Joe Henderson – “Blue Bossa”


Saxophonist Joe Henderson was born on this day (April 24) in Lima, Ohio, in 1937. A star on the Detroit jazz scene, Henderson moved to New York City in 1962, after spending two years in the Army. In New York, he would forge indispensable partnerships with trumpeter Kenny Dorham and pianist Horace Silver, two artists with whom he would go on to record classic albums (including Silver’s Song for My Father). Our Song of the Day comes from Page One, the first of many acclaimed albums on the venerable jazz label Blue Note. The tune, “Blue Bossa,” was written by Dorham but here serves as a clear showcase for Henderson’s lithe yet vigorous tenor playing. After a stint with the jazz-rock group Blood Sweat & Tears, Henderson moved to San Francisco to pursue a teaching position. He died in 2001 at the age of 64.

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