Joe Henderson - Why He Is One of the Big 3

[@JensLarsen]

Which other horn players should I do a video on? Content: 0:00 Intro 0:27 Solo on Take The A Train 0:45 The Big 3: John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter and Joe Henderson! 1:05 Example #1 1:13 Subtle Motifs 2:04 Reharmonizing The A train 2:56 Example #1 Slow 3:07 Example #2 3:12 Rhythm as Tension Release 3:26 Michael Brecker Pedal Point 4:07 Pedal Point Abm7 line in A train 4:21 Example #2 Slow 4:29 Example #3 4:34 Dom7th(b5) arpeggios 4:44 Pedal Points 5:16 Example #3 Slow 5:22 Example #4 5:31 16th note Sequences 6:19 Lines with a Large Range 7:07 Example #4 7:19 Like the video? Check Out My Patreon Page!

[@Bobm8021]

Jens Larsen Eric Dolphy I reckon. I know he’s a bit out there but eh 😂.

[@TJKarlson]

Sonny Rollins

[@JamesSeaberry]

Woody Shaw; Ira Sullivan.

[@JensLarsen]

It would be useful to add why, and maybe a good suggestion :)

[@Bobm8021]

Because of his odd choice of strange and large intervals in his playing which distances himself from the more scalic and chromatic lines of bebop.

[@aashishpalikhey7307]

I personally love Dexter Gordon's playing.

[@robertscottgillespie]

Joe got a lot of his style from Sonny Rollins, Coltrane, Prez and bird, also some Warne marsh and Getz. In terms of influence on other tenor players Coltrane is top followed by Sonny. Check out Rollins live trio playing from 66 to 69 to hear how far out he could take a simple jazz standard. Joe Hen is an absolute master but his style is subtle and hard to copy, hence you don't hear many guys that sound like him.

[@JensLarsen]

To me it seems Rollins had more of an impact in the 50's compared to people like Wayne Shorter and Joe Henderson, but I actually didn't think about it a lot. Henderson pieces were more a part of the repertoire around here than Rollins pieces, at least.

[@harrisonmccomb1511]

I disagree OP. I think you hear a lot of guys that sound like Joe or have been clearly influenced by him. Jens mentions Brecker and I think that’s pretty clear, but also Jerry Bergonzi (who has taught so many of the modern masters) Rich Perry as well.

[@willyevans]

Joe Henderson is one of my favorites as well. He was a king of the tenor. His album Mode For Joe is a must-have IMO.

[@JensLarsen]

Certainly :)

[@srfotog]

My favorite Henderson album.

[@ChrisSmithSaxophone]

aww I love Joe Henderson. I first came across him when I studied Song for my Father. What a barnstorming solo he plays! :-)

[@JensLarsen]

Yes! Joe is amazing 🙂

[@stevejennings2394]

One of the best solos I’ve ever heard on any instrument... the tone/feel is ridiculous

[@marcusstoica]

Joe Henderson was born and brought up in Lima, Ohio, where Don Hurless, Richard Patterson, John Jarrett and many others guided him when he was young. He burned on the changes at least since he was 17. Thanks for talking about him Jens. A true musician.

[@JensLarsen]

You're very welcome! I am glad you like it! 🙂

[@neilsaunders9309]

I'd never dare to disagree with you, Jens - your knowledge of jazz is impregnable! I'll mention, though, that there are musicians' musicians like Johnny Griffin, George Coleman and my fellow Englishman, Tubby Hayes, and I'd like to put in a modest bid for a fourth man to add to your Towering Trio - the great Hank Mobley.

[@JensLarsen]

Haha! Thanks Neil! Certainly all important hardbop musicians :)

[@djmileski]

Coltrane/Rollins/Henderson for myself

[@marvinkmooneyoz]

The thing wtih Joe Henderson is....yes we can go about analyzing him, but ultimately, he's one of the hardest musicians to analyze fully...yet he is easy to appreciate. So his influence was largely indirect....people remember the influences that they were able to think about....Joe's phrasing has that "everything and nothing" about it.

