3 months ago
174
2
Posted On: August 10th 2026, 07:13 pm
Joe Henderson - Out Thing | Blue Note BNJ 71089 (BST 84152), Japanese Reissue, Stereo, 1985 (1964)
A few months after "Page One", Joe Henderson returned to Rudy Van Gelder’s studio with Kenny Dorham for his second album as a leader on Blue Note. But while Dorham’s trumpet and Henderson’s tenor sax continued the remarkable chemistry of the first album, the rhythm section took a different turn. On piano, Andrew Hill replaces McCoy Tyner; on bass, Eddie Khan takes Butch Warren’s place, while Pete La Roca remains behind the drums. A staff change that’s enough to shift “Our Thing” toward something more edgy, cerebral, and adventurous.
Dorham, still firmly rooted in bebop, wrote three of the five tracks, while Henderson composed the title track as well as “Teeter Totter,” which opens the album. It gets off to a flying start, with “La Roca” maintaining an almost feverish tension. More expansive and measured, “Pedro’s Time” gives the five musicians room to breathe, before moving on to “Our Thing,” whose tempo changes put the soloists’ skills to the test. Hill is particularly captivating here, with his oblique, dissonant, and unpredictable playing. Finally, “Back Road” and “Escapade” bring the album to a close on more melodic ground, without ever sacrificing that sense of freedom.
Henderson already has that instantly recognizable sound: dense, fluid, melodic, capable of shifting from bop to something much more abstract in just a few phrases. And what a rhythm section! Khan and La Roca may be the least well-known members of the quintet, but their understated, energetic playing gives Hill all the space he needs to break with conventions.
“Our Thing” is still hard bop, but something is already starting to crack at the joints. Monk, Coltrane, and Miles aren’t far away, and above all, there’s this desire to break free from boundaries. Here’s an album where you can feel Henderson becoming, note by note, fully himself.
🎷🔥🩷
#jazzvinyl #recordcollection #joehenderson #kennydorham #andrewhill
A few months after "Page One", Joe Henderson returned to Rudy Van Gelder’s studio with Kenny Dorham for his second album as a leader on Blue Note. But while Dorham’s trumpet and Henderson’s tenor sax continued the remarkable chemistry of the first album, the rhythm section took a different turn. On piano, Andrew Hill replaces McCoy Tyner; on bass, Eddie Khan takes Butch Warren’s place, while Pete La Roca remains behind the drums. A staff change that’s enough to shift “Our Thing” toward something more edgy, cerebral, and adventurous.
Dorham, still firmly rooted in bebop, wrote three of the five tracks, while Henderson composed the title track as well as “Teeter Totter,” which opens the album. It gets off to a flying start, with “La Roca” maintaining an almost feverish tension. More expansive and measured, “Pedro’s Time” gives the five musicians room to breathe, before moving on to “Our Thing,” whose tempo changes put the soloists’ skills to the test. Hill is particularly captivating here, with his oblique, dissonant, and unpredictable playing. Finally, “Back Road” and “Escapade” bring the album to a close on more melodic ground, without ever sacrificing that sense of freedom.
Henderson already has that instantly recognizable sound: dense, fluid, melodic, capable of shifting from bop to something much more abstract in just a few phrases. And what a rhythm section! Khan and La Roca may be the least well-known members of the quintet, but their understated, energetic playing gives Hill all the space he needs to break with conventions.
“Our Thing” is still hard bop, but something is already starting to crack at the joints. Monk, Coltrane, and Miles aren’t far away, and above all, there’s this desire to break free from boundaries. Here’s an album where you can feel Henderson becoming, note by note, fully himself.
🎷🔥🩷
#jazzvinyl #recordcollection #joehenderson #kennydorham #andrewhill
Comments (2)
3 months agolavieenvinyle
#petelaroca #eddiekhan #jazzrecords #bluenote #bluenoterecords #jazz #hardbop
More posts
