In Pursuit of Blackness

Joe Henderson | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 2, 1999)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Milestone
• ASIN: B00000GC19
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #178,222 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Get it if you are a Joe Henderson fan, May 11, 2000

By 

Robert McFadden (Dubai, United Arab Emirates) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In Pursuit of Blackness (Audio CD)

This is an eclectic selection of Joe Henderson work during the period of 1970-72. At first listen there is the tiny sound of early 70s fusion--the electric piano and bass--but it works well 'cause Joe is there to lead with the tenor. Truth be told, the following is offered because it's difficult to tell who worked what ablums just from the title and the timepiece (it's hoped other jazz fans do the same). On this album: Tracks 1,3,5 have Peter Yellen (sax, flute and bass clarinet), Curtis Fuller (trombone, of course), George Cables (p), Stanley Clarke (b), and Lenny White (d); tracks 2,4 include Woody Shaw (trumphet--and a hero of the era and beyond!), Cables (electric p), Ron McClure (b), White (d), Tony Waters (percussion); titles 6-10 George Wadenius (guitar), Cables (b), Dave Holland (b), Ron Carter (electric b), David Horowitz (synthesizer), Ralph McDonald (percussion), Airto (percussion), and Jack DeJonhette (d and electric piano).

The recording is nicely done. The compositions run from what are now standards (with the seminal fusion treatment), such as "Invitation," to what was then new Joe Henderson material. If you like Joe Henderson, no matter what the era, this is a must have.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fine music, muddled presentation, April 3, 2001

By 

Tyler Smith (Denver, CO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In Pursuit of Blackness (Audio CD)

This CD brings together two early-'70s Milestone releases in one CD. While the music on each is worthwhile, the original decision on packaging "In Pursuit of Blackness" muddles this otherwise welcome project.

"In Pursuit of Blackness" joined together live and studio material from two Henderson bands. The two live tracks, culled from a 1970 stint at the Lighthouse in California, include Woody Shaw on trumpet, George Cables on keyboards, and Lenny White and Ron McClure on drums and bass respectively. An entire album, since deleted, "If You're Not Part of the Solution You're Part of the Problem," (surely one of the worst album titles of all time) had previously memorialized this show, and one wishes that Henderson and producer Orin Keepnews had simply released a double album in the first place.

Interspersed between these two cuts is studio material from what had become Henderson's new band, of which only Cables and White were carryovers. The loss of Shaw makes this band, in my opinion, slightly less impressive, but the material is still strong, and Cables continues to make strong contributions. For me, he was one of the few pianists to bring a distinctive sound to the electric keyboard. The problem is that there is no clear direction to the collection of tracks. One is left wanting to hear a complete session from one band or the other.

That said, the live band is terrific, particularly on "Gazelle," and the listener interested in further documentation of this band is directed to unearth the previously cited title (too long to repeat.) Shaw, Henderson, and Cables comprised a great jazz unit, one that blended traditional hard bop with R&B and funk elements to great effect.

The remainder of the CD consists of the entire "Black Is the Color" session, which found Henderson attempting to fuse his diamond-hard, straight-ahead jazz sound with electronics, as was the sometimes unfortunate fashion of the day. The results are mixed but generally satisfying. Henderson's best effort here is the uncomplicated 4-4 blowing session "Vis a Vis," but the very funky "Terra Firma" is also effective. He also tries his hand at flute for a bit of color here and there, the only time, to my knowledge, that he did so on a recording.

You may find the somewhat dated moog synthesizer effects of "Black Is the Color" and the confused programming of "In Pursuit of Blackness" a bit disconcerting, but the stellar playing of Henderson, the superb taste of George Cables, and the all-too-brief taste of Woody Shaw's always bright trumpet sound still make this CD a generally worthwhile purchase.

5.0 out of 5 stars Two Funky and Soulful Classics by Joe !!!, October 1, 2011

By 

David Moore (ridgeland, ms) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: In Pursuit of Blackness (Audio CD)

Joe Henderson's work for Milestone is deeply misunderstood by the majority of critics writing about jazz music. These two fantastic records are a case in point.Listen to "Terra Firma" or "Vis a Vis". Joe sounds like a character from Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" who is taking a good look around and then brings what he sees into the studio along with the master jazz intelligence and integrity he carried his entire life in music. And yet these records are skimmed over as average or worse by most main stream jazz critics.The quality of musicians present speaks for itself; i can only encourage the listener to turn this music up and enjoy along side Donald Byrd's Ethiopian Knights, Mile's electric recordings, or their favorite Curtis Mayfield or Bobby Womack record, Joe takes that great 70's sound and wipes the floor with it - This is a man who was deeply involved with the Coltrane clan and it's extended legacy. Alice Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, Elvin Jones - people who created music rather than snipe at it understood exactly how important Joe's voice in jazz was following John Coltrane''s death and during his tenure at Milestone. See his recording Elementswith Mrs. Coltrane done 2 years later to understand how foolish it is to ever underestimate Joe's technique or vision. It is true that some truly great jazz artists stumbled in their initial forays into the electronic,spiritual, and commercial opportunities opening up for jazz in the 60's and 70's.Slews of mediocre and forgettable albums by once fine jazz player tell the tale of commercial greed and inept production attempts. But to miss what musicians like Donald Byrd, Wes Montgomery, Miles,Jimmy Smith, Herbie Mann and others were producing at this time is to miss that beautiful musical period when future stars like Maurice White(Earth,Wind,and Fire)and others were directly involved in jazz as popular music. NOW - that I have finished blowing hot air about the poor state of writing about 70's jazz , and by the way this is coming from someone who admires Wynton Marsalis's usually over the top role as self appointed and state sponsored jazz arbiter of taste; a man who for some reason just won't currently acknowledge the distinction between say Jimmy Ponder and Al Di Meola when he talks about the music. But please, someone who can speak with real musical knowledge about the songs or players, i would deeply appreciate more reviews of these recordings along with Power to the People or any of Joe's early 70's work. We can forget the PENGUIN GUIDE for help - their phobia of the spiritual or funky in jazz is evident. Just play this great music loud and wait for the critics to catch up.