[@pickinstone]

Those 16th note bursts are definitely a Joe Henderson staple that so many horn players use these days. Might it be helpful to put a note on each string (as much as possible) and sweep backwards. That way, you get the cascading articulation. I try to do that with trumpet lines that behave similarly (but Joe has his own thing). Talking of A-Train, he's got a whole record of Strayhorn tunes--called Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn--most of the album is just with a bass player. Really good album, and you can hear what Joe is doing because the rest of the rhythm section isn't there.

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks! This recording of Take The A-Train is off that album :) And yes, it is a great album

[@forrestfowler-guitar5856]

I literally just started transcribing this solo on Take The A Train yesterday...

[@JensLarsen]

Fantastic choice :) It's a great solo!

[@NablusRain]

Hello you left out the Great Charlie Parker

[@JensLarsen]

He was dead in the 60's, so yes I wouldn't really count him :)

[@Trombonology]

@@JensLarsen Besides, I thought we were talking tenor players -- not alto.

[@JensLarsen]

@@Trombonology True, and Tenor seemed to be more the trendsetting instrument in the 60s (to me anyway)

[@lipanmesh]

💯👍....throw in Miles as well! I love Joe Henderson...Trane is my fave!!

[@JensLarsen]

Miles didn't play the saxophone 🙂

[@lipanmesh]

@@JensLarsen Yeah...just had to throw him in 😊

[@DanHuberTube]

Hey there I'm a bass player, power to the people's my favorite album from 69 I love how there are both kinds of bass on there

[@eternalrainbow-cj3iu]

#11 and b9 over a Maj7 also Scofieldish to treat it as C#m7b5/C.... alteration of the Function....actually empahsise on the F# tritone substitution ignore maj7 just look at it as C bass than go to the tritone than put a II m7b5 to iC#m7 11/C that is actually what is implied...how weird it may sound...I don't know who was the first of those Moicans Coltrane?? or even Parker with his nice subs Miles Davis did they go that far???

[@eternalrainbow-cj3iu]

other way to look at it is triad C + Db creates A7#9 NR...so again octatonic(Coltrane is the founder is my presumption...)

[@DanHuberTube]

Favorite tone I've heard live was Ernie Watts with the Chicago jazz orchestra playing the music of Zappa, and he had played with Zappa

[@adbadhed]

The holy trinity is Coltrane, Rollins and Dexter. Joe Henderson made his own thing up, he stands alone on his own peak of brilliance. A big 3 of post Coltrane players would be another thing and I wouldn't put him in that either because he also influenced those guys, Brecker, Joe Farrell, steve Grossman, put whoever you like.

[@markusstorf7202]

Great stuff, thank you!!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@piyushgupta1606]

Well well I see you used 'Despair' from Naruto shippuden. Niceeee...

[@ethiopianmusicoldies599]

The most influential tenors ever ? You can’t make any list without Hawkins and Young. Then you need to mention Dexter , Byas and Webster (and Wardell?). Then come Rollins, Mobley and Coltrane, and then Henderson (and Getz?) And you got Ayler, who was a huge influence on free jazz tenors. Shorter, I think, was more influential as a composer than as a sax player. And in the 70’s and on - Brecker. Picking only three from this list makes no sense.

[@JensLarsen]

But I am talking about "ever"

[@GKboards]

Jazz n00b here, why is Cannonball not even mentioned in the comments? Is there something I'm missing that precludes him from the conversation?

[@JensLarsen]

He plays Alto not Tenor 🙂

[@GKboards]

@@JensLarsen Haha, I knew it would be something obvious! Thanks, Jens. Love your content

[@JensLarsen]

@@GKboards Thank you, Todd! Glad you like the videos :)

[@eternalrainbow-cj3iu]

Ab F is for me normal hal hole scale of course the Ab Triad is lined out here so both ways to look at it are okay...but I take Joe henderson also as both changes as scales at the same time....not one of the to more Hole and complete...oh kay but the B is ther oh you mean Bb okay than is not clear okay but than you are more right sorry I thought B(octatonic...) the flat was forgotten in that bar...

