‘So Far’: Henderson Cruises to Miles Davis

For most of his nearly 30 years in the jazz trade, bearded Joe Henderson has been a musician’s musician: respected, even revered by his colleagues and jazz aficionados, but little known to the general public.

That changed in 1992. The San Francisco-based Henderson signed with Verve Records--his first major label deal--and his debut release, “Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn,” has sold more than 100,000 copies. Last month, Henderson won a Grammy for best instrumental solo for a daring unaccompanied version of the album’s title track.

The tenor saxophonist, now 55, will undoubtedly draw still more admirers with the recently released “So Near, So Far,” his second theme album for Verve. In the company of guitarist John Scofield, bassist Dave Holland and drummer Al Foster, Henderson tackles material either written or recorded by Miles Davis.

The tunes range from the original “Milestones,” a lyrical essay made by Davis, with Charlie Parker on tenor sax, for Savoy Records in 1947, to “Side Car,” a heated 1968 Davis vehicle. Also included on the album are such tasteful items as “Miles Ahead,” initially recorded on the classic 1957 Columbia album of the same name, where the trumpeter performed with Gil Evans’ orchestra, and “Joshua,” written by the late pianist Victor Feldman for his son and recorded on Davis’ “Seven Steps to Heaven,” a 1963 Columbia session.

The slightly built Henderson, who as the years pass continues to follow Dizzy Gillespie’s adage that jazz maturity comes from learning what notes to leave out, is at his expressive best here, tearing into such speedy numbers as “Joshua,” his tone robust leaning toward attractively bray-ish, his lines bursting with juicy phrases. On the tranquil takes, such as “Miles Ahead,” he and his cohorts create a soft blanket of sound, and on the blues “Pfrancing (No Blues),” the saxophonist offers both succulent, stretched out tones and bordering-on-the-explosive, rat-a-tat bursts.

The saxophonist, who gave Verve president Richard Seidel credit for conceiving this project as well as “Lush Life,” worked with Davis for a few months in 1967.

Asked about this scant tenure, Henderson says that the trumpeter was going through a transition period and “the band never settled. We never knew what tunes we were going to play, or even who would be in the band,” which at various times included pianist Herbie Hancock, drummers Tony Williams and Jack DeJohnette and tenor man Wayne Shorter, who shared the front rank with Henderson and Davis. “But while I was there it was huge fun.”

So was the recording of “So Near, So Far.” “It was way beyond belief that I was able to bring together these kind of personalities,” he says. “I felt fortunate to have been part of this myself, with some of the strongest people around representing this music. I just wish Miles could be here to hear it.”

Small-Screen Time for Benoit: Pianist David Benoit, whose “Letter to Evan” on GRP Records sits at No. 4 on the new Billboard magazine jazz charts, is scoring the initial 13 episodes of the new ABC-TV police show “Sirens,” which debuted Wednesday. Benoit, who also wrote the theme, has previously scored specials based on the Charles M. Schulz cartoon character Charlie Brown.

In the Racks: Another TV writer, Nan Mishkin (nee Schwartz), is responsible for the jazz-based arrangements of movie themes on “Body Heat: Jazz at the Movies,” out on Discovery Records. Such memorable themes as “Black Orpheus,” “Calling You” (from “Bagdad Cafe”), “Taxi Driver” and “Body Heat” are played with spirit by Kim Richmond, alto sax; Ernie Watts, tenor sax and Jack Sheldon, trumpet, among others.

Critic’s Choice: New York-based pianist James Williams makes it to Los Angeles far too rarely--he was last heard here five years ago with his Progress Report sextet. A man comfortable playing classics from the ‘30s as well as today’s originals, Williams, who works Wednesday through Sunday at Catalina Bar & Grill with guitarist Kevin Eubanks and bassist John Clayton, is the complete artist, possessing a rich, delicious touch, a drummer’s rhythmic acuity and a melodic grace that makes almost all his lines ring delightfully in your ear.