Power to the People [Original recording remastered]

Joe Henderson | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 27, 2007)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Milestone
• ASIN: B000NJL08E
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #158,878 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Black Narcissus - Joe Henderson

2. Isotope - Joe Henderson

3. Lazy Afternoon - Joe Henderson

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson (1937-2001) was the elliptical alternative to John Coltrane and Wayne Shorter when these sessions were recorded in 1969 on the Milestone label under Orrin Keepnews' production, with Miles Davis' sidemen: Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter on electric and acoustic piano and bass and drummer Jack DeJohnette. Their jazz-fusion sound is evident on the super-bopped "Afro-Centric" and the ostinato-anchored title track, which both featured the little-known trumpeter Mike Lawrence. The angular, radioactive blues "Isotope" and the lilting waltz "Black Narcissus," which debuted on this date, are two of the leader's compositional contributions to the jazz canon. The standard "Lazy Afternoon" and Ron Carter's darkly moody "Opus One-Point Five" are the only non-Henderson contributions. The last track, the pianoless, spontaneously-created "Foresight and Afterthought (An Impromptu Suite)," previews the groundbreaking trio recordings Henderson made for the Blue Note and Verve labels in the 1980s and '90s, when his genius was fully appreciated. --Eugene Holley, Jr.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Milestone Event, April 27, 2003

By 

Stephen Silberman "writer, Wired Magazine" (SF, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Power to the People (Audio CD)

This album is simply one of the greatest 50 jazz albums of all time. The fact that it is not in print in the USA is astounding, but thank goodness for this high-quality reissue.

Fans of Miles Davis' "In A Silent Way" and other works of early fusion -- particularly Miroslav Vitous' "Infinite Search," another recently reissued rarity -- should put this on their must-buy list. It's Herbie Hancock at the very peak of his Fender Rhodes period, when he was playing like Bill Evans on an electric instrument; Henderson himself is in top form; and the tunes range from the absolutely exquisite, yearning "Black Narcissus" (reminiscent of a golden-age Wayne Shorter composition) to the hard-charging title track, which is funky without straying into post-"Headhunters" wank-ola.

Soon after this album was released, "fusion" per se descended into more and more simplistic, synth-driven hackdom that seemed to forsake all the melodic subtlety of jazz for the pursuit of the groove and rock-music excitement. "Power to the People" stands alongside Miles' best work of the period as a milestone of a true fusion of the best of acoustic jazz with the added power and drive that electric instruments offered.

I once asked drummer Brian Blade what he'd been listening to lately. "'Black Narcissus,' over and over again," he replied. I knew just what he meant.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars reissued gem from 1969, April 2, 2001

By 

rbt_austin "rbt_austin" (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Power to the People (Audio CD)

Joe Henderson, Tenor Sax; Herbie Hancock, Piano/Electric Piano; Ron Carter, Bass/Electric Bass; Jack DeJohnette, Drums; Mike Lawrence, Trumpet on a few tracks. The line-up alone should get alot of people's attention. The total time is about 43 minutes... and the music on this disc is out of this world... Isotope, Power To The People, Black Narcissus, Opus One-Point-Five, and more... this reissue from Comet Records (?) under the Fantasy Jazz aegis is highly recommended. All-stars at their best, which any fan of Joe, Herbie, Ron, and/or Jack must get in their collection.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If You Liked In a Silent Way, April 8, 2007

By 

directions "neuralbuddhist" (Space Time Foam) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Power to the People (Audio CD)

Okay first of all forget the title. This is not a revolutionary free jazz diatrebe. What you get though (and nicely remastered with intelligent liner notes) is a classic fusion album along the vein of "In a Silent Way". This actually is closer to a Herbie Hancock album and has much of the same players as "The Prisoner", his album for that year which was rather uneven. However, "Power to the People" does not have those flaws. Nice ambient jazz work that still remains within a post bop tradition. Electric keyboards are used but piano also enters the mix. With Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Jack De Johnette, all Miles alumni you have a good thing going here and unlike much jazz fusion at the time or later on its not a bunch of flashy chops that is basically watered down rock trying to pass for jazz. Okay this is no "B-Brew" or "On the Corner" but as fusion it succeeds. Joe Henderson would later get into full blown fusion that was closer to jazz funk and then jump back to hard bop but "Power to the People" and the acoustic hard bop albums that preceeded it by Joe Henderson are part of the essential jazz roster.