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.
Just how I have come
to choose Keith Jarrett as our next jazz personality for A World of Jazz is, I
think, an interesting little story in itself.
After reading an
article about him in “Jazziz” magazine around December of last year, I
mentioned to my husband that there's this jazz musician who “cuss out” the
audience before the start of a big concert in Italy.
I believe I made up
my mind about twenty-five years ago that Sarah Vaughan was my favorite jazz
singer, and some twenty five years later I have not changed my mind.She is by any measure one of the very best,
with an extraordinary instrument – her voice - which she employed to full
effect and success in a long and storied career.