With the release of this CD, the executives at Verve and their marketing staff proved that yes, indeed, jazz can sell. The veteran tenor
Joe Henderson has had a distinctive sound and style of his own ever since he first entered the jazz major leagues yet he has spent long periods in relative obscurity before reaching his current status as a jazz superstar. As for the music on his "comeback" disc, it does deserve all of the hype.
Henderson performs ten of
Billy Strayhorn's most enduring compositions in a variety of settings ranging from a full quintet with trumpeter
Wynton Marsalis and duets with pianist
Stephen Scott, bassist
Christian McBride, and drummer
Gregory Hutchinson to an unaccompanied solo exploration of "Lush Life." This memorable outing succeeded both artistically and commercially and is highly recommended. ~ Scott Yanow