[@tomcripps7229]

Great video Jens. I've not delved into JH. Next assignment. But Wayne Shorter is my favorite. The only Coltrane that I really like is with Miles. I'd be interested to hear what you think of the 2nd great quintet though. I'm crazy about that group however understand very little of it.

[@johnvalentine3456]

Please listen to the early 60's Coltrane quartet, and some live things from that time, like Bye Bye Blackbird, Stockholm 1962, Incredible, hard swinging, modern stuff, and GREAT early McCoy Tyner. This will lead you to '64/'65 Trane, truly cosmic listening experiences.

[@BrettplaysStick]

Sonny Rollins imo is top 2

[@JensLarsen]

That makes sense! I find that he is maybe belonging more in the 50's ? But I do have a video on him coming up 👍

[@4578a]

John Gilmore is better than all of the "Big 3"

[@mkrisberg1]

Bro, Sonny Rollins?

[@JensLarsen]

Here you go, bro: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qHnYdqWopKhootk

[@RC32Smiths01]

Definitely a rightful video to show and highlight Joe's prowess! Although you could have others like Charlie Parker and Miles Davis for the future!

[@JensLarsen]

Certainly! I already have 4 or 5 on Parker here are some of them: kzbin.info/aero/PLWYuNvZPqqcGCpNTvS4d9Q_nYTxPssf50

[@RC32Smiths01]

@@JensLarsen Awesome and amazing to hear man! Their legacy shall not be forgotten!

[@JensLarsen]

@@RC32Smiths01 I really doubt that we will be forgetting Parker anytime soon 😁

[@RC32Smiths01]

@@JensLarsen ahh you're not wrong at all there man!

[@arvh1952]

​@@JensLarsen HAHA that's very accurate

[@michelefaragalli]

I'd find interesting to analyse Wayne Shorter's playing on "Infant Eyes" (on the '64 album "Speak no evil"). There are two things, aside from the tasteful note choices, that I find really inspiring in it: the dynamics and the fact that's it's a ballad (which remains in my opinion one of the hardest things to play).

[@JensLarsen]

I have a video coming up on a Herbie Hancock solo from that album, but didn't find a Shorter solo that I wanted to do yet :)

[@vicsnix43]

Agreed - it's an absolute masterpiece

[@d3f1n3d2]

Big 2 for me-- Trane and Joe! Clifford Jordan, George Coleman, Wayne, John Gilmore, Sonny Rollins & Dexter share equal claim to #3.

[@d3f1n3d2]

...Tenor

[@JamesSeaberry]

Cool lesson. I'm looking at trying to arrange Jinriksha for solo guitar........ yeah...

[@JensLarsen]

Nice! That is a great song that almost nobody plays :)

[@JamesSeaberry]

@@JensLarsen I know!!!! That, Mamacita, and Serenity should be in everybody's playbook.

[@tomazvital1986]

Make a video about Scott Henderson!

[@lipanmesh]

Those are exactly my 3 favorite horn players!!! Coltrane...Shorter & Joe Henderson!!!

[@djmileski]

Found it

[@JensLarsen]

Didn't I post a link? I thought I did 😁

[@isaacbeats2009]

as far as sheer influence into this century i think michael brecker would qualify for top 5 if not 3

[@JensLarsen]

True, but he is a lot later

[@arvh1952]

Jens, superb analysis. Thank you. I only recently stumbled upon Henderson's greatness ... and it was in this song kzbin.info/www/bejne/Zmfcm4iGj8p2gbc. The first solo still blows my mind. Perfectly crafted in choice of notes, syncopated rythms as well as perfect intervals. And using blistering speed TO ENHANCE musicality not at the expense of it is Joe's real forte!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! Great version of Beautiful Love! Need to check that out :)

[@GOGOLH]

Power to the People is a fantastic album.

[@davidseriff711]

@@damonshanabarger2604 good point ,that's just what I was thinking.

