Joe Henderson
- Born:
- , Lima, Ohio, USA
- Died:
- , San Francisco, California, USA
- Instrument:
- Tenor Saxophone
- Notable collaborations:
- Horace Silver, Lee Morgan, Herbie Hancock, Alice Coltrane, Freddie Hubbard
- Genres:
- Jazz, Funk / Soul, Pop, Latin, Rock, Blues, Hip Hop, Folk, World, & Country, Electronic, Stage & Screen
- Styles:
- Post Bop, Contemporary Jazz, Hard Bop, Bop, Modal, Fusion, Big Band, Soul-Jazz, Jazz-Funk, Latin Jazz
Joe Henderson is a tenor saxophonist whose technical command and harmonic depth made him one of the most important voices in Post Bop and Modal Jazz. His career shows a remarkable arc: from breakthrough appearances on Blue Note in the early 1960s, including leader dates like “Page One” and “Mode for Joe”, to his work as a first-call sideman for Horace Silver, Lee Morgan, and Herbie Hancock. His distinctive, slightly edgy tone set him apart from contemporaries. Late 1960s and early 1970s work ventured into avant-garde territory, notably collaborating with Alice Coltrane on “Ptah, the El Daoud”. After relative commercial obscurity in the 1970s and 80s, he experienced a career resurgence with Verve Records in the 1990s, releasing critically acclaimed albums like “Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn”. His work across Blue Note, Milestone, and Verve Records documented evolution from hard bop innovator to mature master.
Essential Joe Henderson Albums
Page One
Joe Henderson
1963
Hard Bop
Inner Urge
Joe Henderson
1966
Post Bop
In 'N Out
Joe Henderson
1965
Post Bop
Mode For Joe
Joe Henderson
1966
Post Bop
Our Thing
Joe Henderson
1964
Hard Bop
Ptah, The El Daoud
Alice Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, Joe Henderson
1970
Avant-garde Jazz
The Elements
Joe Henderson, Alice Coltrane
1974
Post Bop
Power To The People
Joe Henderson
1969
Post Bop
Multiple
Joe Henderson
1973
Afro-Cuban Jazz
Canyon Lady
Joe Henderson
1975
Fusion
Similar Artists
Top Labels
| Label | Releases |
|---|---|
| Blue Note | 241 |
| Verve Records | 85 |
| Not On Label | 30 |
| Milestone | 26 |
| EMI | 26 |
| Criss Cross Jazz | 24 |
| SteepleChase | 21 |
| Universal Music | 16 |
| CTI Records | 15 |
| Red Record | 13 |
Joe Henderson Collaborations
As Leader
| Musician | Role | Releases |
|---|---|---|
| Al Foster | Drums | 15 |
| Chick Corea | Piano | 10 |
| Jack DeJohnette | Drums | 9 |
| Ron Carter | Bass | 7 |
| McCoy Tyner | Piano | 6 |
| Dave Holland | Bass | 6 |
| Lenny White | Drums | 6 |
| Freddie Hubbard | Trumpet | 5 |
| George Mraz | Bass | 5 |
| Kenny Dorham | Trumpet | 4 |
As Sideman
| Musician | Role | Releases |
|---|---|---|
| Ron Carter | Bass | 18 |
| Freddie Hubbard | Trumpet | 17 |
| Billy Higgins | Drums | 16 |
| Woody Shaw | Trumpet | 15 |
| Bob Cranshaw | Bass | 13 |
| Lewis Nash | Drums | 13 |
| Herbie Hancock | Piano | 11 |
| Richard Davis | Bass | 11 |
| Chick Corea | Piano | 9 |
| Roger Humphries | Drums | 8 |
Key Personnel
| Person | Role | Releases |
|---|---|---|
| Various | Leader | 71 |
