Posted “Inner Urge” the last time and this is another one of those very special Blue Notes. The opening tune “Malagueña” has to be one of my absolute favorite jazz tunes. The dark, swaying oriental sounds that fills the room is a pleasure to soak in. Joe Henderson’s tenor offers so many things to enjoy and explore. I really enjoy the piano playing of Steve Kuhn as well. “Candu” is a bluesy excursion and a nice contrast to the opening tune. I always enjoy a good bluesy jazz tune. Diggin’ the short bass solo on this one. “Tears Come From Heaven” is a faster paced effort with some great chops from Henderson. The rest of the band is ticking along nicely and provides a steady foundation. Lovely, percussive and lyrical piano solo on this one.
The second side begins with a wonderful bass solo leading into “Basra” which also feels oriental, dark and shimmering. Brilliant playing by all members. Henderson steals the show though, with his searching and explorative approach to his improvising. Impressive that La Roca penned this one (he also composed the previous two). Another favorite. Next up is the light, feathery and tastefully executed slower paced “Lazy Afternoon”, which offers some beautiful and relaxing notes. The closing tune is the up-tempo “Eiderdown” penned by bassist Swallow. Great theme. Pulsating groove and top notch soloing from Henderson, Kuhn and Swallow.
An interesting thing about this session is that apparently Swallow and La Roca had taken LSD prior to recording this album at Englewood Cliffs. Could that be a reason why it turned out so great? Who knows…
Would be interesting to hear what you guys think of this masterpiece. Could this be Joe Henderson’s best outing? I haven’t explored his later stuff on Milestone but this must be hard to beat.
This album is up there on the list of favorite jazz albums. Highly recommended. For me it doesn’t get much better. I’m very happy to have been able to secure this original mono pressing, which is in top condition, both vinyl and cover. It seems that it’s quite rare and in high demand for sure. An outstanding last grab of the year.
Take care folks and enjoy your collections. Cheers!