We start this piece with two stories.  Anecdotes are important for getting a feel for an individual as opposed to just trotting out a dry biography of someone.

The year is 1955. The place is Chicago, Illinois.  A young jazz musician, only 25 as a matter of fact, has moved to town from New York.  He has already established a name for himself by playing and recording with Bud Powell (piano), Fats Navarro (trumpet), and Miles Davis (trumpet).

“A World of Jazz” turns now to Ella Fitzgerald,  First Lady of  Jazz  a.k.a.  First Lady of Song and  vocalist nonpareil.   There have been many, many good ones in terms of jazz singers and interpreters of American song.  However, I believe I can say without hesitation and after careful listening and consideration that Ella Fitzgerald's was the voice of the twentieth century.

The name Joe Henderson, as a name in and of itself, seems quite ordinary.  But jazz fans of today will know that this jazz personality is no ordinary Joe.

Joe Henderson is a tenor saxophone player who is also a composer, soprano saxophonist and flute player. He's one of the giants of modern bebop, and some of his recording credits have a veritable “Wow” factor, since he's right there in the lineup for some of the best-known contemporary jazz standards.

In the reading I have not been able to glean much concerning his personal life, but his life in jazz is rich and meaningful, and he has certainly made a tremendous contribution.