[@GOGOLH]

Yeah, you're right, Herbie's playing's great on that album.

[@HalethDagore]

Thank you for the video! Right on the money about the big 3, Jens. I think a number of folks in the comments missed what you were referring to - the big 3 that inspired the “modern” sound.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! I think so too, but it is of course also pretty open to interpretation :)

[@willyevans]

Love the beginning of the video when you say this example really sucks to play on guitar then in slow motion you make this face like "how am I going to do this?"

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you :)

[@jazzboi4621]

Great vid Jens! I definitely need to check out more Joe Henderson. Could you do another vid on Chris potter? I loved your first one!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you Ben! I will certainly do more on Chris Potter at some point :)

[@leobird8756]

I always find it amusing that Warne Marsh never makes it on any top tenor player list. It’s almost as though… nobody REALLY listened to what he played 😉

[@zqa12swx]

Warne on Star High and those bootleg recordings in the 70s and 80s with Konitz on the former, Sal Mosca on the latter, are simply incredible. A lot of the "tristano school' students after Warne really miss the plot. Warne was fast, driving and swinging. Lots of people play those tunes way too slow and dreamy-sounding.

[@vicsnix43]

Thank you so much for your incredibly informative videos! A real eye (and ear) opener!

[@JensLarsen]

You're very welcome! I am glad you like them! 🙂

[@SuperLoveConquers]

Hi Jens, thank you so much for the lessons. You are one of the best teachers here on youtube. Please keep on sharing. Cheers!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you very much Max. That's really great to hear!

[@vhollund]

Dexter Gordon

[@Yapperofthecentury97]

Awesome as usual! Please keep posting more modern analyses and tips.

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks! I will. Herbie Hancock is next week :)

[@amymalina5073]

I agree

[@ashliang6812]

Haha the first bgm really joking me hard

[@JensLarsen]

Really glad you like it :)

[@lowtone9]

You want a horn player with a unique improv style? Pepper Adams developed the idea of expanding a motif to its ultimate. .

[@jimsneider4296]

sad naruto music in the beginning: Jazz is - like wu tang - for the children and i love it. as always, great video jens!

[@korkenknopfus]

Thank you for another very useful lesson.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you Korkenknopfus I am glad you found it useful! 👍

[@masterboyle1977]

I would put Sam Rivers in with these post-hardbop players who innovated in both improvisational and compositional realms.

[@eternalrainbow-cj3iu]

also Db C going to Ab treats Cmajor just as a IIIm7 altered to III-majorTriad

[@eternalrainbow-cj3iu]

G7 altered mixed with Lydian dominant??/

[@wirraroo]

Thanks Jens. Art Pepper. Sonny Criss.

[@donngoodside6885]

Jens ___ I prefer the, 'slow mournful' sounds' of, 'Chet Baker', rather then 'Miles Davis'. As 'Chet' to me, is not interested in 'Dazzling' the listener with 'Bebop's Cacophony' of impressive speed... I have the same opinion of 'Guitar 'Pentatonic Free Form fusion, in their ' improvisation.I like the, 'Slow, thoughtful, and emotional, 'Ballads, of the 1940's. ( In my Opinion ).

[@tomscott1741]

Check out Chet Baker playing have you met Miss Jones oh, you will be disappointed LOL

[@leroysimon5692]

Another great lesson, Jens. Thanks.

[@tomscott1741]

As far as improvising goes you should put Sonny Rollins in there and take out Wayne shorter, I'm not taking anything from away from Wayne he's great, I'm Sonny Rollins pushed improvising farther

[@tomscott1741]

But*

[@JensLarsen]

I don't think that is true for the 60s. 🙂

[@tomscott1741]

Wayne shorter has laid down a lot of great solos, especially on wax. But his improvising was never as influential to other saxophone players in the main as John Coltrane Sonny Rollins and Joe Henderson's were, Miles Davis Group I believe was getting more attention than Sonny Rollins group in the 60s, but Wayne shorter never had the technical or harmonic command of his horn that Sonny Rollins did not in the sixties or ever. I'm not saying one is better than the other, everyone's different and that's what makes the music and life awesome! But Sonny could do more with Harmony during improvisation than Wayne could in any time period.

