Joe Henderson

The Soundwaves Vinyl of the Week is Power To The People by Joe Henderson.

 

Jazz Dispensary outdid themselves this year when they re-issued Joe Henderson’s 1969 album Power To The People. It features a powerhouse rhythm section consisting of Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Jack De Johnette and Mike Lawrence.

 

Labeled ‘hard bop’ by the purests, this album incorporates the sounds of gospel, R&B, and the blues in a gritty and darker atmosphere signaling an intentional return to African American musical roots. Henderson, along with his band, created an enduring anthem of empowerment that remains as harmonically sophisticated as it is politically resonant.

 

Other albums that fit into this jazz sub-genre include:

 

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, Moanin’

 

Sonny Rollins, Saxophone Colossus

 

Lee Morgan, The Sidewinder