Lori Bell: Recorda Me - Remembering Joe Henderson

The exceptional tenor saxophonist and composer Joe Henderson, who passed in 2001, recorded three premium-grade tribute albums: Lush Life: The Music Of Billy Stayhorn (1992), So Near, So Far (Musings For Miles) (1993) and Double Rainbow: The Music Of Antonio Carlos Jobim (1995), all on Verve. But in the decades since Henderson left us, tributes to him have been practically non-existent, not to mention unremarkable. San Diego-based flautist Lori Bell's sizzling Recorda Me: Remembering Joe Henderson is the first substantial effort to put things right.

In the press materials, Bell says that the flute is an unusual instrument with which to salute Henderson, observing that he only occasionally played it in public. When he did, however, he made his mark, as spiritual-jazz aficionados will acknowledge. His alto flute on Alice Coltrane's Ptah, The El Daoud (Impulse!, 1970) and on his own The Elements (Milestone, 1974), featuring Coltrane, are strong examples. Bell mainly plays C flute on the album, but uses the alto on one track.

It is Henderson's talent as a composer rather than a player that Bell, a memorable composer herself, is primarily concerned with honouring on Recorda Me (Portugese for "remember me"). The album features eight Henderson pieces, all but one from Henderson's 1960s Blue Note catalogue: the title track and "Out Of The Night" from his debut album Page One (1963), "Punjab" and "Serenity" from In 'n Out (1965), "Inner Urge" and "Isotope" (on the YouTube below) from Inner Urge (1966), "A Shade Of Jade" from Mode For Joe (1966), and the title track of Black Narcissus (Milestone, 1977). A ninth track is a Bell original, the Latin-flavoured "Outer Urge."

An energetic, high-voltage flautist who swings ferociously, Bell would likely rally round a Bring Back Rahsaan Roland Kirk banner even if she herself rarely uses vocalisation or overblowing. She is accompanied by the muchly simpatico trio of pianist Josh Nelson, bassist David Robaire and drummer Dan Schnelle. Nelson (John Pizzarelli, Natalie Cole), who solos as often as Bell, is a strikingly singular stylist.

One day, hopefully, a tenor saxophonist will summon up the nerve to record a Henderson tribute. A perfect candidate would be Britain's Nubya Garcia, who shares Henderson's love of Latin music and who named him as her hard-bop hero in conversation in 2018.

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