[@JensLarsen]

I think you are letting your taste write music history :)

[@tomscott1741]

I take apart their solos myself, so that's where that thinking comes from.

[@DannyVDub]

Joe was definitely on the frontier for his time. Coltrane is most likely the progenitor of the modern sound, though. You should also be talking about Wayne Shorter. Albums Shorter played on like E.S.P., Miles Smiles, and Nefertiti (Miles Davis Quintet) provide the groundwork for the stuff Joe would play later on. Joe even has a version of RJ which was first done by Shorter with Miles Davis on E.S.P. Also check out the harmonies on songs like Iris and Little One. There, you have amazing slash chord harmonies and oblique resolutions. I still don't understand why most people know very little about Miles second quintet and the revolutionary work they did.

[@marvinkmooneyoz]

Joe already had that sound though. I dont think of him as particuarly influenced by Wayne or Coltrane.

[@mitchkahle314]

Sonny Rollins fits nicely.

[@rickshafer6688]

The difference between guitar and any single note instrument is vast. Especially sax. The sax is made for easy intervals. Listen to to best trumpet players playing with the best saxophone players. It is not even a contest.

[@JensLarsen]

Isn't it a bit silly to compare instruments like that?

[@rickshafer6688]

@@JensLarsen Yes, if one hasn't played them.

[@samtedesco3529]

I am 73 yrs old and have been listening to Joe Henderson since I was 15. To me, he has the greatest sound and approach to tenor sax that I have ever heard. I try and copy everything he does on my tenor because he was so gifted. I must say though that I much preferred the earlier sound he had through the 60's and 70's when on his older horns. His newer horns allow him to play faster but his playing loses some the the subtle nuances that his older style had to offer and his tone suffered some playing on his newer horns. For some mysterious reason, listeners attribute more talent to continuous fast playing but I don't find this to be always true. I too enjoy fast playing, however, you had better have something to say along with it. Bob Berg, Chris Potter, and the new to me Chad LB among several others are good examples of it. Sam

[@JensLarsen]

Joe is indeed great!

[@jorgemg1984]

blues bossa is by kenny dorham, not joe

[@JensLarsen]

Yes, of course, but it is on a Joe Henderson record :)

[@jorgemg1984]

@@JensLarsen true :)

[@samtedesco3529]

correct!

[@melodiusthonk]

Dexter Gordon, I think, should be part of your list. As an innovator he is much overlooked. I recommend Night in Tunisia from Our Man in Paris to make my case. This is way beyond standard bebop practice and a superb example of real time/ sponteneous composition. Also I love your videos

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks! Glad you like the videos! To me Dexter wasn't really coming up with that many new things in the 60's That doesn't mean that I don't like it. I just don't think he was a part of what drove Jazz in new directions compared to Henderson, Shorter and Coltrane :)

[@johnvalentine3456]

@@JensLarsen I think you're right, but I like the idea that Dexter was influenced by Trane in the early/mid- '60's, AFTER he had clearly been an influence on Trane in the early/mid-'50's. Another tenor player who updated his sound and harmonic language/approach was Harold Land, and also let's not forget James Moody...these cats always were interested in expanding and playing as hip as they could as jazz progressed. I heard from a very reliable source that James Moody had Bergonzi's books and practiced a lot from them!

[@stogies3]

The Bean,Coleman Hawkins.

[@guidemeChrist]

He ruined sidewinder

[@steelejerome]

This is blasphemy to me. I love his solo on sidewinder.

[@marvinkmooneyoz]

@@steelejerome Man i LOVE Joes playing on that album!!!

[@samtedesco3529]

@@marvinkmooneyoz Without Joe, I would not listen to it.

[@rogerlegends166]

Take it up with Lee Morgan , he hired him .