Joe Henderson - An Evening With Joe Henderson (Red, 1987)

This post is by Dan

Joe Henderson (ts); Charlie Haden (b); Al Foster (d)

Recorded July 7, 1987

Having found his groove as a trio player, Joe Henderson went on tour in Europe where the climate for jazz artists was supportive and appreciative. An Evening with Joe Henderson captures a trio with Charlie Haden and Al Foster live at the Genova Jazz Festival in Italy. Red Records recorded the session.

Compared to Blue Note's Vanguard sessions, which were performed in an intimate indoor location, the Genova festival sounds like an outside venue. The instruments are closely miked, but the audience seems further away from the stage compared to indoor club venues. My ability to infer the nature of the location speaks to the quality of the recording, which is excellent. Red seems to deliver sonic gems every time. 

It's hard to pluck specific highlights from an overall outstanding performance, but a few catch my attention: the depth of Henderson's solo on "Invitation," Foster's driving undercurrent on "Beatrice," and the difference between Haden's bass lines compared to Ron Carter's on the Vanguard trios. If you've ever wondered what is distinctive about different bass players, compare the tracks of the same tunes on these two records. 

Only four selections were included on the original LP, and subsequent reissues have not expanded the selections.