Joe Henderson in Japan

Joe Henderson in Japan
Live album by Joe Henderson
Released	End of April/early May 1971[1]
Recorded	August 4, 1971 Junk Club, Tokyo
Genre	Jazz
Length	45:02
Label	Milestone MSP 9047
Producer	Orrin Keepnews
Joe Henderson chronology
In Pursuit of Blackness (1971) Joe Henderson in Japan (1971) Black Is the Color (1972)

Joe Henderson in Japan is a live album by American saxophonist Joe Henderson, released on Milestone Records in 1971. In the early 1970s jazz was not enjoying an explosion of popularity in the land of its birth. In Japan, the story was different. The country's jazz listeners came to the music full of appreciation that grows from deep knowledge, and they knew Joe Henderson. No young modern jazz player had created more excitement and interest in Japan. When he arrived for an engagement in Tokyo at a club with the piquant name Junk Club, anticipation was running high. Joining a local rhythm section, he rewarded his fans with some of the most inspired performances of his career. According to the jazz historian Bill Kirchner:

“

"Joe Henderson in Japan"... is one of the handful of records from the late Sixties and early Seventies to be studied like a textbook by the most advanced young jazz musicians. It's that kind of a record.

”

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]
All About Jazz	(very favorable)[3]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide	[4]

Allmusic awarded the album with 4.5 stars and its review by Scott Yanow states: "Performing at the Junk Club in Tokyo, Henderson is joined by an all-Japanese rhythm section (electric pianist Hideo Ichikawa, bassist Kunimitsu Inaba, and drummer Motohiko Hino) on lengthy versions of "'Round Midnight," "Blue Bossa," and his two originals "Out 'n' In" and "Junk Blues." Henderson sounds quite inspired throughout the set, and the obscure rhythm section (only Hino is known in the U.S.) really pushes him. An underrated gem."^[2]

Track listing

1. "'Round Midnight" (Thelonious Monk) - 12:38
2. "Out 'N' In" (Joe Henderson) - 9:08
3. "Blue Bossa" (Kenny Dorham) - 8:29
4. "Junk Blues" (Joe Henderson) - 14:46

Personnel

• Joe Henderson - tenor saxophone
• Hideo Ichikawa - electric piano
• Kunimitsu Inaba - bass
• Motohiko Hino - drums

References

1. Billboard May 12, 1971
2. Yanow, Scott. "Joe Henderson in Japan - Joe Henderson | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
3. Taylor, Derek (1 June 2000). "Joe Henderson: Joe Henderson In Japan". allaboutjazz.com. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
4. Swenson, J. (Editor) (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 100. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.