Heaven Is On The Bandstand
Renee Rosnes on Joe Henderson and More
(Updated July 11, 2018) For several years, all-star veterans of the late, pantheonic tenor saxophonist and composer Joe Henderson’s band have assembled at Birdland to celebrate his enduring legacy as a composer and influential improviser. That legacy includes now standard jazz compositions such as “Black Narcissus,” “Caribbean Fire Dance,” “Inner Urge,” “In’n Out,” “Isotope,” “The Kicker,” “Our Thing,” “Recorda Me,” “Serenity,” “A Shade of Jade” and many more. In 2014, “The Phantom Band” (a tribute to his nickname, The Phantom) convened by pianist Renee Rosnes, featured Randy Brecker (trumpet) Al Foster (drums) George Mraz (bass) and Jimmy Greene (saxophones).
BL: What is planned for The Phantom Band’s celebration of Joe Henderson?
RR: The Phantom Band has a large repertoire of music composed or arranged by Joe Henderson. There are pieces from almost all of his Blue Note records, some Milestone recordings, and some from his years with Verve Records too. As a writer, Joe had an original and profound voice, and there is no shortage of material to draw from. Other composers that were a part of his repertoire included Duke Pearson, Billy Strayhorn and Sam Rivers, and we’ll be playing them all.
BL: How did you meet Joe Henderson?
RR: A year or so after I moved to New York, Joe asked me to become a member of an all-women quartet that he was assembling, and it was with him that I toured Europe as a professional musician for the first time. The band included Kim Clarke on bass, and Sylvia Cuenca on drums, and later on, drummer Cindy Blackman and bassist Marlene Rosenberg joined the quartet. I went on to work with Joe in a variety of contexts — from small group to big band — and with such musicians as Larry Grenadier, Al Foster, George Mraz, Billy Drummond, Conrad Herwig, Charlie Haden, and Ralph Penland, among others.
BL: What stands out about those experiences?
RR: What I remember most, was the consistency of his brilliance from night to night. He played with such joy and command, and inspired the same from his band mates. Joe seemed to be able to effortlessly connect to his creative source and had a trust in the musicians he chose for his bands, always allowing them complete freedom of expression. I once heard him say, “Heaven is on the bandstand,” and he could often be seen onstage looking skyward with his hands in a prayer-like stance as he reflected on the sounds around him. It was almost as if he was summoning the muses.
“Renee is one of those musicians who played the hell out of my music. We had earthquakes on the bandstand.” —Joe Henderson, from the liner notes of Joe Henderson: The Blue Note Years (1993)
BL: Your band mates for this engagement, were also Henderson associates?
RR: Randy Brecker, George Mraz and Al Foster are three virtuoso musicians who each had an enduring musical relationship with Joe. They were his first call players, and performed with him all over the world and in the recording studio. Together, George and Al have a beautiful chemistry, and the amazing Randy Brecker brings elements of verve and freedom to any band he plays with. Tenor saxophonist Jimmy Greene is deeply influenced by Joe’s musical language and sound. He has been inspired by Joe, but comes into the band with his own musical vision.
BL: What are your interests aside from performing?
RR: Outside of practicing, composing, arranging and studying music daily, the most important thing I enjoy is being a Mom. When time and weather permit, I also take pleasure in reading, gardening, exploring new recipes (and perfecting old ones) in the kitchen and increasingly, have been interested in documenting my travels with photography.
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