| Alfred Lion | Producer | 23 |
| Phil Carroll | Art Direction | 20 |
| Reid Miles | Design [Cover] | 19 |
| Rudy Van Gelder | Recorded By [Recording By] | 19 |
| Francis Wolff | Photography By [Cover Photo] | 18 |
| Orrin Keepnews | Producer | 17 |
| Rudy Van Gelder | Lacquer Cut By | 16 |
| George Horn | Mastered By | 16 |
| Leonard Feather | Liner Notes | 14 |
Discography
Total: 790 releases
| Artist | Album | Label | Leader/Sideman | Style | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horace Silver | Silver In Seattle: Live At The Penthouse | Blue Note | Sideman | Hard Bop | 2025 |
| Tate McRae | Purple Lace Bra / It’s Ok I'm Ok | RCA | Sideman | 2025 | |
| Nils Agnas | Nils Agnas Köper Sig Ur En Kris | Moserobie Music Production | Sideman | Avant-garde Jazz | 2025 |
| Knats | Knats | - | Sideman | 2025 | |
| Various | F1 The Album (Music From F1 The Movie) | - | Sideman | 2025 | |
| Various | Blue Note: Alts 'N Outs | - | Sideman | 2025 | |
| Lorenzo Conte (3), Michele Polga, Dario Carnovale, Pasquale Fiore | Big Pulse | Caligola | Sideman | Post Bop | 2025 |
| Louis Stewart / Brian Dunning | Alone Together - Recorded Live At The Peacock | - | Sideman | 2025 | |
| Matt Panayides Trio | With Eyes Closed | Pacific Coast Jazz | Sideman | 2024 | |
| SFJazz Collective | Twenty Year Retrospective 2004-2024 Volume 2 | SFJAZZ Records | Sideman | 2024 | |
| Gilles Peterson | Timeless Jazz Classics Volume 1 | - | Sideman | 2024 | |
| Various | Spiritual Jazz 16: Riverside etc. | - | Sideman | 2024 | |
| Richard Guba | Songs For Stuffed Animals | Not On Label (Richard Guba Self-Released) | Sideman | 2024 | |
| Lori Bell Quartet | Recorda Me: Remembering Joe Henderson | Not On Label | Sideman | 2024 | |
| Rejjie Snow | Peace 2 Da World | Honeymoon | Sideman | 2024 | |
| Alexander Claffy | Memento | Cellar Music | Sideman | Contemporary Jazz | 2024 |
| McCoy Tyner All Star Band | Jazz Ost-West Festival In Nürnberg 1986 | Solid Records | Sideman | Post Bop | 2024 |
| McCoy Tyner, Joe Henderson | Forces Of Nature: Live At Slugs' | Blue Note | Leader | Post Bop | 2024 |
| Maurizio Giammarco Syncotribe Quintet | Bliss Vol.1 | Parco Della Musica Records | Sideman | Contemporary Jazz | 2024 |
| Mario Rusca | 4th Dimension | Easy Tempo | Sideman | Bop | 2024 |
Styles & Genres Distribution
Styles
| Style | Releases | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Post Bop | 168 | 12.1% |
| Contemporary Jazz | 130 | 9.3% |
| Hard Bop | 101 | 7.2% |
| Bop | 82 | 5.9% |
| Modal | 47 | 3.4% |
| Fusion | 40 | 2.9% |
| Big Band | 35 | 2.5% |
| Soul-Jazz | 27 | 1.9% |
| Jazz-Funk | 24 | 1.7% |
| Latin Jazz | 20 | 1.4% |
Genres
| Genre | Releases | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Jazz | 693 | 49.7% |
| Funk / Soul | 32 | 2.3% |
| Pop | 19 | 1.4% |
| Latin | 17 | 1.2% |
| Rock | 13 | 0.9% |
| Blues | 10 | 0.7% |
| Hip Hop | 8 | 0.6% |
| Folk, World, & Country | 7 | 0.5% |
| Electronic | 7 | 0.5% |
| Stage & Screen | 5 | 0.4% |