 1964 album, Inner Urge, and interprets one standard: Moross/Latouche’s “Lazy Afternoon.”

Nearly 55 years after its release, Power To The People still sounds as fresh as ever and remains a testament to Henderson’s talents as a composer, bandleader, and saxophonist. In the decades since its release, the album has only continued to grow in stature. In retrospective reviews, PopMatters declared the record to be “A strong reminder of a player who never faltered,” while AllMusic noted that the album “has quite a few classic moments.” (Tim Peacock, udiscovermusic.com)

Joe Henderson, tenor saxophone
Mike Lawrence, trumpet (tracks 2, 5)
Herbie Hancock, piano (tracks 3, 4, 6), Fender Rhodes (tracks 1, 2, 5)
Ron Carter, double bass (tracks 1, 3, 4, 6, 7), electric bass (tracks 2, 5)
Jack DeJohnette, drums

Recorded May 23 & 29, 1969 at Plaza Sound Studios, New York City
Produced by Orrin Keepnews

Digitally remastered by Kevin Gray

Joe Henderson
is proof that jazz can sell without watering down the music; it just takes creative marketing. Although his sound and style were virtually unchanged from the mid-'60s, Joe Henderson's signing with Verve in 1992 was treated as a major news event by the label (even though he had already recorded many memorable sessions for other companies). His Verve recordings had easy-to-market themes (tributes to Billy Strayhorn, Miles Davis, and Antonio Carlos Jobim) and, as a result, he became a national celebrity and a constant poll winner while still sounding the same as when he was in obscurity in the 1970s.

The general feeling is that it couldn't have happened to a more deserving jazz musician. After studying at Kentucky State College and Wayne State University, Joe Henderson played locally in Detroit before spending time in the military (1960-1962). He played briefly with Jack McDuff and then gained recognition for his work with Kenny Dorham (1962-1963), a veteran bop trumpeter who championed him and helped Henderson get signed to Blue Note. Henderson appeared on many Blue Note sessions both as a leader and as a sideman, spent 1964-1966 with Horace Silver's Quintet, and during 1969-1970 was in Herbie Hancock's band. From the start, he had a very distinctive sound and style which, although influenced a bit by both Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane, also contained a lot of brand new phrases and ideas. Henderson had long been able to improvise in both inside and outside settings, from hard bop to freeform. In the 1970s, he recorded frequently for Milestone and lived in San Francisco, but was somewhat taken for granted. The second half of the 1980s found him continuing his freelancing and teaching while recording for Blue Note, but it was when he hooked up with Verve that he suddenly became famous. Virtually all of his recordings are currently in print on CD, including a massive collection of his neglected (but generally rewarding) Milestone dates. On June 30, 2001, Joe Henderson passed away due to heart failure after a long battle with emphysema. (Source: Blue Note Records, Scott Yanow)

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